[Ether.fi](http://Ether.fi) CEO Mike Silagadze believes Ethereum’s next growth phase won’t be driven by speculation but by financial products that feel familiar to everyday users. After a pivotal 2025 marked by institutional adoption, he sees 2026 focusing on crypto-native neobanks that combine yield, self-custody, and onchain financial services.
Silagadze highlighted the role of digital asset treasuries (DATs) in boosting ETH’s price, from $1,472 in April 2025 to $4,832 during peak adoption. Looking ahead, he thinks neobanks are one of the clearest paths to widespread adoption, especially as stablecoins integrate deeper into global finance.
In his view, practical, real-world use cases, like tokenized stocks and accessible banking, will matter more than gambling-driven apps. Increased user activity through neobanks could be Ethereum’s key to mass adoption.
What do you all think, could neobanks really be Ethereum’s adoption engine in 2026, or is this overly optimistic?
