Arthur Hayes Sees Ethereum Reaching $5,000 Within a Year as Robinhood Builds on Ethereum
Key Takeaways
- •Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer at Maelstrom, said on Sept. 28 at EastPoint: Seoul 2026 that Ethereum could climb to $5,000 within about a year.
- •Robinhood Chain operates as an Ethereum layer-2 network focused on tokenized financial assets, settling transactions on Ethereum and using Ether to pay network fees.
- •Hayes argued that Robinhood's decision to build on Ethereum provides other financial companies a practical reference point, and broader institutional adoption could lift Ether's value significantly.
- •Ether traded around $2,650 when the projection was made, meaning the $5,000 target would require a gain of nearly 89%, though the asset had recently rallied more than 30% and broken above a technical resistance level.
- •Robinhood reported rapid growth in trading activity and developer participation on its chain since launch, with tokenized U.S. stocks among its expanded offerings.
Ethereum could climb to $5,000 within roughly a year, with Robinhood's use of Ethereum-based infrastructure strengthening the blockchain's appeal to large financial institutions, according to Arthur Hayes.
Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer at Maelstrom, made the remarks 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 reference point 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. Layer-2 networks of this kind process transactions off Ethereum's main blockchain before settling them back to it, a structure designed to reduce costs while relying on the base chain for security — tying activity on Robinhood Chain directly to usage of Ether as the fee-paying asset.
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. Tokenized traditional assets have become one of the most closely watched points of overlap between mainstream finance and public blockchains, giving Hayes' thesis a concrete benchmark: whether other brokerages choose Ethereum as the settlement layer for similar products.
ETH needs a major rally
Ether was trading around $2,650 when Hayes issued his latest projection, meaning a move to $5,000 would require a gain of nearly 89%.
The target also arrives as Ether shows signs of renewed momentum. Reuters reported last week that Ether had broken above a technical resistance level after a rally of more than 30% in late August, a type of move traders often monitor as a gauge of trend strength.
Hayes' forecast remains a market projection rather than a guaranteed outcome. Whether Ethereum reaches the target will depend on institutional adoption, tokenization growth, market liquidity and broader cryptocurrency conditions — making Robinhood Chain's traction and any comparable infrastructure choices by other financial firms among the clearest signals to track in the months ahead.
