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Macro fears mask Ethereum’s momentum, SharpLink CEO says
SharpLink CEO Joseph Chalom argues that macro uncertainty is hiding a massive institutional shift toward Ethereum-based tokenization.
Updated Feb 12, 2026, 2:17 p.m. Published Jan 26, 2026, 7:55 p.m.
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What to know:
The context: Former BlackRock Head of Digital Assets Strategy, and SharpLink CEO, Joseph Chalom says institutional giants are betting heavily on Ethereum to serve as the global infrastructure for asset tokenization, ignoring current price stagnation.
He outlines three key drivers for a projected 10x surge in Ethereum activity this year:
- BlackRock’s Larry Fink has signaled strong conviction that Ethereum will be the "toll road" for tokenized assets.
- Over 65% of all stablecoins and tokenized assets live on Ethereum, dwarfing Solana by a factor of ten.
- High-value projects prioritize Ethereum's decade-long record of security and liquidity over faster, cheaper alternatives.
Reading between lines: Stagnant crypto prices stem from "OG" whales exiting and speculative capital rotating into commodities.
- Long-time holders are selling large amounts of bitcoin and ether due to emerging concerns over quantum computing threats.
- Speculative money has shifted so aggressively that silver is currently trading with the volatility of a memecoin.
- Historical data suggests the market needs three to four months to flush leverage, a cycle that began in October.
What comes next: Artificial intelligence and "task-specific agents" are poised to transform Ethereum into a fully autonomous machine economy.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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- The new ERC-8004 protocol enables trustless agentic activity, allowing digital wallets to automatically rebalance and stake assets.
- The Ethereum Foundation has formalized a dedicated team to position the network as the primary decentralized quantum-resistant infrastructure.
- Future wallets will act as "digital twins," managing yield and risk tolerances without direct human intervention.
Latest developments: SharpLink is pioneering a new model for public companies by deploying treasury assets into institutional-grade DeFi.
- The firm deployed $170 million into a restaking strategy utilizing ConsenSys, Linea, EtherFi, and EigenLayer.
- This strategy marks a public company first by keeping DeFi investments secure within a qualified custodian, Anchorage.
- SharpLink stakes nearly 100% of its Ether holdings to generate productive yield rather than holding it passively.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
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