June 10, 2026 marked the conclusion of the inaugural ETHConf, organized by ETHGlobal in New York. The event attracted over 2,000 attendees, more than 150 speakers, and participation from over 100 companies. Key topics included stablecoins, institutional adoption, DeFi, payments, infrastructure, and protocol upgrades.
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Unlike the familiar DeFi Summer, NFT boom, and meme-driven narratives of previous years, this conference sent distinctly different signals. Discussions centered on stablecoins, real-world assets (RWA), Layer 2, institutional adoption, and on-chain financial infrastructure, highlighting a shift in Ethereum’s development priorities.
Over the past two years, new narratives like SOL, BTCFi, and AI Agents have drawn liquidity across the market. Meanwhile, Ethereum has gone through major milestones, including ETF approval, the Dencun upgrade, and Layer 2 expansion. Yet, ETH’s price performance has at times lagged behind Bitcoin and emerging blockchains. This has prompted the market to reconsider: in this new cycle, what will drive Ethereum’s renewed growth?
The answer from ETHConf may not lie in short-term trends, but rather in the long-term competition for financial infrastructure.
What Signals Did the First ETHConf Send?
As ETHGlobal’s first large-scale developer conference, ETHConf focused not on price or market sentiment, but on the future direction of the Ethereum ecosystem over the coming years.
Official topics highlighted stablecoins, DeFi, payments, infrastructure, protocol upgrades, and institutional adoption as core themes. According to official data, over half the attendees were decision-makers, and developers, institutions, and enterprises from more than 60 countries and regions participated in the discussions.
Compared to the liquidity mining and high-yield protocols that dominated the DeFi Summer of 2020–2021, this ETHConf focused more on how Ethereum can become an integral part of the global financial system.
With ETF approval and more institutions entering the digital asset space, the market’s demands for public blockchains have shifted from pure transaction performance toward security, stability, and long-term scalability. In these areas, Ethereum still boasts the most mature developer ecosystem and deepest asset base.
For the market, the end of ETHConf isn’t just the conclusion of an event—it marks the beginning of a new phase.
Stablecoins and RWA Are Emerging as New Growth Drivers
For years, Ethereum’s greatest strength has been its assets and liquidity.
Whether it’s stablecoins like USDT and USDC, or the vast locked assets in DeFi protocols, Ethereum remains one of the most critical infrastructures for on-chain finance. Moving into 2026, this advantage is now extending into the realm of real-world assets.
According to RWA.xyz, as of June 2026, the total value of RWAs on Ethereum is around $15.5 billion, accounting for roughly 58% of the entire RWA market and maintaining industry leadership.
Earlier this year, multiple institutional reports showed Ethereum’s share of RWA TVL reached about 65.5%. Tokenized government bonds, on-chain funds, and credit assets remain the main sources of growth.
The market’s so-called RWA essentially refers to the process by which traditional financial assets gain greater liquidity and lower settlement costs through blockchain, with stablecoins serving as the crucial bridge between on-chain finance and the real world.
Compared to memes and short-term trends, the growth pace of stablecoins and RWAs may be slower, but they represent the digitization of a multi-trillion-dollar traditional financial market. As a result, more institutions are viewing Ethereum not just as a smart contract platform, but as digital financial infrastructure.
This is why stablecoins and RWAs were repeatedly discussed at ETHConf.
After Layer 2 Expansion, Ethereum Is Rethinking Value Capture
One of the biggest changes for Ethereum in the past two years has been Layer 2.
The Dencun upgrade significantly reduced data costs for rollup networks. Layer 2s like Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism have seen sustained growth in transaction volume, with user activity steadily migrating to these networks.
While Layer 2’s prosperity has improved scalability across the ecosystem, it has also sparked debate about ETH’s ability to capture value.
Some investors argue that as more transactions move to Layer 2, fee income for the Ethereum mainnet declines, undermining ETH’s value proposition.
Others believe Ethereum is gradually shifting from an execution layer to a settlement and security layer. In the future, more applications and transactions will occur on Layer 2, while the Ethereum mainnet will provide final settlement and security.
Meanwhile, Ethereum’s network security continues to strengthen. Industry research shows that over 32 million ETH are now staked, representing more than $100 billion in value.
In a sense, Ethereum is becoming the security foundation for the entire ecosystem, rather than just a platform for transaction execution.
This shift in role means the market’s valuation logic for ETH is also evolving.
Institutional Adoption Is Changing Ethereum’s Development Trajectory
Compared to the previous cycle, one of the most notable changes in the Ethereum ecosystem is the growing influence of institutions.
After the approval of the spot ETH ETF in 2024, Ethereum entered the radar of traditional financial institutions. Asset managers, payment firms, and fintech companies are increasingly focusing on stablecoins and asset tokenization.
Previously, discussions about Ethereum centered on DeFi, NFTs, and on-chain innovation. Now, institutions are more concerned with settlement efficiency, asset custody, compliance frameworks, and on-chain financial infrastructure.
In fact, the RWA market itself is experiencing rapid growth.
Research institutions project that by 2026, the on-chain RWA market could surpass $100 billion, with long-term forecasts reaching into the multi-trillion-dollar range.
This means Ethereum is transitioning from an "innovation sandbox" to "digital financial infrastructure."
The market’s perception of ETH is evolving in parallel.
Will AI, Payments, and On-Chain Identity Be the Next Big Opportunities?
Beyond stablecoins and RWAs, ETHConf also spotlighted topics like AI and on-chain identity.
As concepts like AI Agents, autonomous economies, and machine payments gain traction, more developers are considering how machines will exchange value in the future, and how identity and payment systems will be constructed.
Ethereum’s longstanding wallet ecosystem, stablecoin networks, and account abstraction technology provide foundational support for these new applications.
At the same time, the global digitization of payment networks is accelerating, bringing renewed attention to on-chain payments. From Visa and Stripe to PayPal, traditional payment giants are exploring stablecoin settlement solutions, with Ethereum still serving as the primary network for stablecoins.
While these directions may still be years away from mass adoption, the market is already treating them as key variables for the next phase.
Compared to short-term trends, the Ethereum ecosystem is betting on longer-term growth strategies.
Can ETH Regain Market Attention?
Over the past year, narratives like SOL, BTCFi, and AI Agents have attracted inflows, leaving Ethereum relatively quiet.
But history shows Ethereum’s strength has never been in creating short-term hype. Instead, it consistently attracts developers, assets, and institutional liquidity.
Whether during DeFi Summer, the NFT boom, or Layer 2 expansion, Ethereum always finds its place in each new cycle.
Now, stablecoins, RWAs, institutional adoption, and on-chain financial infrastructure are emerging as new focal points—areas where Ethereum holds distinct advantages.
To date, over 32 million ETH are staked. Ethereum continues to dominate more than half of the on-chain RWA market, and ETHConf signaled ongoing progress in institutional adoption and on-chain capital market development.
For the market, ETHConf’s conclusion isn’t an ending, but the beginning of a new Ethereum narrative.
Summary
The inaugural ETHConf in 2026 highlighted Ethereum’s shift from the DeFi and NFT era toward a new phase driven by stablecoins, RWAs, Layer 2, and institutional adoption.
Rather than chasing short-term trends, Ethereum is investing in the long-term competition for financial infrastructure. Data shows that over 32 million ETH are now staked, Ethereum holds more than half of the RWA market share, and the asset tokenization sector is still growing rapidly.
For ETH, the next wave of growth may not come from a single breakout application, but from the ongoing expansion of the entire on-chain financial system.
FAQ
When did ETHConf 2026 end?
ETHConf 2026 officially concluded on June 10, 2026, in New York. This was the first ETHConf conference organized by ETHGlobal.
What were the main topics discussed at ETHConf 2026?
ETHConf 2026 focused on stablecoins, DeFi, payments, Layer 2, infrastructure upgrades, and institutional adoption.
Why are stablecoins and RWAs considered Ethereum’s new growth drivers?
Stablecoins and RWAs address the digitization needs of traditional finance, and Ethereum remains the most concentrated infrastructure for on-chain assets and liquidity.
How much ETH is currently staked?
As of 2026, more than 32 million ETH are staked, representing over $100 billion in value.
Can ETH regain market attention in the future?
ETH’s core strengths remain its developer ecosystem, institutional adoption, and on-chain financial infrastructure. Stablecoins, RWAs, and asset tokenization may be key drivers for the next phase of growth.
