Ethereum, the world’s largest blockchain by total value locked, has launched a new initiative called Etherealize, which Wall Street veteran Vivek Raman will helm.

The project is designed to promote the network to institutional investors and expand its presence in traditional financial markets.

The Company’s Goals

According to a statement on X, Etherealize aims to educate mainstream financial institutions, exchange-traded fund issuers, and the broader public about the Ethereum ecosystem. Positioned as both a content hub and a builder of institutional tools, the enterprise plans to expand ETH’s presence in financial markets like Bitcoin has.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Raman, a crypto investor and decentralized finance researcher, stressed Ethereum’s unique position in the crypto space, describing it as the “only blockchain that stood the test of time.”

He highlighted the network’s ability to meet institutional safety, security, and reliability demands and stated the need for more vocal proponents to advocate for its adoption on Wall Street.

Etherealize’s efforts will include developing a product suite to create more applications for institutional use. The focus will be on securely tokenizing and trading high-value assets on the Ethereum blockchain.

The project said that Ethereum’s broad asset base, regulatory standing, and growing institutional adoption make it an ideal candidate for deeper engagement in the financial sector.

According to the Bloomberg report, Vitalik Buterin and the EF are key contributors to Etherealize. However, while the non-profit has verified that it is partially funding the initiative, neither it nor Buterin has provided details about how much money they have invested.

Internal Challenges

The launch of Etherealize comes as the Ethereum Foundation faces increasing scrutiny from the crypto community. Over the past week, concerns have been raised about its leadership and effectiveness. Critics have also compared the blockchain to other projects in the industry, such as Solana and XRP, suggesting that it is falling behind those competitors.

Buterin addressed the issues, promising major changes to the foundation’s leadership structure and goals. He also defended its Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi against the online onslaught, urging people to approach issues constructively.

However, tensions escalated with the resignation of one of the network’s developers, Nick Conner, who cited misalignment between the leadership and the community’s priorities. While people have argued that the organization’s strategy has hindered progress, Buterin cautioned that aggressive pressure could drive away key contributors.