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Ethereum traded near $2,060, up 0.8% over 24 hours, as tokenized real-world assets on the network continued to expand and South Korean buyers paid above global prices. The IMF’s April 2026 note said tokenized finance offers faster settlement, continuous liquidity, and operational savings, while warning about flash crashes, fragmented markets, and unstable liquidity. At the same time, the Korean Premium Index turned positive near 0.6, indicating steady local demand even as the broader crypto market remained under pressure.
The IMF said tokenized finance can improve market plumbing through atomic settlement and smart contract automation. Even so, it warned that rapid automated transactions can trigger flash crashes and deepen stress in fragmented markets.
That note arrived as on-chain real-world asset value reached $24 billion, excluding stablecoins. Of that total, $14 billion sits on Ethereum, giving the network the largest share of the current market.
Tokenized US Treasuries have also climbed to $10.8 billion. The text linked to a constructive stance from the SEC, while Peter Thiel described Ethereum as Wall Street’s base layer.
Forecasts from McKinsey, BCG, and Standard Chartered place the tokenized asset market between $2 trillion and $30 trillion over the next decade. Against those projections, the current $36 billion market remains small.
Ethereum’s spot price tells a different story for now. ETH holds above $2,000, yet it remains far below the peak it approached in late 2025 when Bitcoin crossed $125,000.
Volume has stayed muted compared with the expanding RWA narrative on-chain. Can that widening gap between deployment growth and spot price turn into a stronger move while ETH holds $2,000?
Read More: Ethereum News Today: ETH Climbs as ETF Inflows and Supply Crunch Lift Outlook
Meanwhile, the global crypto market continues to face selling pressure, and both Bitcoin and Ethereum show weakness. Yet South Korean investors have moved the other way and kept adding Ethereum exposure.
The Korean Premium Index recently turned positive and now sits around 0.6. That means traders in South Korea have paid more than global prices, a sign of firm local demand.
Local exchanges have also shown stronger Ethereum trading volumes. Traders there have favored accumulation over panic selling, and the text said that pattern has supported the case for a rebound. South Korea remains an important crypto market because retail investors account for much of the region’s trading activity. Their behavior often shapes short-term price action across major tokens.
The current premium may look modest, but it carries clear market implications. When traders pay above global prices, they usually seek exposure before prices move higher. Historically, a rising premium has come before broader rallies. For now, ETH remains above its load-bearing $2,000 level while Ethereum’s RWA footprint and Korean demand continue to build.
Ethereum price remains steady near $2,060 as tokenized real-world assets continue to grow on the network. At the same time, Korean Ethereum demand stays firm, with the Korean Premium Index turning positive. The key takeaway is that Ethereum’s market structure still reflects strong underlying demand despite broader crypto weakness.
