Standard Chartered has issued an ambitious outlook for Ethereum (ETH), projecting that it will significantly outperform Bitcoin (BTC) through the year 2026. Led by analyst Geoff Kendrick, the bank anticipates that Ethereum will achieve a price of $7,500 by the end of this year, with a staggering expectation of reaching $30,000 by 2029.
The optimism surrounding Ethereum is attributed to its unique strengths in areas such as stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and decentralized finance (DeFi). Standard Chartered believes these factors could allow Ethereum to “decouple” from Bitcoin, which they describe as a “weak” asset in comparison.
Despite this bullish outlook, it’s essential to approach Standard Chartered’s predictions with caution. The bank has a history of making aggressive forecasts that sometimes do not align with actual market conditions. Known for its unwavering bullish stance on Ethereum among major financial institutions, Standard Chartered has often set high targets that reflect both excitement and speculation in the cryptoeconomy.
Past predictions by the bank, including a target of $8,000 for Ethereum by the end of 2024, have raised eyebrows, especially in light of previous hype surrounding the potential impact of Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and broader corporate adoption in 2025. However, the anticipated “ETF boom” did not yield the immediate price surge that many had hoped for, particularly in comparison to Bitcoin’s performance during similar market events.
Notably, the bank’s current projection for late 2026, set at $7,500, is actually lower than their previous 2024 forecast of $8,000 made two years ago, suggesting a cautious recalibration of expectations. This recurring narrative of Ethereum trumping Bitcoin remains a hallmark of Standard Chartered’s analysis but has led to skepticism among crypto enthusiasts who are advised to temper their expectations based on the bank’s historical performance in its predictions.
