Ethereum“s total value locked (TVL) is projected to rise tenfold by 2026 as adoption accelerates across various applications and attracts institutional investors, according to Joseph Chalom, co-CEO of Sharplink. This forecast positions Sharplink Gaming as the second-largest public treasury company on the Ethereum network, currently holding 797,704 ETH, valued at approximately $2.33 billion, as per data from Ethereum Treasuries.
In a recent post on X, Chalom stated, “The stablecoin market will hit $500B by the end of next year,” indicating a significant potential increase from the present stablecoin market capitalization of around $308.46 billion. This forecast suggests a growth of about 62%, with Ethereum facilitating over 54% of the total stablecoin transactions, which could substantially boost the network”s TVL.
Chalom also anticipates that the market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) will reach $300 billion by 2026. He elaborated that “tokenized assets will 10X in AUM in 2026,” transitioning from the tokenization of individual funds, stocks, and bonds to comprehensive fund complexes. He attributed this anticipated growth to rising interest from major financial institutions, including JPMorgan, Franklin Templeton, and BlackRock.
An increase in TVL is often interpreted as a growing interest in the network, which can enhance market sentiment and possibly impact asset prices. Currently, Ethereum”s TVL stands at approximately $68.20 billion, as reported by DeFiLlama. Meanwhile, Ether has experienced a decline of 12.36% over the past year, trading at $2,924, down 3.12% over the last 30 days, according to CoinMarketCap.
Despite these positive projections, crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen recently indicated that he does not foresee Ether reaching new highs in the next year, particularly given the prevailing conditions surrounding Bitcoin.
Moreover, Chalom predicts that sovereign wealth funds will significantly increase their holdings in Ethereum and related tokenization activities, potentially growing five- to tenfold within the next year. He remarked on the competitive dynamics expected to emerge in 2026, stating, “When no one was willing to touch crypto from this pool of allocators, it was safe to stay sidelined.”
Additionally, Chalom foresees the mainstream adoption of on-chain AI agents and prediction markets, which he believes will further drive engagement and value within the Ethereum ecosystem.
