Coinpost-hosted WebX 2026 in Tokyo had Tom Lee as one of its speakers in favor of Ethereum. Lee gave his keynote speech entitled “Ethereum: The Cure for the Wealth Uncanny Valley.” Lee said Ethereum has the potential to become the settlement layer for the artificial intelligence era. He attributed that opportunity to leadership changes within the Ethereum Foundation and increasing institutional participation across digital asset markets.
He stated, “Under the leadership of the new foundation, ETH has the potential to become the settlement layer for the AI era.”
Lee mentioned several macroeconomic trends that could affect the crypto market during 2026. They included U.S. monetary policy, the CLARITY Act, artificial intelligence investment trends, and poor financial sector performance relative to other sectors. He additionally mentioned rising institutional demand as one of the main factors supporting the role of Ethereum in the future. As mentioned by Lee, Wall Street now favors Ethereum due to increasing investments by institutions into it.
Robinhood Chain and Market Structure Support Ethereum Outlook
The comparison between the present market environment of Ethereum and the bounce-back of the American stock market after the 1987 stock market crash was done by Lee. Lee stated that Ethereum seems to be on the verge of forming an important bottom ahead of a possible recovery. Furthermore, Lee analyzed the history of price performance of Ethereum through various market cycles, emphasizing the fact that many people do not recognize its intrinsic value when the price is falling. Robinhood Chain was mentioned as a recent event in the Ethereum ecosystem by Lee.
Bitmine Expands Ethereum Holdings
Lee also disclosed updated information regarding Bitmine’s Ethereum treasury strategy during the presentation. He said Bitmine currently holds approximately 5.74 million ETH, representing about 4.8% of Ethereum’s circulating supply.
The company plans to gradually increase its holdings to approximately five percent of the total Ethereum supply. Lee added that Bitmine also intends to expand investments throughout the broader Ethereum ecosystem alongside its treasury strategy.
His comments reflected growing institutional interest in Ethereum infrastructure rather than short-term market performance. Investors and analysts continue monitoring whether institutional participation, regulatory developments, and expanding blockchain applications strengthen Ethereum’s position throughout the remainder of 2026.
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