Bitcoin Could Still Reach $200K as ETFs and Corporate Treasuries Fuel Demand, StanChart Reports

StanChart Predicts Bitcoin Could Break Patterns, Aiming for $200K by Year-End

Standard Chartered remains confident that bitcoin (BTC) might defy its usual post-halving trends and push toward record highs in the second half of 2025, according to a research note issued Wednesday.

Historically, bitcoin prices tend to decline about 18 months after a halving event, which reduces the pace of new BTC entering circulation every four years. However, this cycle might unfold differently due to rising institutional involvement.

“The bitcoin halving cycle is dead,” declared Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Assets Research.

Kendrick reiterated his bullish forecast of $200,000 for bitcoin by the end of this year, suggesting BTC could reach roughly $135,000 by the end of the third quarter.

The bank’s optimism is driven by persistent inflows into spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and increased corporate interest in holding BTC as a treasury asset. Combined, these sources absorbed about 245,000 BTC during the second quarter. Standard Chartered expects this buying trend to continue into the second half of the year.

Additional macroeconomic factors, such as a potential early exit by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell or progress on U.S. stablecoin regulations, could further support bitcoin’s price, according to the report.