Bitcoin Forecast Slashed: Standard Chartered Lowers 2025 Target to $100K

• Standard Chartered halves its 2025 Bitcoin price forecast, cutting it from $200,000 to $100,000.
• Lower corporate demand and a reliance on ETF inflows emerge as key drivers of the revised projection.

Standard Chartered has recalibrated its 2025 Bitcoin price target, reducing it from $200,000 to $100,000, as reported on December 9 by The Block. The revision stems from declining interest among corporate digital asset treasuries (DATs) and an increased dependence on ETF inflows to sustain market activity.

According to Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, Bitcoin’s fluctuating performance prompted a reevaluation of predictive models. The adjusted forecast excludes contributions from corporate DATs entirely and assumes steady quarterly ETF inflows of approximately 200,000 BTC.

While the short-term projection marks a significant reduction, Standard Chartered emphasized this is merely temporary turbulence and dismissed fears of another prolonged “crypto winter.” The bank noted that ETF progress now exerts greater influence on Bitcoin’s trajectory, overtaking the traditionally critical halving cycle as the primary price driver.

Looking beyond 2025, Standard Chartered maintained an optimistic outlook, predicting Bitcoin could hit $500,000 by 2030. However, this milestone faces a two-year delay compared to earlier estimations. The bank attributes its confidence to Bitcoin’s increasing potential for portfolio optimization and its role as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainties. Its updated models suggest a 12% Bitcoin allocation in a hypothetical portfolio alongside gold, a sizable increase from the current share of 5%.

As of December 9, 2025, 15:08 UTC, Bitcoin is trading at $91,062.06, reflecting a 0.32% rise in 24-hour trading volume, based on the latest market data.