Ethereum\u2019s price has lagged behind Bitcoin at key moments, retail confidence is low, and every failed breakout has given critics another reason to argue that ETH has lost its place. However, some market experts are not buying that idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of those market experts taking the opposite side of that argument is Tom Lee. The Fundstrat co-founder and BitMine chairman has continued to defend<\/a> Ethereum\u2019s long-term setup, with his 2026 ETH target around $12,000.<\/p>\n Tom Lee is one of the more vocal names<\/a> in the bullish camp for Ethereum. The Fundstrat co-founder and BitMine chairman has reportedly projected Ethereum as high as $9,000 to $12,000 by the end of 2026, placing him among the experts who believe ETH\u2019s current weakness is temporary.<\/p>\n Lee made the<\/a> Ethereum year-end 2026 forecast at Consensus Miami, pairing the range with a Bitcoin projection of $150,000 to $200,000 and calling the crypto winter already over. It was a statement of confidence that stood out even in a conference room full of optimists.<\/a><\/p>\n Lee\u2019s company, Bitmine Immersion Technologies, holds over 5.18 million ETH valued around $12.07 billion, a position built in<\/a> less than a year at an estimated cost of around $230 million per tranche each week. This accumulation trend by Bitmine has been repeatedly compared to Strategy\u2019s Bitcoin accumulation <\/a>playbook, and Lee has leaned into it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Interestingly, the $10,000-plus Ethereum prediction is not limited to Lee. Analyst Crypto Patel offered a complementary set of drivers in a post on X, projecting an Ethereum price of around $10,000 to $15,000 this cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another crypto analyst called Celal Kucuker also shared a bullish<\/a> Ethereum outlook on X on May 9, laying out a long-term roadmap that places ETH on course for a possible move above $24,000.<\/p>\n Market experts are pointing to various reasons as to why Ethereum is going to break above $10,000. For instance, Crypto Patel\u2019s prediction was built around a string of institutional developments, including BlackRock\u2019s filing for tokenized money market funds on Ethereum, JPMorgan\u2019s MONY fund going live on the network, and BlackRock\u2019s BUIDL fund reaching $2.85 billion to become the largest real-world asset product on any blockchain.<\/p>\n Tom Lee has made a similar argument, with his Ethereum outlook based on Wall Street\u2019s growing move into blockchain infrastructure. According to Lee, the next big move in markets won\u2019t be led by stocks. <\/a>It\u2019ll be driven by crypto, Bitcoin and Ethereum in particular.<\/p>\nThe $10,000 Ethereum Case Is Bigger Than One Prediction<\/h2>\n
Why Are Market Experts Predicting Ethereum Price Above $10,000?<\/h2>\n