Ethereum in 2026: How Will Neobanks Change the Game?

Native cryptocurrency neobanks are positioning themselves as the next major catalyst for mainstream Ethereum adoption. While 2025 focused on institutional adoption through the Digital Asset Treasury (DAT), experts anticipate that 2026 will bring a surge of practical financial products specifically designed for retail users.

The problem that neobanks aim to solve

Millions of people see DeFi as too complicated: managing private keys, paying high gas fees, understanding the differences between L2, navigating technical interfaces. Meanwhile, their traditional savings generate almost no returns in conventional banks. Cryptocurrency-native neobanks will fill this gap, offering the simplicity of a mobile banking app with the yields that only the blockchain ecosystem can provide.

The value proposition of neobanks

These emerging financial services will combine three key elements:

• Simplified self-custody: Eliminates the need to understand complex wallets
• High-yield stablecoin products: Without volatility risks
• Familiar mobile experience: Similar to any banking app you already know

Mike Silagadze, CEO of ether.fi, has already expressed it clearly: the next push will not come from speculation, but from genuinely useful financial products.

The infrastructure behind growth

Neobanks will not operate in isolation. Institutional staking and liquidity mining will provide the necessary support. Ethereum is already undergoing a transformation: the DAT allows companies to earn staking rewards while holding their holdings, something impossible just a year ago.

The expected convergence in Q1 2026

The most exciting developments will occur when corporate treasuries and consumer-oriented neobanks align. They are expected to offer on-chain yields of 4% to 5%, transforming Ethereum from a purely speculative asset into a daily financial infrastructure. Imagine: your grandma with a mobile app earning crypto yields without even knowing what DeFi is.

The narrative shift

Ethereum will cease to be just for adrenaline traders and become what it was always meant to be: an accessible financial protocol that generates real value. Neobanks will be the key that opens that door.