BitMine Stakes $1B in Ethereum as Tom Lee Outlines $7K–$9K Price Range

• Tom Lee projects ETH at $7K–$9K by early 2026, citing tokenization and institutional demand, not short-term trading cycles.
• October 2025 liquidation was a temporary liquidity event, with Ethereum entering a recovery phase rather than a breakdown.
• BitMine staked ~$1B in ETH in two days, shifting treasury holdings toward active staking via its MAVAN program.

Tom Lee, managing partner at Fundstrat Global Advisors, has outlined a bullish medium-term outlook for Ethereum, projecting that the asset could trade between $7,000 and $9,000 by early 2026. His comments come as corporate activity around Ethereum staking accelerates, highlighted by a major allocation from BitMine Immersion over two days.

Speaking in a recent interview on CNBC, Tom Lee said Ethereum’s valuation trajectory is being shaped by long-term demand drivers rather than short-term market momentum. He highlighted Ethereum’s role in asset tokenization, transaction settlement, and institutional blockchain adoption as key factors supporting his price range projection for early 2026.

Lee also addressed the liquidation-driven volatility seen in October 2025. According to his remarks, the episode reflected a temporary liquidity disruption rather than a structural market failure. He noted that similar events in past cycles have required several weeks for conditions to normalize, framing the current environment as a recovery phase rather than a breakdown in Ethereum’s underlying use case.

Institutional Tokenization Activity Remains Central

During the interview, Lee highlighted increased attention from traditional financial institutions exploring blockchain-based settlement systems. He attributed this shift to efficiency considerations rather than speculative activity. In his assessment, Ethereum’s established network, validator infrastructure, and on-chain transaction activity position it as a primary beneficiary of these developments.

Lee emphasized that demand tied to operational usage tends to be more stable than demand driven solely by trading cycles. While he did not comment on near-term price movements, he reiterated that these structural factors underpin expectations for higher trading levels over the next year, with the possibility of continued relevance beyond 2026 as adoption expands.

BitMine Commits $1B to Ethereum Staking

At the same time, BitMine Immersion has increased its participation in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake system. According to an update shared by blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, BitMine staked 342,560 ETH, valued at approximately $1 billion, over two days. The transaction ranks among the largest single corporate stakeholder deployments ever recorded.

Regulatory filings indicate that BitMine holds more than four million ETH, representing approximately 3.4% of Ethereum’s circulating supply. On-chain data shows that the company continued to accumulate ETH during the same week, increasing its overall exposure while shifting part of its treasury from passive holding to active network participation.

The staking activity is tied to BitMine’s Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN). The company has launched a pilot program involving three institutional staking partners to evaluate security, operational stability, and reward performance. BitMine stated that results from the pilot will inform decisions on further ETH commitments, with a full MAVAN launch targeted for early 2026.