Ethereum is entering 2026 with renewed confidence from institutions, but that confidence is coming from a very specific corner of the market. While large players double down on ETH as infrastructure, retail investors are increasingly asking a different question: where does everyday adoption and growth come from next?
In this regard, attention is shifting to the newcomer omnibank project, Digitap ($TAP), often cited as the best crypto to buy this January, with strong payment utility and growth potential.
SharpLink’s $170M ETH Move Signals Institutional Trust
Ethereum received a clear institutional vote of confidence this week when SharpLink Gaming deployed $170 million worth of ETH to Linea, a Consensys-backed Layer-2 network.
The move involved roughly 55,000 ETH and builds on SharpLink’s earlier plan to invest up to $200 million more, making it one of the largest public holders of Ethereum with 864,840 ETH.
The strategy combines staking rewards, EigenLayer restaking, and Linea- and EtherFi-based incentives, with Anchorage providing custody.
For Ethereum, this is a meaningful signal. It shows that institutions are comfortable deploying large amounts of capital into the L2 ecosystem, reinforcing trust in Ethereum’s security and scalability roadmap.
From a market perspective, this is bullish for ETH as infrastructure. It drives total value locked on Layer-2s and strengthens Ethereum’s position as the backbone for institutional-grade blockchain activity.
Ethereum Price Analysis
From a price point of view, Ethereum looks stuck. The move back above $3,180 hasn’t held, and each attempt to push higher has faded quickly.
Buyers are still showing up near $3,050, but they aren’t chasing the price. If that level gives way, the next area traders are watching sits closer to the high $2,900s.
Digitap Brings A Retail-First Approach to Digital Finance
In contrast to ETH, instead of building infrastructure for institutions, Digitap focuses on everyday financial activity, especially cross-border payments, crypto-to-fiat conversion, and spending.
The Digitap app is already live on iOS and Android, with more than 120,000 connected wallets. Users can hold crypto and fiat in one place, receive payments in crypto, convert them automatically into cash, and route funds into bank systems such as SEPA or SWIFT when needed.
Access is flexible. A No-KYC wallet plan allows basic use without identity verification, while higher tiers unlock virtual cards, physical cards, offshore accounts, and higher limits through regulated partners. This tiered model lets users decide how much functionality and compliance they need.
Security is handled conservatively. Digitap’s smart contracts have been independently audited, and the platform avoids experimental DeFi mechanics that often expose users to unnecessary risk.
$TAP Leads the Best Crypto Presales for Real-World Use
The $TAP token is tied to platform usage rather than speculation. Holding it reduces fees, unlocks account perks, and provides access to rewards. Supply is capped at 2 billion tokens, with buybacks and burns funded by platform activity, not inflation.
$TAP is a presale token currently priced at $0.0427 and with a confirmed launch price of $0.14. Approximately $3.9 million has been raised, with about 185 million tokens sold to date. Early buyers who entered at $0.0125 are already up more than 240%.
A 240 million token reward pool supports staking and user incentives, and time-limited New Year promotions are currently offering additional bonuses for participants.
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Why PayFi Tokens are The Best Altcoins to Buy Now
Ethereum’s role as institutional infrastructure has made it more stable, but it has also slowed its pace. Growth now follows institutional cycles rather than everyday use.
Digitap, meanwhile, focuses on cross-border payments, an area that continues to expand as more people work online, send money across borders, and live outside traditional banking systems.
Millions are still unbanked or underbanked, and Digitap is built to meet those needs with simple access, flexible wallets, and crypto-to-fiat tools that fit into daily life.
That difference gives Digitap a much longer growth runway and puts it among the best crypto presales, especially as retail users look for practical solutions rather than institutional infrastructure.
Digitap is Live NOW. Learn more about their project here:
Presale https://presale.digitap.app
Website: https://digitap.app
Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app
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