Etherealize Launches to Pitch Ethereum to Wall Street

Etherealize, a new Ethereum marketing firm focused on institutional adoption, officially launched on Jan. 22, 2025. Backed by funding from the Ethereum Foundation and co-founder Vitalik Buterin, the company seeks to educate Wall Street about Ethereum and its native token, Ether (ETH).

Anthony Sassano, host of The Daily Gwei and a prominent Ethereum educator, called the timing of Etherealize’s launch “perfect,” coinciding with the pro-crypto stance of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“We now have a powerful Ethereum/ETH marketing arm for Wall St that’s supported by the heaviest hitters of our ecosystem,” Sassano said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Closing the Institutional Knowledge Gap

Grant Hummer, a former Chromatic Capital managing director and co-founder of Etherealize, highlighted the firm’s mission to bridge the institutional knowledge gap.

“Etherealize is here to fix not only that but to bring all of Wall Street (and ultimately, the world) onto Ethereum rails,” Hummer said.

The company was co-founded by Vivek Raman and James Fickel, seasoned veterans of traditional finance (TradFi). Etherealize’s services include a product suite to tokenize real-world assets such as treasuries, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and real estate on Ethereum.

Raman emphasized the cost-efficiency of blockchain:

“Institutions are profit-maximizing entities, and using public blockchains to tokenize assets for trade and commerce will reduce their costs and make their operations more efficient.”

The Tokenization Push Gains Momentum

The move to tokenize real-world assets is gaining significant traction. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, recently expanded its tokenized money market fund on Ethereum, which has accumulated over $394 million in assets. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has advocated for the rapid tokenization of bonds and stocks, signaling a shift toward blockchain-based financial products.

Other major firms, including Franklin Templeton and Guggenheim, are also exploring tokenization strategies on Ethereum.

However, BlackRock is diversifying its blockchain presence, extending its digital liquidity fund to other platforms such as Aptos, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Optimism, and Polygon.

Ethereum’s Strategic Moves

The Ethereum Foundation has pledged 50,000 Ether (approximately $164 million) to support the ecosystem’s decentralized finance (DeFi) projects. Vitalik Buterin recently announced organizational changes to the nonprofit, aiming for greater transparency and enhanced support for developers.

Market Context

While Bitcoin (BTC) surged to new highs in 2024 and 2025, fueled by optimism around spot Bitcoin ETFs and Trump’s pro-crypto policies, ETH has struggled to surpass its 2021 peak of $4,800. As of writing, ETH trades at $3,390.74, signaling room for growth if institutional interest builds momentum.

Etherealize’s launch positions Ethereum to capitalize on the growing trend of tokenization and the expanding interest from traditional financial institutions.