Standard Chartered Slashes Bitcoin Target, Delays $500K Milestone

Standard Chartered cut its Bitcoin target to $100,000 for year-end, citing weaker ETF inflows and the end of major corporate buying. The $500,000 long-term goal is delayed to 2030, but the bank remains bullish overall.

Standard Chartered has revised its Bitcoin price forecasts, lowering its year-end target to $100,000 from the previous $200,000 and pushing its long-term $500,000 projection to 2030, two years later than initially expected. The adjustment is attributed to the end of large-scale corporate buying and a significant slowdown in inflows to U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have reached their lowest levels since launch. The bank notes that ETF flows have now become the primary driver of Bitcoin's price, replacing the halving cycle, and that future appreciation will depend on renewed institutional interest and favorable macroeconomic conditions. Despite the recent price drop and market consolidation, Standard Chartered maintains a structurally bullish outlook, describing the current environment as a "cold breeze" rather than a full-blown crypto winter. The bank expects Bitcoin to reach $150,000 in 2026, $225,000 in 2027, $300,000 in 2028, and $400,000 in 2029, with the $500,000 milestone now anticipated in 2030.