Ethereum (ETH) is poised for a resurgence in 2025 as it rides a wave of emerging trends to capitalize on a $100 trillion opportunity in tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs), according to a letter shared with investors by Bitwise’s senior investment strategist, Juan Leon.
The document highlighted that the crypto market was marked by two narratives this year: Bitcoin’s (BTC) new all-time high, driven by spot exchange-traded funds (ETF) approval in the US, and Solana’s (SOL) meteoric popularity as retail investors piled into memecoin speculation.
As a result, Ethereum’s 66% year-to-date return paled when compared to BTC’s 130% gain and SOL’s 106% rally.
ETFs signaling changes
However, recent signs suggest a reversal of sentiment. Over the past 10 days, Ethereum ETFs have attracted a staggering $2 billion in net inflows, eight times the $250 million net inflows recorded in the preceding four months.
On Dec. 5, data from Farside Investors pointed out that the spot Ethereum ETFs traded in the US registered $428.5 million in inflows, a new daily record propelled by $292.7 million directed at BlackRock’s ETHA.
Moreover, Ethereum ETFs saw less than three-digit daily inflows in only 3 out of the 10 past trading days saw inflows.
This surge indicates that institutional and retail investors are warming up to Ethereum again.
RWA growth
The tokenization of real-world assets might be the fuel for Ethereum’s resurgence. This process involves digitizing traditional assets — such as Treasury bills, real estate, and commodities — into blockchain-based tokens, offering faster, cheaper, and more efficient trading and settlement.
Tokenization is no longer a far-off dream. Major players like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and UBS have adopted blockchain technology to tokenize RWAs. BlackRock’s tokenized treasury fund, BUIDL, currently has a market cap of $544 million.
According to the letter, real-world assets are valued at roughly $100 trillion globally, creating a staggering opportunity. While it could take decades for significant portions of this market to shift to blockchain rails, Leon sees immense potential upside.
Considering that Ethereum holds 81% of the RWA market, Leon estimates that fees generated from RWA-linked activity on Ethereum could ultimately surpass $100 billion annually, more than 40 times the network’s $2.4 billion in fees year-to-date.
The letter attributes Ethereum’s dominance to its status as the most reliable and decentralized smart contract platform, secured by its long history of supporting decentralized applications and its vast distributed validator network.
As the world’s largest asset managers explore tokenized assets, Ethereum remains the “battle-tested” standard. Furthermore, regulatory tailwinds could accelerate this transformation, setting Ethereum for potentially explosive growth.
The letter noted that an increasingly pro-crypto U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may provide much-needed clarity, removing barriers to adoption and institutional participation.
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