Summary
- In 2025, many institutions turned to Ethereum, particularly its layer-2 ecosystem, for tokenization and on-chain solutions.
- Regulatory clarity spurred demand from Wall Street, establishing Ethereum as the primary network for traditional finance.
- The Ethereum Foundation has shed its elitist image, enhancing its outreach to enterprises and entering significant AI partnerships.
In the crypto world, known for its self-promotion, Ethereum has stood out. Its developers prioritized technical achievements and a strong sense of decentralization, leading to sometimes overlooking broader economic and political contexts.
This year, as significant regulatory changes occurred in the crypto sector, Ethereum made substantial strides into areas it was previously thought to overlook. From influential financial meetings to online discussions, 2025 marked a pivotal year for Ethereum in winning over centralized entities.
For years, Wall Street expert Vivek Raman worked tirelessly to integrate prominent players of traditional finance into Ethereum. “For four years, they kindly asked me to leave,” he recounted.
“The Momentum is Shifting”
In January, Raman co-founded Etherealize to position Ethereum as “the backbone of global finance.” He noted three key trends among centralized institutions venturing into crypto.
First, they’re urgently expanding onto blockchain networks, with a near-universal preference for Ethereum’s multi-layer model. Secondly, this acceptance has developed organically, not through marketing, but simply because Ethereum is viewed as the logical platform for business.
