From 3.45% to 5%: BitMine's ETH ambitions and Tom Lee's view of the 2026 crypto recovery

BitMine is buying ETH again. Last week, they increased their holdings by 24,266 coins, now holding over 4.16 million ETH, accounting for 3.45% of the global supply. What’s more interesting is that this company is not only buying but also staking on a large scale—the staked ETH has already surpassed 1 million coins, generating over $94 million in annual staking rewards. Tom Lee, Chairman of BitMine and analyst at Fundstrat, explains that 2026 will be the year of crypto price recovery.

BitMine’s Aggressive Accumulation Strategy

Latest data from BitMine shows their total crypto assets have reached $14 billion, backed by a clear strategic layout.

Core Logic of Asset Allocation

According to recent disclosures, BitMine’s asset composition is as follows:

What does this configuration reveal? BitMine is betting heavily on Ethereum. The 24,266 ETH added last week, plus the $73 million increase in cash holdings, all point in the same direction: continued accumulation of ETH.

Economic Model of Staking Rewards

Staking has become an important part of BitMine’s asset strategy. Currently, they have 1,080,512 ETH staked, which at an annual yield of 2.81% generates about $94.4 million per year. That’s no small amount.

What does this mean? BitMine is not only betting on ETH’s price appreciation but also earning passive income through staking. Even if ETH’s price remains flat, the staking rewards alone are enough to support the company’s operations and continued purchases. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle: buy ETH, earn staking rewards, and use those rewards to buy more ETH.

Tom Lee’s Market Outlook

As a Fundstrat analyst and BitMine’s chairman, Tom Lee’s views are worth paying attention to.

Three Phases of Core Expectations

According to Tom Lee:

• 2026: The year of crypto price recovery. Stablecoin adoption and asset tokenization are driving blockchain to become the settlement layer of Wall Street.
• 2027-2028: A stronger growth period. The market shifts from recovery to expansion.
• Key Turning Point: He views the market decline after October 10, 2025, as a “mini crypto winter,” not a long-term bear market.

What’s the logic behind this judgment? Tom Lee believes the current correction is just short-term volatility, not a trend reversal. The sectors of stablecoins and asset tokenization are becoming new entry points for institutional capital into crypto, providing fresh growth momentum for the market.

New Trends in Enterprise Crypto Asset Allocation

BitMine’s aggressive behavior is not an isolated case. According to recent reports, several listed companies have increased their crypto holdings over the past week:

• Immersion Technologies added about 32,977 ETH last week
• Bit Digital added 31,057 ETH
• Twenty One Capital plans to increase holdings by at least 5,800 BTC

What does this indicate? Enterprise-level crypto asset allocation is becoming a new normal. These companies view Bitcoin and Ethereum as strategic assets rather than speculative instruments.

Potential Impact of Shareholder Vote on the 15th

Another detail worth noting: BitMine will hold a shareholder vote on January 15th, involving a share issuance increase (from 500 million to 50 billion shares). If approved, BitMine will have more funds to purchase ETH.

What signals might this send? It shows BitMine’s confidence in its strategy and willingness to raise more capital through share issuance. It also suggests that ETH may face continued buying pressure from BitMine in the coming weeks.

Summary

BitMine’s ongoing accumulation and Tom Lee’s market outlook sketch a clear picture:

1. Strategic Consensus: Enterprise-level crypto asset allocation is becoming a trend, with Ethereum as the primary target.
2. Timeline: 2026 is positioned as the year of crypto revival, providing a theoretical basis for current accumulation.
3. Self-Reinforcing Cycle: Staking rewards fund further purchases, creating a positive feedback loop.
4. Catalysts Pending: The shareholder vote on January 15th could provide BitMine with more capital ammunition.

For investors, the key is understanding the logic behind this: the aggressive actions of institutions like BitMine are not short-term speculation but based on expectations of structural market changes over the next 12-24 months. The advancement of stablecoins and asset tokenization is indeed transforming the participant structure of the crypto market.

Future focus should be on the vote results, whether ETH can break key resistance levels, and the actual progress of stablecoin adoption.