Arthur Hayes Sees Ethereum Reaching $5,000 Within a Year

Ethereum could climb to $5,000 within roughly a year as Robinhood’s use of Ethereum-based infrastructure strengthens the blockchain’s appeal to large financial institutions, according to Arthur Hayes.

Hayes, co-fo under of BitMEX and chief investment officer at Maelstrom, made the comments on Sept. 28 during EastPoint: Seoul 2026. He pointed to Robinhood’s decision to use Ethereum as the security layer for its blockchain as a potential catalyst for broader institutional adoption.

Robinhood’s Ethereum bet

Hayes argued that Robinhood’s decision gives other financial companies a practical example when evaluating blockchain infrastructure. If more institutions follow the same path, he expects the resulting demand and narrative around Ethereum to support a significant increase in Ether’s value.

Robinhood Chain launched as an Ethereum layer-2 network focused on tokenized financial assets. CoinDesk reported that the network settles transactions on Ethereum and uses Ether to pay network fees.

Robinhood has also expanded its tokenization offering, including blockchain-based versions of U.S. stocks. The company said its chain has seen rapid growth in trading activity and developer participation since its launch.

ETH needs a major rally

Ether was trading around $2,650 when Hayes made his latest projection. Reaching $5,000 would therefore require a gain of almost 89%.

The target also comes as Ether shows signs of renewed momentum. Reuters reported last week that Ether had broken above a technical resistance level after a more than 30% rally in late August.

Hayes’ forecast remains a market projection rather than a guaranteed outcome. Ethereum’s ability to reach the target will depend on institutional adoption, tokenization growth, market liquidity and broader cryptocurrency conditions.