Ethereum 2035: How the Next 10 Years Might Look

As Ethereum celebrates its 10-year anniversary, industry leaders from Consensys, Coinbase, GameSquare, and more share their perspectives on the future of this groundbreaking blockchain network. To understand Ethereum’s future, it helps to start with its creator, Vitalik Buterin. Before launching Ethereum in 2015, Buterin envisioned blockchains not only as the foundation for digital money but also as tools for identity, coordination, and public trust. In a 2021 interview on The Tim Ferriss Show, Buterin described Ethereum as “dynamic and growing… an evolving creature.” This adaptive nature continues to define the network today. On its 10-year milestone, voices from across the Ethereum community share what the next decade might hold.

Consensys: Ethereum as “Trustware”

Founded by Ethereum co-creator Joseph Lubin, Consensys has played a pivotal role in shaping Ethereum’s infrastructure. Their latest report outlines an ambitious roadmap for Ethereum’s future. Mallesh Pai, chief economist at Consensys and one of the report’s authors, shared insights on Ethereum’s trajectory:

“Over the next 5–10 years, Ethereum will go from the world’s leading smart contract platform to the base layer of the future global economy… Growth will be driven by the digitization of assets, starting with stablecoins and moving up the risk stack from there.”

As assets migrate on-chain, commerce will follow. Pai emphasized that this growth depends on both current contributors and a new generation of institutional and commercial builders.

Institutional Confidence: GameSquare’s Bet on ETH

While Bitcoin (BTC) is more commonly held by publicly traded companies, many are increasingly adopting Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH). Digital media and technology company GameSquare is among those investing heavily in Ethereum’s long-term future. GameSquare’s CEO, Justin Kenna, told Cointelegraph:

“We invested in ETH because we believe it’s the most credible long-term digital asset aligned with where the internet is headed.”

Kenna highlighted Ethereum’s leadership due to its “community and composability,” despite other chains offering lower fees or faster speeds.

“Ethereum is evolving into the financial and cultural backbone of the internet—powering everything from global payments and asset management to entertainment IP, gaming economies, and digital identity. It will be the infrastructure layer that powers how major global brands connect with their audiences.”

RedStone: Real-World Data and the Future of DeFi

RedStone, a modular blockchain oracle network, provides real-world data to smart contracts. Co-founder Marcin Kaźmierczak envisions Ethereum evolving beyond DeFi in the coming decade.

“Ethereum will likely evolve into the foundational layer for institutional finance and real-world asset tokenization.”

Kaźmierczak anticipates major scalability improvements through continued Layer 2 development, scaling the base Layer 1, and possibly new Virtual Machines that make Ethereum more accessible to developers at scale. He predicts a future where blockchain integration is seamless, with users interacting with Ethereum-powered services without even realizing it—similar to how AI is integrated today.

“The real success metric won’t be TVL or gas fees, but how invisible yet essential Ethereum becomes to global finance.”

Optimism: Scaling Ethereum for the Enterprise Era

Optimism, a Layer 2 solution built on Ethereum, foresees the next decade as one of enterprise migration. Sam McIngvale, head of product at OP Labs, told Cointelegraph:

“Over the next 10 years, every large enterprise will move on-chain, and most will vertically integrate into their own infrastructure on top of Ethereum.”

With growing regulatory clarity, institutions, payment firms, and fintech companies are beginning to build on Ethereum.

“Enterprises need strong, secure, yet flexible infrastructure to succeed.”

Coinbase: Builders Will Drive Ethereum’s Future

Nemil Dalal, head of the developer platform at Coinbase, believes Ethereum’s long-term success depends on usability and its vibrant builder community.

“Looking ahead another 10 years, I think Ethereum will be the foundation for entirely new use cases… like AI agents transacting on our behalf, richer on-chain social communities, and gaming.”

What inspires him most?

“The builders. The Ethereum community has always been about showing up, experimenting, and shipping—and that’s what will keep pushing it forward.”

From Experiment to Infrastructure

While visions vary, a common theme emerges: Ethereum is evolving from a smart contract platform into a foundational layer for real-world assets, enterprise systems, and everyday digital interactions. If the first decade was about exploring blockchain’s potential, the next may be about Ethereum quietly becoming essential to how the world works.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ethereum's Future and Development

Q: What is the long-term vision for Ethereum according to industry leaders? A: Industry leaders foresee Ethereum evolving from a leading smart contract platform into the foundational layer for the future global economy, powering everything from asset digitization to enterprise infrastructure and digital identity. Q: How will Ethereum's growth be driven in the next 5-10 years? A: Growth will be primarily driven by the digitization of assets, starting with stablecoins and expanding to higher-risk assets, alongside increased commerce migration onto the network. Q: What role do Layer 2 solutions like Optimism play in Ethereum's future? A: Layer 2 solutions are crucial for scaling Ethereum, enabling enterprise migration by providing the necessary security and flexibility for businesses to build on the network. Q: What does "trustware" mean in the context of Ethereum's future? A: "Trustware" refers to Ethereum's evolution into a foundational layer for trust in the global economy, enabling secure and verifiable digital interactions and asset management. Q: How important is the developer community to Ethereum's ongoing success? A: The developer community is considered paramount, as their continuous experimentation and innovation will drive new use cases and keep Ethereum at the forefront of blockchain technology.

Asset Digitization and Institutional Adoption

Q: What types of assets are expected to migrate onto the Ethereum network? A: The migration is expected to start with stablecoins and then extend to a broader range of assets, including real-world assets and financial instruments. Q: Why are companies like GameSquare investing in Ethereum? A: Companies like GameSquare invest in ETH due to its perceived credibility as a long-term digital asset, its strong community, and its composability, which positions it as the financial and cultural backbone of the internet. Q: How will real-world data integration impact Ethereum's role in finance? A: The integration of real-world data through oracle networks like RedStone will enable Ethereum to become a foundational layer for institutional finance and the tokenization of real-world assets, moving beyond just DeFi. Q: What are the key factors driving institutional confidence in Ethereum? A: Institutional confidence is growing due to increased regulatory clarity, the network's scalability improvements, and its established role as a secure and flexible infrastructure for various financial and commercial applications.

Ethereum's Evolution and Impact

Q: How is Ethereum's role expected to change in the next decade? A: Ethereum is expected to transition from a smart contract platform to an essential infrastructure layer for the global economy, seamlessly integrated into everyday digital interactions. Q: What will be the ultimate measure of Ethereum's success in the future? A: The ultimate success metric will be how "invisible yet essential" Ethereum becomes to global finance, rather than just metrics like TVL or gas fees. Q: What new use cases are anticipated on Ethereum in the next 10 years? A: Anticipated use cases include AI agents transacting on behalf of users, more sophisticated on-chain social communities, and advanced gaming economies powered by blockchain technology. Q: How will AI's integration parallel Ethereum's future adoption? A: Similar to how AI is becoming seamlessly integrated into various technologies today, blockchain integration, particularly Ethereum, is expected to become so fundamental that users interact with its services without explicit awareness.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The future of Ethereum, as envisioned by industry leaders, points towards a profound transformation from a pioneering smart contract platform to the very bedrock of the next digital economy. This evolution is deeply intertwined with the broader advancements in artificial intelligence and the increasing digitization of assets. At Crypto Market AI, we are at the forefront of analyzing and leveraging these converging technologies. Our platform utilizes sophisticated AI agents to navigate the complexities of the market, providing insights into trends, identifying potential investment opportunities, and even automating trading strategies. As Ethereum solidifies its position as a critical infrastructure layer, the demand for intelligent tools that can interact with and analyze this expanding ecosystem will only grow. Our focus on AI-driven market analysis aligns directly with the future trajectory of Ethereum, offering users a sophisticated edge in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Ethereum 2035: How the next 10 years might look