Building a skyscraper begins with a bold design on paper, but it takes much more than that to bring it to reality. Similarly, the popular dream today – turning a modest investment in cryptocurrency like Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) into a million-dollar asset – sounds appealing but requires patience, discipline, and a strong belief in the future of blockchain. So what exactly do you need to realize that dream?

Start With The Numbers

Assuming the goal is to achieve 1 million USD from Ethereum by around mid-2035. At present, ETH is trading at around 3,600 USD. If by 2035, the price of ETH rises to 30,000 USD, which means it increases about 8 times, then you would need to hold approximately 33.4 ETH to reach the million-dollar mark.

To own that amount of ETH in the next 10 years, you need to buy gradually each month. If the average purchase price is 5,000 USD/ETH, then the total amount needed to invest will be about 167,000 USD, equivalent to 1,391 USD per month.

This is not a small number, especially for a highly volatile asset like cryptocurrency. However, if you stake ETH – meaning locking ETH to earn interest, currently around 4% per year – it can ease financial pressure. Additionally, new Ethereum ETFs have also started distributing staking rewards to shareholders, helping to boost investment performance.

The Three Pillars of a Million-Dollar Investment Strategy

  1. The Future Price of ETH:

    If ETH reaches 60,000 USD, you only need 16.7 ETH to have 1 million USD. At that point, the monthly investment would only be about 700 USD, much more accessible. But if the price is lower than expected, this plan could become unrealistic.

  2. Average Purchase Price:

    If you buy a lot during a strong market downturn (bear market), the average price will be lower, helping to reduce overall costs. Conversely, if you only buy when prices are high, costs can increase significantly.

  3. Consistency:

    Missing a few months of investment or stopping midway will greatly affect the plan. The discipline in regular investing is the key factor that helps the strategy succeed.

However, none of these three factors are guaranteed. All calculations are merely projections, not commitments.

Assumptions That Need Verification

Ethereum currently accounts for about 60% of the total value locked (TVL) in the DeFi space, equivalent to 80 billion USD out of a total of 134 billion USD. If the DeFi market triples in the next decade and Ethereum maintains its market share, network fee revenues – and staking rewards – will increase significantly.

Moreover, according to Research and Markets, the smart contracts market is expected to grow by 23% per year until 2029, thanks to adoption by various industries. With its position as the leading blockchain, Ethereum has the opportunity to continue leading. Particularly, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) will drive AI agents to automatically write, test, and trigger smart contracts, providing a major boost to the ecosystem.

Legally, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently paved the way for legal ETH staking through registered entities. The first Ethereum ETFs have also been approved, opening the door for major financial institutions to access and accumulate ETH in a compliant manner.

In summary, if all these assumptions hold true, then Ethereum could grow enough to help investors reach the million-dollar milestone – if they invest regularly and patiently.

But Nothing is Certain

However, Ethereum is not the only option in the blockchain race. Networks like Solana are offering lower fees, faster processing speeds, and are also attracting many developers. Ethereum could potentially lose market share if it does not improve in time.

Additionally, legal policies can change rapidly. A government or SEC reversal could shake the entire ecosystem. This could affect staking returns or cause ETH prices to stagnate or decline for a long time.

Therefore, the goal of turning ETH into 1 million USD in 10 years is theoretically feasible, but it depends on a series of positive assumptions.

A More Reasonable Strategy for Most Investors

Instead of chasing bold goals in 10 years, most investors will be safer if:

  • Extend the investment period to 15 or 20 years

  • Reduce the monthly investment to a reasonable level, to avoid panic when the market crashes

  • Leverage staking interest, staking ETFs, and DCA (dollar-cost averaging) to reduce risk and enhance returns

With a slow and steady approach, Ethereum can still be a wealth-generating machine in the long term, as long as you have perseverance and a clear understanding of the risks associated with this asset.