Ethereum’s tenth birthday has sparked reflection on how far the network has come — and where it’s heading.
For Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet, the question isn’t whether ETFs or institutions will embrace ETH, but whether ordinary users will find it easy enough to use.
Elkaleh notes that Ethereum’s journey from smart contract pioneer to trillion-dollar financial asset has left a gap: most people don’t interact with it as infrastructure, but as a speculative chart on a trading screen. With billions of dollars now flowing into ETFs, he warns that Ethereum risks being cast as another “digital gold” — valuable, but detached from everyday life.
The real turning point, he argues, will come from wallets. Once simple tools for storing keys, wallets have become the hub for Web3 activity — enabling payments, dApp access, staking, and more. Innovations like gasless transactions, contract-based wallets, and AI-enhanced interfaces are slowly breaking down technical barriers, particularly in emerging markets where wallets often double as banking alternatives.
For Ethereum’s next decade, Elkaleh frames two possible futures: a financialized asset locked in staking contracts and ETF vaults, or a usable layer of open infrastructure powering day-to-day digital economies. Both outcomes matter, he says, but only the latter fulfills Ethereum’s original promise of open, programmable finance.
Alexander Zdravkov
Reporter at Coindoo
Alexander Zdravkov is a person who always looks for the logic behind things. He is fluent in German and has more than 3 years of experience in the crypto space, where he skillfully identifies new trends in the world of digital currencies. Whether providing in-depth analysis or daily reports on all topics, his deep understanding and enthusiasm for what he does make him a valuable member of the team.
Source: https://coindoo.com/ethereums-next-chapter-will-be-decided-by-wallets-not-wall-street/