Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee said at Korea Blockchain Week 2026 that the current crypto cycle could become the strongest yet. According to Lee, the bull market has already started, and he expects institutional buying to intensify in the fourth quarter of 2026.

ETH consolidates for 5 years; previous sideways periods preceded growth

Lee noted that Ethereum has been consolidating for five years. After previous prolonged sideways periods, ETH rose 227-fold in 2016 and 50-fold in 2020. He said the current correction is the longest so far, which could signal a strong rally ahead.

Main cycle drivers: tokenization and stablecoins

He believes this cycle differs from previous ones: in 2016–2017, the market was driven by ICOs, then by NFTs, while now the key factors will be tokenization and stablecoins issued by major financial companies.

BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Robinhood to continue blockchain adoption

According to Lee, these companies are likely to deepen their blockchain integration. For Ethereum, he identified tokenization and AI agents using digital money as additional long-term drivers.

Market potential up to $10 trillion due to inheritance

Lee believes the crypto market could grow to $10 trillion amid intergenerational wealth transfer: in 2026, young Americans could inherit about $700 billion; if at least $200 billion flows into crypto assets, this inflow could scale the market to that level.

BitMine aims to buy 5% of ETH supply

He said BitMine still aims to acquire 5% of the ETH supply. The company's strategy includes staking, share buybacks, and issuing perpetual preferred shares; the goal is for BitMine's stock yield to exceed that of ETH itself.