Tom Lee: Crypto Bear Market Nearing End, Ethereum Continues to Benefit from Two Bullish Narratives

On April 20, Bitmine Chairman Thomas “Tom” Lee stated: “We’re seeing growing signs the ‘Mini Crypto Winter’ is ending. With reduced downside risks tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict, ETH has rallied 41% from its early February low. Since the conflict began, ETH has outperformed the S&P 500 by 2,280 basis points and remains the top-performing global asset (excluding oil prices).” Ethereum continues to benefit from two key bullish narratives: Wall Street’s asset tokenization on blockchain and growing demand for a public, neutral blockchain for proxy AI systems. “In our view, ETH has emerged as the top ‘wartime store of value,’ and its market leadership since the conflict began carries significant weight,” Lee added. While many expect the crypto winter to linger until fall 2026, Lee’s team maintains the downturn is nearing its end. Every major crypto winter since 2015 has aligned with at least a 20% stock pullback: the 2025 crypto selloff coincided with a 20% S&P 500 drop, but the 2026 stock pullback is far more moderate—just -8%.