Ethereum’s 2026 upgrade era is already moving markets

Ethereum has surged into 2026, up around 9% as scaling finally shifts from roadmap promise to live infrastructure.

Lower fees on rollups, major L1 upgrades ahead, and growing institutional flows are reframing ETH as more than a trade.

The big question now is whether this rally is just a January bounce, or the start of Ethereum becoming the world’s settlement layer.