$ETH is no longer just "crypto" — it's becoming a "global financial operating system."
- Stablecoins → Over $163 billion in stablecoins are circulating on Ethereum (roughly 57–62% of the total stablecoin market), with the majority of USDT/USDC still here.
- Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWA) → Bonds, real estate, treasuries — massive growth in 2025, and institutions are pouring in more in 2026 (Ethereum holds ~**65%** market share in tokenized RWAs).
- Payments & Neobanks → B2B payments, everyday finance products are building on Ethereum (via ether.fi and various L2s).
- Scaling Upgrades in 2026 → Glamsterdam (expected H1 2026): Gas limit increase (e.g., from ~60M toward much higher), parallel processing → dramatically cheaper + faster transactions. Followed later by Heze/Bogota upgrades.
This means: Ethereum's valuation is now driven not just by speculation, but by real utility + institutional adoption. If $BTC is "digital gold," $ETH is the "digital economy engine."
### What to Watch in the Next 2–3 Months?
- ETF inflows picking up again (already strong start in January)
- Whether $3,000 flips from resistance to support (bullish signal if it holds)
- Progress/news on Glamsterdam testnet/mainnet rollout
- Growth in stablecoin issuance + RWA TVL