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Standard Chartered predicts bitcoin will drop to $50,000 and ether to $1,400 before a rebound.
The bank revises its 2026 crypto price expectations, cautioning about additional near-term capitulation as ETF outflows and macroeconomic challenges impact digital assets.
Standard Chartered anticipates bitcoin to decrease to $50,000, while ether could reach $1,400 prior to a rebound. (Pixabay, modified by CoinDesk)
Key points:
- Standard Chartered predicts that bitcoin will decline to approximately $50,000 and ether to $1,400 in the upcoming months.
- The bank has adjusted its end-2026 targets to $100,000 for BTC and $4,000 for ETH.
- Long-term projections through 2030 remain stable, with the bank still optimistic about the asset class.
Investment bank Standard Chartered has revised its short-term and annual price predictions for leading cryptocurrencies, citing persistent downside risks due to exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows and a difficult macroeconomic environment affecting the market.
The bank now forecasts bitcoin may drop to around $50,000 in the near term, with ether possibly finding a low near $1,400.
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The largest cryptocurrency was trading at about $67,900 at the time of publication. Ether, the second-largest, was priced around $1,980.
Geoff Kendrick, head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, stated that the recent selloff could persist as ETF investors, many of whom are experiencing losses, may be more inclined to decrease their exposure instead of “buying the dip.”
Once prices reach a bottom, Kendrick mentioned he anticipates a recovery throughout the remainder of 2026. The analyst has lowered his year-end target for bitcoin to $100,000 from $150,000, ether to $4,000 from $7,500, solana to $135 from $250, BNB Chain to $1,050 from $1,755 and to $18 from $100.
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The cryptocurrency market has faced significant declines in early 2026, with major assets like bitcoin experiencing notable drops from late-2025 peaks, and the overall market capitalization has decreased sharply in recent weeks. Bitcoin has fallen nearly 23% since the beginning of the year.
This downturn has been characterized by increased volatility, substantial liquidations of leveraged positions, and a widespread risk-averse attitude, which has resulted in a closer correlation between crypto and weakening equity markets.
Macroeconomic pressures, including worries about global growth and interest rate projections, have prompted investors to turn to traditional safe havens like gold, while stalled regulatory clarity, especially in the U.S., and liquidity issues at some institutions have undermined confidence. These combined factors have led to diminished trading revenues for firms associated with crypto and a bearish sentiment across various tokens.
Holdings of bitcoin ETFs have decreased by nearly 100,000 BTC from their peak in October 2025, as per Kendrick. The average purchase price for ETFs is approximately $90,000, leaving many investors with unrealized losses of around 25%.
Macroeconomic conditions are also impacting sentiment. Kendrick pointed out that although U.S. economic indicators show signs of softening, markets do not expect any interest rate reductions before Kevin Warsh’s initial Federal Open Market Committee meeting as Federal Reserve chair in mid-June, which restricts near-term support for risk assets.
In spite of the anticipated capitulation, the bank noted that the present decline is less severe than in previous cycles. At its lowest in early February, bitcoin was down approximately 50% from its all-time high in October 2025, with around half of the supply still in profit, indicating declines that, while sharp, are not as extreme as those seen in earlier downturns.
Importantly, this cycle has not resulted in the collapse of significant crypto platforms, unlike the failures of Terra/Luna and FTX in 2022. Kendrick suggested that this indicates the asset class is maturing and becoming more resilient.
The analyst’s long-term forecasts remain unchanged, keeping end-2030 targets at $500,000 for bitcoin and $40,000 for ether, asserting that usage trends and structural drivers remain intact.
The analyst had previously reduced his optimistic bitcoin forecasts in December.
Read more: Standard Chartered Abandons Bullish Bitcoin Projection
