-
Back to menu
Prices
-
Back to menu
-
Back to menu
Indices -
Back to menu
Research
-
Back to menu
Events -
Back to menu
Sponsored
-
Back to menu
Videos -
Back to menu
-
Back to menu
-
Back to menu
Webinars
Select Language
By Jamie Crawley, Jennifer Sanasie, AI Boost|Edited by Sheldon Reback
Aug 2, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
- Institutional buying is quietly driving crypto’s next leg up, with ether benefiting from Wall Street’s tokenization efforts and bitcoin seeing steady accumulation from traditional finance.
- Tom Lee sees ether as undervalued and expects bitcoin to hit $250K if the Fed eases rates in the coming months, arguing the market remains in a mid-cycle phase.
- Bitmine, which Lee chairs, approved a $1 billion stock buyback as it works toward its goal of acquiring 5% of the total ETH supply.
Crypto markets may be climbing, but some investors don’t believe the rally is real, and that’s exactly why it could go much higher, according to Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat and chairman of Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine Immersion (BMNR).
Speaking with CoinDeskTV, Lee explained why he called the rebound across crypto and equities that started in April “the most hated V-shaped bounce in history.“
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
That’s because when markets slumped after President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements at the beginning of the month, economists predicted a recession, and many investors steered clear of riskier assets. The rebound caught them off guard.
“Since 2020, investors have underestimated every recovery,” he said. “This one is no different.”
Traditional finance is increasingly buying into crypto — steadily and quietly, Lee said. The Ethereum blockchain’s ether (ETH), he said, is benefiting from Wall Street’s push into tokenization, choosing the network for its legal clarity and technical reliability. “Ethereum has never had downtime. That matters to banks,” he noted.
Lee’s company, Bitmine, is betting on that.
The company currently holds 625,000 ETH and nearly $2.8 billion in assets, with virtually no debt. Lee also confirmed a $1 billion share buyback, while reaffirming the company’s goal to accumulate 5% of the ETH supply.
Bitcoin
, meanwhile, is becoming a recurring buy for institutional investors. Lee said he believes a shift in Federal Reserve policy — particularly a move to rate cuts in the coming months — could send BTC surging toward $250,000.
Lee values ETH, currently priced at $3,700, at $15,000 based on network fundamentals. He maintains the real story is underappreciated institutional adoption.
“We’re not at the top,” he said. “We’re just mid-cycle.”
Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.
Jamie has been part of CoinDesk’s news team since February 2021, focusing on breaking news, Bitcoin tech and protocols and crypto VC. He holds BTC, ETH and DOGE.
Jennifer Sanasie is an executive producer and senior anchor at CoinDesk, with over a decade of journalism experience across the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Beyond media, she has worked closely with Web3 companies on marketing, content, and business strategy.
Jennifer holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, a Master of Laws in Innovation and Technology from the University of Toronto, a BA in Media Studies from the University of Guelph, and a Journalism Diploma from Humber College.
She owns BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, USDT, G7, and DCNT. She also holds a mix of NFTs, altcoins and memecoins worth under $1,000.
“AI Boost” indicates a generative text tool, typically an AI chatbot, contributed to the article. In each and every case, the article was edited, fact-checked and published by a human. Read more about CoinDesk’s AI Policy.
