Two major names in the crypto world — Tom Lee from BitMine and Arthur Hayes, former CEO of BitMEX — recently shared their bold predictions for Ethereum. Speaking on the Bankless podcast, both experts said they believe Ethereum (ETH) could hit $10,000 or even higher by the end of the year. This comes at a time when Bitcoin (BTC) has already broken new records, surpassing $126,000. According to them, Ethereum could lead the next big bull run in the final quarter of the year.

Arthur Hayes was quick to give his forecast during the interview. He predicted Ethereum could jump to $10,000, and Bitcoin could soar to $250,000 before year’s end. When asked if that kind of growth is possible in just a couple of months, Hayes said yes — and with confidence. He pointed to strong market momentum as the reason why Ethereum could see such a rapid rise.

Tom Lee had an even more optimistic take. Despite recent dips in the crypto market, he believes Ethereum could reach between $10,000 and $12,000. For Bitcoin, his forecast is in the $200,000 to $250,000 range. Lee explained that Ethereum has been sitting relatively still since its last big high in 2021. So now, with its solid foundation and upcoming tech upgrades, it’s ready to break out again.

Lee also dismissed worries that Ethereum would be overvalued at $10,000. Instead, he said this price level could actually mark the start of a new phase where ETH finds even higher value. He added that this wouldn’t be the top for Ethereum either — he believes there’s more room for growth in 2026 as more tech developments roll out.

Later in the conversation, the topic shifted to how Ethereum fits into the bigger crypto picture. Host David Hoffman asked whether Ethereum should be compared to Bitcoin or other smart contract platforms in DeFi (Decentralized Finance). Hayes gave a clear answer: Bitcoin is like money, while Ethereum is more like a computing platform. He called ETH the “computing reference asset” in crypto, meaning it sets the standard for smart contract functionality.

Lee agreed but went a step further. He sees Ethereum as both a form of money and a powerful computing system. While Bitcoin acts like digital gold, ETH is more like a building block for future tech — especially in finance and artificial intelligence (AI). He said Ethereum’s success doesn’t rely on beating Bitcoin. Instead, it just needs to keep growing its own ecosystem and adoption.

In short, both experts believe Ethereum has massive potential in both price and tech development. With strong fundamentals and new innovations on the way, ETH could be heading for a breakout moment before the year ends.