Arthur Hayes says Ethereum can reach $5,000 in a year, then $10,000 by year-end
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said at KBW 2026 in Seoul that Ethereum could reach $5,000 in about a year and $10,000 by end of 2026, while ETH trades near $2,700.
Why it matters
Two public forecasts from one figure, one at $5,000 in about a year and one at $10,000 by year-end, sit far above the roughly $2,650-$2,700 range ETH traded in during the reporting window and above the $3,000 near-term level other outlets discussed. His argument rests on institutional chains such as Robinhood's using Ethereum as a security layer, which is the same shift Coinbase and Robinhood-made networks press on other Layer-2s; CoinDesk reported Blast is shutting down with assets down 98% from $2.2 billion in June 2024 because maintenance costs exceed revenue. Beyond the forecasts themselves, the episode shows how a single prominent commentator's targets can diverge from mainstream technical coverage of the same price.
Where the sources disagree
Direction of Ethereum momentum in late September
4.34%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
1.5%
Crypto.News
Crypto News read the price above three stacked moving averages as a bullish structure while its MACD showed decelerating upside momentum, and Crypto.News described the 4-hour ADX at 14.40 as weak trend strength.
Title and role of Arthur Hayes
$5,000 within roughly a year
Crypto.News
$10,000 by the end of the year
CryptoPotato
$3,000 in October, per U.Today
Bitcoin Insider
Crypto.News describes Hayes as chief investment officer at Maelstrom and co-founder of BitMEX, while CryptoPotato and Bitcoin Insider describe him as former BitMEX CEO and Bitcoin Insider says former chief executive.
Figures that do not reconcile
Found by comparing the numbers in the reports automatically. They are differences, not yet confirmed to be about the same thing.
reported value
$5,000
Bitcoin Insider
$2,700
CryptoPotato
Bitcoin Insider reports $5,000, CryptoPotato reports $2,700 (46% apart).
Key facts
Arthur Hayes said Ethereum could reach $5,000 within roughly a year.
5,000 USDDisputed figureReported by Crypto.News
Hayes said Ethereum would hit $10,000 by the end of the year.
10,000 USDDisputed figureReported by CryptoPotato
Reaching $5,000 would require Ethereum to gain nearly 89% from around $2,650.
89 %Disputed figureReported by Crypto.News
Hayes tied his $5,000 view to Robinhood choosing Ethereum as the security layer behind its own blockchain.
Disputed figureReported by Crypto.News
Ethereum fell 1.5% to about $2,665 on September 28 after an intraday high of $2,703, with Reuters reporting oil rebounded after President Donald Trump rejected Iran's proposal to resolve the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
-1.5 %Disputed figureReported by Crypto.News
Ethereum's daily close of $2,650.97 sat above its 20-day EMA of $2,602, 50-day EMA of $2,425.86 and 200-day EMA of $2,244.91, while the MACD line at 83.76 was below its signal line at 88.35.
2,650.97 USDReported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
What happened
Arthur Hayes, chief investment officer at Maelstrom and co-founder of BitMEX, said at the EastPoint: Seoul 2026 conference that Ethereum could reach $5,000 in roughly a year, a rise of nearly 89% from around $2,650, and pointed to Robinhood's decision to build its blockchain on Ethereum as the reason other large financial firms can follow. In a separate appearance at KBW 2026 in Seoul, Hayes told an interviewer Ethereum would hit $10,000 by the end of the year, more than three times the roughly $2,700 price CryptoPotato cited, which it also described as about 46% below the all-time high; Hayes said he likes ETH because he can put a large sum into it without risking a sudden 75% loss from an exploit, and he argued Ethereum remains the most secure layer because of its largest market capitalization. The two forecasts sit against a more cautious view: Bitcoin Insider cited a U.Today piece from September 29 asking whether Ethereum could reach $3,000 in October, and noted that neither report supplied timelines, catalysts or supporting data. Reuters-linked reporting in Crypto.News put ETH at a 1.5% daily fall to about $2,665 on September 28, with its 4-hour ADX at 14.40, and Crypto News put a September 28 close at $2,650.97 above its 20-, 50- and 200-day averages while its MACD line sat below its signal line. Hayes's own trading record is mixed by his own account and CryptoPotato's reporting: he sold 2,365 ETH at about $1,821 in August, a loss of $241,000, after buying 7,213 ETH at an average of $1,923, and a similar sale followed in July.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by Crypto.News
Ethereum price could rally to $5,000: Arthur Hayes
- Update
Hayes says Ethereum could reach $5,000 in about a year at EastPoint: Seoul 2026
He pointed to Robinhood using Ethereum as the security layer behind its blockchain as a catalyst for wider institutional adoption.
- Update
Ethereum trades near $2,650 with technical coverage pointing to thin trend strength
ETH fell to about $2,665 as oil rebounded after President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal; CoinGlass showed liquidation clusters near $2,700, $2,740-$2,750 and $2,620.
- Update
U.Today asks whether Ethereum can reach $3,000 in October
Bitcoin Insider cited the piece as a more measured near-term view than Hayes's figure.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by CryptoPotato
Arthur Hayes Predicts Ethereum Will Reach $10K by Year-End
- Update
Hayes says Ethereum will hit $10,000 by year-end at KBW 2026 in Seoul
A CoinDesk clip posted on X captured him answering the price question directly, and he said he likes ETH because he can hold a large amount without risking a sudden 75% exploit loss.
- Update
CoinDesk reports Blast is shutting down with assets down 98%
The Ethereum Layer-2 said the ongoing costs of maintaining the chain exceed revenue; its BLAST token fell 19% after the announcement.
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 28 Sept 2026, 06:45 UTC: Crypto.News — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 28 Sept 2026, 11:27 UTC: Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 30 Sept 2026, 12:21 UTC: CryptoPotato — 3 independent sources, 6 reports
- 2 Oct 2026, 17:15 UTC: CoinDesk — 4 independent sources, 7 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Vitalik Buterin, Binance, South Korea, Arbitrum, Base, Donald Trump, Solana
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Ethereum price could rally to $5,000: Arthur Hayes | Original | |
| CoinDesk Crypto media | Once a $2 billion Ethereum layer-2, Blast is shutting down after assets plunge 98% | Independent | |
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Ethereum price faces $2,700 resistance as ADX falls to 14 | Independent | |
| CryptoPotato Crypto media | Arthur Hayes Predicts Ethereum Will Reach $10K by Year-End | Independent | |
| Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) Aggregator | Ethereum price today: $2,650 holds as daily trend fights short-term fatigue | Syndicated | |
| Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) Aggregator | PONS crypto revenue plunges 88% – Can price avoid a drop to $0.50? | Syndicated | |
| Bitcoin Insider Aggregator | Arthur Hayes Says Ethereum Could Rally to $5,000, Other Outlets Weigh $3,000 Target | Aggregated |
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