Ethereum Billionaire Tom Lee Responds to Fake $20,000 ETH Price Prediction

Tom Lee, a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world, recently engaged with a purported price prediction from a 4chan forum, which stated Ethereum could reach $20,000 by 2026. Despite the prediction being unfounded, it has sparked considerable discussion online. Lee's comment on the prediction exemplifies how quickly such claims can circulate within the crypto community.

Key Takeaways

Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine Immersion, reacted positively to a fake price prediction featuring Ethereum’s projected value of $20,000 by 2026.
The prediction has been labeled inaccurate, with no evidence to support its claims.
BitMine currently holds a significant amount of cryptocurrency, with an allocation of 99.86% in Ethereum.
Any increase in Ethereum’s value has considerable implications for BitMine's overall treasury.

Tom Lee's Response to a Viral Price Prediction

Tom Lee recently breathed new life into a fabricated price prediction from the 4chan community, which immediately gained traction online. When big names in the financial world engage with such forecasts, the internet tends to treat them as serious predictions.

Lee, who serves as the chairman of BitMine Immersion, shared a post stating "love this" in reaction to an image that suggested ambitious 2026 all-time high (ATH) targets: $250,000 for Bitcoin, $20,000 for Ethereum, and $1,500 for Solana. These figures were presented as “outputs” rather than personal opinions.

Notably, this prediction was soon accompanied by a warning label. A community note explained that the forum post number referenced falls outside the current parameters for December 2025, and archival checks indicate that the original source appears fabricated.

BitMine's Massive Crypto Treasury

Currently, BitMine’s treasury is valued at an impressive $11.83 billion in cryptocurrency, holding 4,066,062 ETH compared to only 192 BTC. This significant 99.86% allocation towards Ethereum by value means that every $1,000 increase in the price of ETH translates to approximately $4.07 billion in paper gains for BitMine. Hence, Lee’s acknowledgment of such a high-profile prediction is more than just casual commentary; it reflects the financial stakes at play.

If Ethereum were to truly reach $20,000, BitMine's 4,066,062 ETH would amount to about $81.32 billion. According to CoinGecko, the present valuation of this ETH alone is around $11.82 billion. This suggests that, should ETH rise to that level, BitMine could see an increase of roughly $69.5 billion on paper, excluding their BTC holdings.

Despite the questionable legitimacy of the prediction, it continues to influence trading narratives, providing a target for traders and contributing to the perception that Ethereum is the key asset for the current market cycle. This also helps in uplifting stocks connected to crypto, such as BMNR, when cryptocurrency discussions spill over into the equity market.