The pioneer of the decentralized sector and founder of Infinex, Kain Warwick, is preparing to disburse 50,000 dollars after losing a high-profile bet. This financial commitment arose after failing his Ethereum price prediction which placed the asset at 25,000 dollars by the end of 2025. According to the official spokesperson, the bet was made under a ten-to-one risk ratio against Kyle Samani, partner at Multicoin Capital.
The dispute began in November 2024, when Warwick challenged Samani’s skepticism regarding the market’s recovery speed. Despite his enthusiasm, the asset closed the year at approximately 2,980 dollars, remaining well below the objectives initially set by Warwick himself. Likewise, the annual performance of the cryptocurrency was affected by a massive 19 billion dollar liquidation in October, which halted any attempt at a parabolic rally.
This settlement highlights how many market participants overestimated the immediate impact of institutional adoption. Warwick acknowledged that his vision was too optimistic, although he defended that the asset has risen considerably since they agreed on the sum. However, the investor has decided to moderate his Ethereum price prediction for the 2026 period, now setting a much more conservative target of 10,000 dollars per unit.
A technological breakthrough that redefines efficiency in decentralized networks
On the other hand, the ecosystem did not stop at price action and reached fundamental technical milestones during the past year. The network successfully completed the Pectra upgrades in May and Fusaka in December, strengthening the infrastructure to support a higher transactional load. These developments have allowed operations within the network to be nearly instant, improving the user experience in global finance applications today.
Furthermore, the implementation of these improvements brings the protocol closer to its original vision of becoming the world’s computer. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the network, recently noted that there is still a way to go to establish a central infrastructure for a more open internet. In this way, the technical focus seems to be outweighing financial speculation, prioritizing real utility over daily market fluctuations.
Will the smart contract network be able to reach 10,000 dollars this year?
Other renowned analysts such as Tom Lee and Arthur Hayes maintain similar views to Warwick’s new stance. Both experts previously suggested that the asset could reach the five-figure mark very soon, driven by the tokenization of real-world assets. Therefore, the new Ethereum price prediction aligns with a sentiment of moderate optimism shared by the most influential figures.
Finally, although investors face mixed emotions after a volatile year-end, the technological foundation is stronger than ever. The improved processing capacity and reduced latency following Fusaka offer a favorable scenario for lasting organic growth. Therefore, the coming months will be decisive in observing whether institutional demand finally manages to drive the expected price.
