BTC price: Standard Chartered cuts Bitcoin forecast to $1,50,000. What should investors do

With a weakening corporate treasury demand and slow ETF inflows, analysts at Standard Chartered have cut their earlier price forecast for Bitcoin from $300,000 to $150,000. According to these analysts, several reasons have contributed to this massive cut.

With the Federal Reserve’s rate cut by 0.25%, it was anticipated that Bitcoin would make a leap back towards the October high and may even surpass it. However, with the rate cut came a stark warning that further rate cuts may not occur in the near future. This decision was largely influenced by the split stance of the FOMC members regarding the rate cuts. It seems that the 0.25% rate cut is being assumed as an ‘amicable’ decision.

As soon as this news surfaced, the rally slowed down. From its low points, Bitcoin had made a surge towards the $94,000 mark on Tuesday. Many thought that the finalization of the rate cut would fuel this rally further; however, the news that followed axed Bitcoin’s momentum.

Standard Chartered Cuts Its Bitcoin Forecast By Half

Major developments in the industry have led Standard Chartered Plc’s analysts to retrace their former forecast on the Bitcoin price. Geoff Kendrick’s new statement has left Bitcoin enthusiasts in despair as they were hoping for a better ending in 2025 and a much higher projection for the end of 2026.

In the following table, we break down Standard Chartered’s earlier forecast and the current forecast.

Kendrick’s main argument remains that BTC’s price action has major implications for halving the forecast. Kendrick and Standard Chartered believe that the Bitcoin treasury accumulation has come to its end. According to them, what remains is ETF inflows, which are, however, slow and may only occur periodically.

Major Experts Follow Suit With Standard Chartered

Many other industry experts and analytical firms are following suit with Standard Chartered’s analysis. It seems that the broader technical and macroeconomic analysis is giving a clear picture of Bitcoin’s trajectory.

In a similar forecast, Bernstein predicts Bitcoin to reach the $150,000 mark by the end of 2026 and may graze the $200,000 mark by the end of 2027. Their analysis is rooted in the asset’s recent pullback and the lack of enthusiasm shown by Demand as Treasury buyers or DATs.

Agencies like Berstein had been following the asset’s performance closely and had acknowledged that the four-year cycle had passed since the November rally had been contradicted. What remains for Bitcoin, according to them, is a slow but steady progress to higher prices.

On the same matter, according to Avinash Shekhar of Pi42, the broader crypto market sentiment has transitioned to one of caution. His analysis is based on the macroeconomic factors easing to pave the way for steady growth; however, the present hawkish tone after the seemingly insufficient 0.25% rate cut does not facilitate the said macroeconomic condition.

Analyst from Delta Exchange, Riya Sehgal, has painted another picture. With the current market conditions in which liquidity has thinned, unless the Fed takes a dovish tone, investors will not be prompted to buy the asset. An even worrying proposition by Sehgal notes that a further liquidity thinning courtesy of profit taking remains if the Federal Reserve maintains its hawkish tone.

Bitcoin’s Rough Ride

The journey this year has been a rough ride for the asset. Nearly 27% below the October high, Bitcoin is not promising any strong fundamentals for the end of 2025. Whether the forecasts will hold is yet another uncertainty, as investors are losing hope and confidence fast.

With steady ETF inflows, Bitcoin could make a slow but sustained comeback. However, this is no guarantee, as there were outflows amounting to nearly 60 million US dollars from the ETF markets on Monday this week.

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