- Standard Chartered predicts crypto market cap to reach $10 trillion by end of 2026
- Bitcoin Price projected to hit $200,000 and Ethereum $10,000 by end of 2025
- Trump’s potential presidency and Republican majority could drive positive crypto regulation
- Bitcoin‘s market dominance expected to decrease from 60% to 40% by 2026
- Real-world applications and utility tokens predicted to drive altcoin growth
Standard Chartered’s Bullish Crypto Forecast
Standard Chartered Bank released a notable forecast on Friday, projecting the cryptocurrency market to expand nearly fourfold to a $10 trillion market capitalization by the end of 2026. The British banking giant maintains its previous price targets of $200,000 for Bitcoin and $10,000 for Ethereum by the end of 2025.
These projections represent substantial increases from current prices of approximately $76,500 for Bitcoin and $2,950 for Ethereum.
Political Catalyst: Trump’s Potential Impact
The bank’s optimistic outlook is significantly influenced by Donald Trump‘s strong showing in Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election. Trump, who has made several crypto-related commitments during his campaign, appears increasingly likely to return to the White House with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Standard Chartered anticipates several pro-crypto policy changes under a potential Trump administration:
- Repeal of SAB 121 to encourage bank custody of crypto assets
- Implementation of stablecoin legislation
- Dismantling of the SEC’s crypto crackdown
- Possibility of establishing a U.S. government Bitcoin reserve (though considered low probability)
Shifting Market Dynamics
Despite Bitcoin’s anticipated price surge, Standard Chartered predicts its market dominance will decline from 60% to 40% by 2026. The bank attributes this shift to the rising prominence of alternative cryptocurrencies with practical applications.
“Digital assets that are more exposed to end uses are likely to benefit more,” the bank stated, specifically highlighting Solana as a potential outperformer compared to both Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Growth Drivers and Use Cases
The bank identifies several key sectors driving cryptocurrency adoption:
- Gaming applications
- Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (Depin)
- On-chain consumer social products
“As in 2021, existing digital assets are likely to see price rises and new subsectors emerge; this time, real-world use cases are finally poised to go mainstream,” the bank emphasized in its note to Decrypt.
Regulatory Outlook
The anticipated regulatory changes under a potential Trump administration are viewed as critical catalysts for market growth. “The new U.S. administration is likely to bring regulatory changes that are needed to drive the next leg of growth in digital assets,” Standard Chartered noted.
These regulatory shifts, combined with expanding use cases and institutional adoption, form the foundation of Standard Chartered’s optimistic market outlook for the cryptocurrency sector through 2026.
Previous Articles:
- Bitcoin Hits $77K ATH as Trump Victory Triggers Massive Short Liquidations
- California Permanently Revokes BlockFi’s Lending License After FTX Collapse
- Block shutters Web5 project to focus on Bitcoin mining and BitKey wallet
- Chinese Visitors Test Anonymous Stablecoin Services in Hong Kong Using RealDID
- Ethereum Foundation Reveals $970M Treasury, Holds 99.45% in ETH Assets
