Standard Chartered, Bernstein revise Bitcoin price targets amid shifting institutional demand

Two major Wall Street financial institutions have adjusted their Bitcoin price forecasts as institutional participation patterns shift, according to recent analyst reports.

Summary

• Standard Chartered has lowered its near-term Bitcoin price forecast due to declining corporate treasury participation.
• Bernstein has revised its Bitcoin forecast upwards for the end of 2026 and beyond.
• Both institutions remain broadly positive on Bitcoin despite recent declines and ETF outflows.

Standard Chartered has reduced its near-term Bitcoin projections while maintaining a positive long-term outlook, citing declining corporate treasury participation and slower exchange-traded fund inflows. The bank now expects Bitcoin to reach a lower level by the end of 2026 compared with its previous estimate, and has extended its long-range target timeline to 2030.

The bank noted that companies previously considered major drivers of Bitcoin accumulation no longer possess the valuations or incentives to continue adding the digital asset to their balance sheets, leaving ETFs as the primary source of institutional demand.

Bitcoin buying by DATs has run its course, according to Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets.

Bernstein has revised its Bitcoin forecast to higher levels by the end of 2026, with further increases projected by late 2027. The firm’s analysts stepped back from an earlier peak projection for this year following recent price weakness, but maintain that Bitcoin has evolved beyond its traditional four-year cycle pattern into what they characterize as a more sustained expansion phase. The firm’s long-term projection extends to 2033.

Bitcoin has declined significantly from its October peak and currently trades near key support levels. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recently recorded outflows, with some major funds experiencing their largest monthly redemptions in November. While the outflows remain small relative to total assets under management, the trend has raised questions about investor commitment to long-term holding strategies that historically support recoveries following major price declines.

Both institutions have maintained their broader positive stance on Bitcoin despite the near-term adjustments to their forecasts.

The update comes as Libeara, a blockchain infrastructure platform backed by Standard Chartered’s venture arm, SC Ventures, announced the launch of a tokenized gold investment fund in Singapore.