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Mike Silagadze, CEO of ether.fi (ETHFI), said that Ethereum’s growth momentum in 2026 will come from neobank-focused financial products rather than speculation.
Mike Silagadze, CEO and co-founder of ether.fi, argued in an interview that Ethereum has passed a “corporate turning point year” and that the next phase will see products familiar to everyday users take center stage.
Silagadze noted that ether.fi, known for its restaking platform on Ethereum, has recently been focusing on neobank products within the cryptocurrency ecosystem that combine yield, self-custody, and on-chain financial services.
According to Silagadze, 2025 marked a turning point for Ethereum, with accelerating institutional participation. While staking in ETFs remains limited, other institutional tools like digital asset treasuries (DATs) have progressed more rapidly. “Many have started distributing to ether.fi; these are truly pioneering users,” said Silagadze, adding that DATs have also had a positive impact on the ETH price. According to the data, ETH hit a low of $1,472 in April 2025, while DATs peaked at $4,832.
Looking ahead to 2026, Silagadze’s excitement focuses on the maturation of Ethereum’s financial ecosystem. “The crypto neobank movement is a rapidly growing trend; many companies are entering this space and seeing growth,” said Silagadze, arguing that stablecoins, in particular, offer a clear path to sustainable adoption as they become more deeply embedded in global finance. According to the CEO, next-generation neobanks have an advantage over ETFs in connecting users with on-chain activity and returns.
Silagadze argued that Ethereum’s success in 2026 will depend on its ability to offer scalability and practical benefits. “My strong belief is that adoption will come from neobank-like entities,” he said, adding that the focus should be on real-world use cases such as tokenized stocks and accessible banking services; and that the ecosystem must move away from over-reliance on “speculation-driven” applications.
*This is not investment advice.