As Ethereum (ETH) holds its $2,500 support level, Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat and chairman of Bitmine, has projected that Ethereum will exceed $5,000 by the end of this year. Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading above $83,000, while XRP is hovering around $1.40.

■ Tom Lee Forecasts a Break Above $5,000 by Year-End

According to overseas crypto media outlet Coingape, Tom Lee expressed confidence in an interview with Coinage that Ethereum could reach a new all-time high. Coingape noted that Ethereum would need to rise about 99.3% to reach Tom Lee's target price. With less than three months remaining in 2026, this forecast implies that Ethereum's price could nearly double by year-end.

He cited the long consolidation period as the basis for the upside potential, explaining that once the multi-year price correction and sideways trading end and the previous all-time high is surpassed, a stronger rally could follow. According to Coingape, citing CoinMarketCap data, Ethereum recorded its previous all-time high of about $4,954 in August 2025 (local time). If Ethereum surpasses $5,000 as Tom Lee forecasts, that record would be broken.

■ A $7,500 Ethereum Scenario if Bitcoin Reaches $100,000

Tom Lee also linked Ethereum's upside potential to Bitcoin's price movements. According to Coingape, he predicted that if Bitcoin reaches $100,000, Ethereum's price could rise to around $7,500.

Coingape analyzed that if a strong uptrend emerges across the broader crypto market and investment demand expands, Ethereum could approach $5,000 this year. In particular, it noted that if Bitcoin breaks above $120,000, market sentiment could improve and funds concentrated in Bitcoin could shift into Ethereum.

■ Institutional Investor Demand and Network Upgrades

On the institutional demand side, renewed inflows into spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and increased corporate purchases of Ethereum are cited as factors that could support institutional investor demand.

The network improvement schedule is also drawing attention. According to Coingape, Ethereum is targeting the Glamsterdam upgrade in the fourth quarter of 2026 (local time), through which it plans to improve the network's scalability and efficiency. Additionally, if Ethereum staking expands, the amount available for immediate trading in the market could decrease, and increased network activity could potentially raise the amount of Ethereum burned.

On the regulatory front, some observers say that if the CLARITY Act, a U.S. cryptocurrency-related bill, is passed, regulatory standards will become clearer, potentially expanding institutional investors' market participation and investment. This is according to Coingape.

■ This Week's Checkpoints... ADP, Inflation Data, Fed Remarks

Meanwhile, this week's releases of the U.S. ADP employment report, consumer price index, producer price index, initial jobless claims, and remarks from Federal Reserve (Fed) officials could influence major cryptocurrency markets. Coingape cited these indicators as factors that could affect interest rate expectations and investor sentiment.

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