Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat and a renowned market expert, stated that Ethereum may soon experience a strong price surge, similar to what BTC went through in 2017.
At that time, Bitcoin's price had increased more than 100 times as many began to see it as 'digital gold.' Lee believes that Bitcoin's ETH 2017 moment is approaching. But the question arises, why does he think so?
Behind Ethereum's Bitcoin Moment of 2017: Price Surge Prospects
Back in 2017, BTC was trading at around $1,000 in January, but by the previous month, it had surged 2,000% to around $20,000. The market just witnessed an explosive moment.
As for Ethereum, it has increased by 200% from the drop in April and 16.66% since the beginning of the year. If this growth trend continues, it has the potential for an 850% increase as Lee mentioned.
The contributing factors mentioned include stablecoin regulations, large investments from companies, and the SEC's high regard.
Institutional Buying and AI Integration Driving Ethereum's Growth
Aside from Ethereum's Bitcoin moment of 2017, Tom Lee also discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) will interact with Ethereum. He believes that major companies will start holding Ethereum just like MicroStrategy holds BTC and referred to this idea as 'Ethereum MicroStrategy.'
Moreover, institutions have also started to participate. Bitmine Immersion leads with 833,133 ETH worth $3.5 billion, followed by Ether MicroStrategy, Sharplink Gaming with 521,939 ETH worth $2.23 billion. Coinbase Inc, Bit Digital, BTCS Inc. are also among the top holders. According to CoinGecko, 1.45% of the total supply is held by only 17 public companies, indicating a high level of trust in this cryptocurrency.
Surge in Prices Signals New Investor Confidence
This coin started at a price of $3,688 in 2025 but faced a sharp decline to $1,472 in April. After a gradual rise, it started to climb back since last month and is now up from around $3,700 to over $4,200 in just a few weeks.
This increase clearly supports the views that the co-founder of Fundstrat mentioned regarding Bitcoin's 2017 moment with ETH.
Potential Price: From $3,700 Up to $30,000
Lee predicts that prices could surge significantly, potentially reaching $30,000 or more. He is not the only one forecasting this price increase; EMJ Capital founder Eric Jackson stated that prices could reach $1.5 million per coin over time, while other experts estimate prices around $90,000 to $1 million.
What makes experts think this way? This significant increase is driven by several key factors coming together to elevate Ethereum's value.
Conclusion
With clearer rules, the participation of major institutions, and advanced technology enhancing virtual asset value, this asset has recently joined the top 25 highest market capitalization indices.
But when Ethereum's Bitcoin moment of 2017 is heavily speculated, could it be that BTC, which saw a sharp decline the following year, will also face a similar fate? The answer is uncertain, but current speculations suggest it could.