British banking giant Standard Chartered has revised its Ethereum (ETH) price forecast, reducing its near-term expectation while maintaining bullish long-term targets, according to a research report released this week.
In its updated outlook, Standard Chartered now projects ETH could reach about $7,500 by the end of 2026, a cut from its earlier forecast of around $12,000 for the same period. The bank’s analysts attributed the downward revision to broader weakness in dollar-denominated crypto markets and the ongoing dominance of Bitcoin, which has weighed on other digital assets’ valuations.
Revised Near-Term Forecasts
The bank’s end-2026 price target of $7,500 reflects cautious optimism for Ethereum despite recent market volatility. Standard Chartered’s team lowered some intermediate projections — including its previous outlook through 2027 and 2028 — as asset prices have struggled to attract sustained upside momentum. The cut was driven largely by macro factors and weaker-than-expected Bitcoin performance, which tends to influence broader crypto price action.
Analysts led by Geoffrey Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Assets Research, acknowledged that Ethereum’s strong fundamentals — such as its dominant position in decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, and tokenized real-world assets — still support a recovery and long-term growth potential.
Bullish Long-Term Outlook
Although near-term targets were trimmed, the bank retained robust long-term projections for ETH. Standard Chartered now expects Ethereum to reach $30,000 by the end of 2029 and $40,000 by the end of 2030, reflecting confidence in the network’s fundamentals and adoption trajectory over the next several years.
These long-term forecasts assume that structural strengths — such as Ethereum’s pervasive role in hosting stablecoins and DeFi protocols and its massive ecosystem of decentralized applications — will continue to drive growth despite intermediate volatility.
Why the Shift in Forecasts?
Standard Chartered’s shift in ETH expectations highlights how macro trends and Bitcoin’s influence continue to shape risk assets. When Bitcoin lags, altcoins often underperform in USD terms, prompting analysts to temper price targets. The bank pointed to recent underwhelming price action as a key reason for adjusting its medium-term outlook.
However, the commentary also emphasizes that Ethereum’s relative fundamentals — especially its expanding use for token settlement, DeFi liquidity, and network activity — could position it to outperform over longer horizons.
Market Context and Investor Sentiment
The updated Standard Chartered forecasts come amid broader uncertainty in crypto markets, where fund flows, macroeconomic expectations, and regulatory developments continue to influence price trajectories. Some analysts see the bank’s bump in long-term targets as validation of Ethereum’s role as a core digital asset for institutional and decentralized finance applications.
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