Ethereum to $40K? Tom Lee Eyes Surge as 4 AI Models Deliver Verdict

Key Takeaways

Standard Chartered predicts Ethereum could reach $10,000 by the end of 2027 and $40,000 by 2030.
Tom Lee argues Ethereum could become a financial settlement layer for AI agents as ETF inflows and whale staking increase.
4 AI models assessed the $40,000 prediction — the results were mixed.

Standard Chartered maintains one of Wall Street’s most bullish Ethereum forecasts, predicting that ETH could reach $10,000 by the end of 2027 and $40,000 by 2030.

The long-term price outlook for Ethereum is again in the spotlight as BitMine Chairman Tom Lee continues to argue that the blockchain could become a financial layer for AI agents.

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Tom Lee Links Ethereum’s Future to AI

During a recent CNBC appearance, Lee said AI infrastructure companies remained at the center of an important US strategic initiative.

However, Lee warned that borrowing had made financial markets more vulnerable to short-term declines.

During his July chairman’s message, he argued that Ethereum was transitioning from its first phase of development into an “ETH 2.0” era.

“ETH currently, I think, is in its 1.0 phase, and it’s transitioning to 2.0,” Lee said.

“ETH 2.0 is the period when Ethereum not only becomes central to a lot of growth vectors, but ETH, the asset, becomes money,” he said.

One of those growth areas is AI, according to Lee.

The Bitmine chairman predicted that AI agents would eventually produce income, complete transactions, and require their own financial infrastructure.

“AI agents are going to need money,” he said.

Lee argued that smart-contract blockchains could provide a trusted barrier between humans and increasingly autonomous AI systems.

“We would argue that blockchain is the barrier between humans and AI,” he said.

“I think it’s a smart-contract blockchain.”

Ethereum Bulls Point to ETFs and Whale Activity

Other Ethereum supporters have also highlighted the blockchain’s position in decentralized finance and tokenized assets.

Speaking on The Rollup podcast, crypto commentator DeFi Dad said he remained “irresponsibly long crypto” despite the market downturn.

“In terms of Ethereum, Ethereum continues to be the most reliable and secure network for DeFi,” he said.

DeFi Dad argued that institutions issuing tokenized stocks and other real-world assets would favor networks with long security records.

Ethereum has operated for approximately a decade.

He predicted that the value of tokenized real-world assets could eventually eclipse the combined value of native crypto assets.

“If we can bring on trillions — tens of trillions — clearly, over time, that network becomes more and more valuable,” he said.

Institutional activity has meanwhile shown signs of recovery.

US-listed Ethereum ETFs recorded approximately $105 million in combined net inflows between July 13 and July 17, according to SoSoValue data.

BlackRock’s ETHA led with approximately $135 million, while Fidelity’s FETH recorded around $21.6 million in net outflows.

Large on-chain transactions have provided another bullish signal.

Whales are going long on $ETH.

Two newly created wallets sold 72 $BTC($4.66M) and then opened 20x long positions on 12,000 $ETH($22.4M).https://t.co/HKnE9znh7z https://t.co/N7Re9M8Vn3 pic.twitter.com/xct7PUULQw

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) July 19, 2026

Lookonchain reported that a newly created wallet withdrew 10,000 ETH, worth approximately $18.6 million, from Binance before staking the entire amount on Monday.

Several days earlier, three new wallets withdrew a combined 30,000 ETH, then worth around $57.66 million, from Coinbase Prime.

Standard Chartered Maintains $40,000 Ethereum Target

This slight upturn has again put Standard Chartered’s bullish $40,000 in its forecast.

Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, compared the divergence between Ethereum’s price.

“The stock is not the company, and the company is not the stock,” Kendrick said, quoting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Kendrick argued that Ethereum’s transaction numbers and total value locked had remained close to record levels even as ETH’s price fell sharply.

“ETH will catch up to the internal metrics,” he said. “It is just a matter of time.”

The bank’s reported price path puts Ethereum at:

$4,000 by the end of 2026
$10,000 by the end of 2027
$18,000 by the end of 2028
$28,000 by the end of 2029
$40,000 by the end of 2030

Standard Chartered’s thesis relies heavily on Ethereum’s continued dominance in stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.

The bank estimated that approximately 54% of stablecoins and 62% of tokenized assets were hosted on the Ethereum network.

It also predicted that the stablecoin market could grow approximately sixfold to $2 trillion by the end of 2028.

To assess this, we turned to four leading AI models to see whether it was possible.

ChatGPT: Possible, Not Guaranteed

ChatGPT assessed Standard Chartered’s forecast as possible but dependent on an unusually strong period of institutional and network growth.

“Ethereum can reach $40,000 by 2030, but I would classify it as a high-adoption scenario rather than the most probable outcome,” ChatGPT said.

The model noted that ETH would need to rise more than 21-fold and nearly double in value annually between July 2026 and the end of 2030.

“That type of growth is possible in crypto, but sustaining it for more than four years would require consistent ETF demand, institutional accumulation, and expanding use of ETH as collateral and money,” it said.

ChatGPT also warned that increased Ethereum activity would not automatically translate into equivalent price growth because transactions could shift to cheaper layer-two networks.

“The decisive question is whether growing network activity creates lasting demand for ETH itself,” the model added.

Grok: $40,000 Is ‘Absolutely on the Table’

Grok delivered the most bullish assessment, arguing that investors should not underestimate how rapidly Ethereum could appreciate if institutional demand combines with a broader crypto bull market.

“In a full Ethereum bull case, $40,000 is absolutely on the table,” Grok said.

The model highlighted large exchange withdrawals and tokenized assets as factors that could reduce the amount of ETH available for sale.

“If tokenized assets and stablecoins grow anywhere close to Standard Chartered’s projections, demand could collide with a much tighter liquid supply,” it said.

Claude: Standard Chartered’s Target Is Unlikely

Claude delivered the most bearish verdict, arguing that Ethereum’s growth as a network would not justify a $40,000 price.

“I would regard $40,000 by 2030 as unlikely without evidence that Ethereum’s expanding ecosystem is producing substantially greater demand for ETH,” Claude said.

The model warned that trillions of dollars in tokenized assets could be issued on Ethereum without an equivalent increase in ETH’s market value.

“Network adoption and token value are related, but they are not interchangeable,” it said.

“Assets can be issued and transferred on Ethereum while users pay relatively small transaction fees.”

Layer-two networks, lower fees, and competition from rival blockchains could further weaken value capture, Claude added.

Perplexity: $10,000 Will Be the Critical Test

Perplexity said Ethereum’s performance through 2027 would provide the earliest sign of whether the forecast remained realistic.

“Ethereum reaching $10,000 by the end of 2027 would be the first major confirmation that Standard Chartered’s long-term thesis is working,” Perplexity said.

The AI said if Ethereum remains below $10,000 through 2027, the subsequent climb to $40,000 would become considerably more difficult.

However, Perplexity said the target could remain viable if Ethereum retains its dominant position as institutional tokenization expands.

“$40,000 is not impossible, but several bullish conditions would need to occur simultaneously,” the model added.

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About the Author

Kurt Robson

Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.

Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.

At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.

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Ethereum Price to $40,000? 4 AI Models Assess Standard Chartered’s Call as Tom Lee Remains Bullish