Ethereum TVL Primed For Explosive Growth: Sharplink CEO Predicts Tenfold Surge By 2026

Forget steady climbs. The CEO of Sharplink is calling for a seismic shift in Ethereum's value proposition, forecasting a tenfold explosion in its Total Value Locked within the next year.

The Bull Case for Hypergrowth

The prediction hinges on a convergence of catalysts poised to flood the Ethereum ecosystem with capital. Institutional adoption is no longer a distant promise but an unfolding reality, with traditional finance finally building the on-ramps. Meanwhile, layer-2 scaling solutions are maturing from testnets to production-grade networks, slashing fees and unlocking a wave of previously impractical applications.

Beyond the Hype Cycle

This isn't just speculative fervor. The underlying infrastructure—from decentralized finance protocols to non-fungible token marketplaces and burgeoning real-world asset tokenization—is achieving critical mass. Each successful application acts as a magnet, pulling in more developers, users, and ultimately, capital. The network effect, long theorized, is entering its exponential phase.

A Reality Check for the Skeptics

Of course, Wall Street veterans will scoff, muttering about 'irrational exuberance' between sips of their overpriced coffee—after all, what's a tenfold return compared to the thrill of a 2% bond yield? But in crypto, traditional metrics often fail. The bet here isn't just on technology, but on a fundamental re-architecting of how value is stored and transferred. If even a fraction of the vision materializes, the current TVL figures will look quaint. The runway to 2026 is short, and the engines are firing.

Stablecoin Expansion And Institutional Interest

According to a report from CoinMarketCap, Chalom anticipates that the stablecoin market will soar to $500 billion by December 2026. Currently, the total market capitalization for stablecoins stands at approximately $308.46 billion, suggesting a 62% growth from current figures. 

Given that ethereum is responsible for processing over half of all stablecoin transactions across various blockchain networks, the projected expansion in stablecoin  issuance and transaction volume is set to significantly elevate the network’s TVL.

Chalom further predicts that the market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) will also witness substantial growth, potentially reaching a total value of $300 billion next year. 

This is expected to MOVE beyond tokenizing individual securities and funds to encompass complete fund complexes, thereby increasing Ethereum’s relevance in the financial ecosystem.

Key to this expected growth is the increasing involvement of major financial institutions from traditional finance such as BlackRock, which has shown heightened interest in blockchain technologies over the past year. Chalom predicts that it could serve as a catalyst for moving significant assets onto Ethereum’s infrastructure.

Can Ethereum Overcome Price Challenges?

The rise in total value locked usually indicates increased network utilization, which can bolster market sentiment and may influence ethereum price dynamics. Currently, data shows ETH’s TVL at approximately $68.20 billion.

Crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen recently expressed skepticism about Ethereum reaching new price highs in 2026, particularly in light of Bitcoin’s (BTC) market conditions. 

However, Chalom anticipates that sovereign wealth fund holdings and tokenization efforts on Ethereum could grow five- to tenfold in the coming year. 

This potential increase is attributed to competitive pressures that may encourage institutional investors, who have previously been hesitant about cryptocurrency exposure, to reconsider their strategies as peer adoption accelerates.

Moreover, Chalom believes that the integration of on-chain artificial intelligence (AI) agents and prediction markets will gain mainstream traction in 2026, further driving activity and adding value to the Ethereum ecosystem. 

Ultimately, Sharplink’s CEO stressed that the convergence of institutional interest from traditional finance firms, expanded applications, and the involvement of sovereign funds could significantly position Ethereum for impressive TVL growth in the NEAR future.

Currently, Ethereum is trading at around $2,930, marking a 13% year-to-date decline for the leading altcoin. Compared to its all-time high of $4,964 reached earlier this year, the cryptocurrency is currently trading 40% below this level. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com