As Ethereum wraps up a significant year for institutions, ether.fi CEO and co-founder Mike Silagadze is already anticipating 2026. He believes the network’s upcoming phase will be characterized more by practical financial products familiar to everyday users rather than speculation, he shared in a CoinDesk interview.
While ether.fi is recognized for its restaking platform on Ethereum, it has recently broadened its focus to develop crypto-native neobanking products that integrate yield, self-custody, and on-chain financial services. Silagadze is set to speak at CoinDesk’s Consensus Hong Kong conference in February 2026.
Silagadze designated 2025 as a pivotal year for Ethereum, marked by a surge in institutional adoption. Although staking remains somewhat restricted within ETFs, he noted that other institutional tools, such as digital asset treasuries (DATs), have progressed more rapidly.
“Several have already begun deploying into ether.fi,” he remarked, referring to those early adopters as “very much on the bleeding edge.” He also indicated that DATs “certainly had a positive impact on the price” of ether.
In April 2025, ether hit its lowest point at $1,472, but during the peak of the DAT trend, ether surged to $4,832.
As he looks forward, Silagadze’s enthusiasm for 2026 revolves around the ongoing development of Ethereum’s financial ecosystem.
“The entire crypto neobank movement… appears to be a rapidly expanding trend, with numerous companies entering the space and experiencing growth there,” he stated.
In Silagadze’s opinion, neobanks provide one of the most promising routes to sustained adoption, especially as stablecoins gain further integration into global finance. He contended that these platforms are better suited than ETFs for exposing users to on-chain activity and yield.
Ultimately, Silagadze believes Ethereum’s success in 2026 will hinge on its capacity to deliver substantial practical utility at scale.
“I genuinely believe that the adoption will stem from many of these neobank-type players,” he expressed, suggesting that increased user activity will naturally follow. This focus entails prioritizing “more real-world use cases,” including tokenized stocks and accessible banking solutions, while moving beyond what he perceives as an overemphasis on gambling-centric applications.
Read more: How Ether.fi’s Mike Silagadze Retained TVL as Restaking Lost Its Luster
