Key Takeaways
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Tom Lee believes Ethereum is positioned to win the crypto race, beating out other major players like Bitcoin.
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Lee forecasts a short-term dip to around $2,500, followed by a strong rally toward $7,000–$9,000 early next year.
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Some analysts have agreed with Lee’s points, pointing to on-chain activity and rising institutional interest.
Crypto investors are backing Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee’s view that Ethereum is positioned to win the crypto race, beating major players such as Bitcoin.
The support comes as Lee predicts that Ethereum could fall toward $2,500 before surging to between $7,000 and $9,000 early next year.
At the time of reporting, Ethereum traded around $3,035, up roughly 10% over the past week.
In a recent discussion with Wealthion’s Chris Perkins, Lee said Ethereum’s global developer base and technical resilience give it a structural advantage.
“The reason I think Ethereum is going to be one of the leading platforms is, number one, its sheer size,” Lee said.
He argued that Ethereum’s long-standing performance sets it apart.
“I think it’s a true robust community with actual known values, and it’s a neutral blockchain with 100% uptime,” he added.
Lee also pointed to expected institutional tokenization as a major demand driver.
He noted that even if institutions such as JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs don’t directly choose to run 24/7 tokenized equities on Ethereum, a third party will eventually launch a product that does.
Supported by Ethereum’s developer base, he said, such a product would attract the bulk of market liquidity.
“To me, I can see the clearance roadmap for Ethereum succeeding,” he said.
During the podcast, Lee said Ethereum could weaken before rebounding sharply early next year.
“Ethereum could face more downside before a rebound early next year,” he noted.
Lee expects a near-term dip:
“Yeah, there is a downside, maybe, to $2,500, but that’s minor compared to the upside of trying to discount a super cycle.”
He forecast an aggressive rally to “$7,000–$9,000 by the end of January.”
Lee said ETH’s drop from roughly $4,800 to below $3,000 was tied to the Oct. 10 crypto market breakdown.
He cited analysis from technical strategist Tom DeMark pointing to a potential $2,500 bottom, describing the decline as part of a broader “systematic liquidation cycle.”
Crypto analyst Christopher Perkins publicly backed Lee’s thesis, highlighting rising on-chain activity and increasing institutional interest.
“I think Fundstrat is correct,” Perkins wrote.
He said institutions evaluating blockchain infrastructure will likely focus on risk, uptime, and security.
“As institutions consider their crypto infrastructure choices, security and operational risk will be at the forefront of their decision,” he wrote. “As value comes onchain, every institution will need a settlement layer (aka blockchain).”
Perkins also pointed to booming stablecoin settlement volumes, citing Token Terminal’s report showing annual stablecoin transfer volume surpassing $50 trillion for the year.
He further emphasized Ethereum’s history, noting that regulated institutions often see ten years of operational track record as the “sweet spot.”
“10 years of history, neutrality and no downtime will remain a big differentiator for Ethereum in the institutional space,” he wrote.
CCN analyst Valdrin Tahiri said while Lee’s bullish outlook has “injected optimism” into the market, the data remains flashing with warnings.
If Lee’s bullish prediction was to flourish, Tahiri said it “must reclaim its first obstacle at the $3,500 level.”
“ETH now sits at a crossroads, and the next few days will decide whether the Tom Lee Ethereum prediction becomes reality, or whether the charts win again,” Tahiri wrote in a recent report.
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