2026-01-04 15:47:18

An interesting perspective—Mike Silagadze, co-founder of Ether Fi, recently discussed the upcoming development path for Ethereum. He suggests that by 2026, Ethereum's true growth point may no longer be speculative hype, but rather crypto financial products aimed at ordinary users, such as new types of crypto neobanks and similar applications.

Looking back at 2025, Ethereum experienced more institutionalization—ETF approvals and large institutions entering the market drove a wave of growth. But how long can this growth model last? In the long run, the ecosystem will truly be supported by practical applications and user demand.

What does the shift from speculation to practicality mean? It signifies that the crypto world is beginning to see genuine financial product innovation—everyday financial tools that ordinary people can use and understand. This aligns with Web3's ongoing theme of "returning to practicality." So, could the future look like this: instead of discussions about "how many times Ethereum will increase," the focus will be on "what problems can this crypto financial product help me solve" and actual user needs?

ETH1,26%

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TopBuyerBottomSeller

· 27m ago

That's exactly right. Institutional entry works like this—there's a short-term surge, and then it's gone. The ones that can truly survive are those with practical use cases; otherwise, it's just like Web2 apps—user retention is the key.

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TokenomicsPolice

· 3h ago

That's true, but the key still depends on who can truly create good products. Right now, it's all just empty talk.

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GoldDiggerDuck

· 01-05 10:29

Sounds good, but are there really that many ordinary people using crypto neobanks? Anyway, I haven't met a single one around me. From hype to application, it sounds like a long-term positive, but who can afford to hold through this bear market in the short term? Wow, the story is about 2026, and it's already sounding so slick. Let's see if we can survive until next year first. Can institutionalization and practicality be achieved at the same time? I think that's a false proposition. Honestly, it still depends on the emergence of a killer app; having just the neobank concept is far from enough. When will the real turning point come? I'm already tired of waiting. If you're not convinced, who can give an example of a crypto financial product that "ordinary people can actually use" right now? After all this talk about "returning to practicality," it still feels like just storytelling.

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GasFeeSobber

· 01-04 16:17

It sounds good, but I still want to see if any useful products can really be built by 2026. However, crypto neobank does have some potential, just not sure how regulators will view it. Institutionalization is a short-term benefit; in the long run, it still depends on actual demand, and there's no escaping that.

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PortfolioAlert

· 01-04 16:16

It's said that 2026 will return to practicality, but from what I see, retail investors still need to go through a washout first to learn...

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PaperHandsCriminal

· 01-04 16:14

Keep dreaming, it's still early for 2026. First, let's digest the trapped positions from 2025.

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FreeMinter

· 01-04 16:13

Sounds great, but I think by 2025, institutions will have taken their profits and run. By the time it truly becomes practical in 2026, the hype will have already faded.

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VitalikFanAccount

· 01-04 16:09

Well said, finally someone is speaking the truth. Speculative hype can't last long, and ordinary people don't care about how many times it increases; they just want a useful financial tool.

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SerumSqueezer

· 01-04 16:07

Well said. The hype during the institutional entry wave indeed peaked quickly; it all depends on whether people actually use it. Crypto neobank sounds good, but the question is, are there any products right now that truly address the pain points of ordinary people?

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