Standard Chartered reaffirms $100K Bitcoin bet as bears see more pain

Bitcoin has fallen more than 15% this week and briefly slipped towards $61,000, yet Standard Chartered has kept its year-end price target at $100,000 and said the current decline may offer a buying opportunity.

According to a note sent to clients on June 4, Standard Chartered believes the factors behind the latest selloff are starting to fade even as some market participants continue to warn of deeper losses.

The bank’s global head of digital assets research, Geoffrey Kendrick, said Bitcoin’s bottom is “nearly in place” after a sharp correction driven by spot ETF outflows, forced liquidations, and concerns surrounding Strategy’s recent Bitcoin sale.

At the time of the note, Bitcoin (BTC) had recovered from its intraday lows and was trading around the mid-$60,000 range. Despite the rebound, the cryptocurrency remains roughly 30% lower for the year.

Kendrick told clients that investors may ultimately view current prices as an attractive entry point when looking back from the end of 2026, when Standard Chartered expects Bitcoin to trade near $100,000.

Strategy buying remains a key bullish factor

One reason behind the bank’s optimism centers on Strategy’s history of returning to the market after selling Bitcoin.

Earlier this week, the company disclosed the sale of 32 BTC worth approximately $2.5 million to meet preferred stock distribution obligations. The transaction attracted attention because Strategy, led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, has spent years promoting a long-term accumulation strategy.

Even so, Kendrick noted that the company previously sold Bitcoin in 2022 before increasing its holdings shortly afterward. Based on that pattern, he expects Strategy to resume what he described as aggressive Bitcoin purchases.

While the sale contributed to negative sentiment across crypto markets, Standard Chartered argued that the market reaction may have overstated its significance.

Another factor supporting the bank’s outlook is the resilience of spot Bitcoin ETF demand. According to Kendrick, cumulative net inflows since the launch of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs remain around $54.2 billion. Holdings have declined modestly from a peak near 682,000 BTC to roughly 674,000 BTC, but the bank said the overall trend has remained relatively stable.

Liquidation pressure appears less severe

Beyond ETF flows and corporate buying, Standard Chartered pointed to derivatives positioning as another reason for caution against overly bearish forecasts.

The bank noted that roughly $1.5 billion in leveraged Bitcoin futures positions were liquidated during the recent downturn. Kendrick said this figure is comparable to liquidation events seen during previous corrections and remains below levels associated with some of the market’s most severe crashes.

Recent comments from the bank have not been limited to Bitcoin. Last week, Kendrick compared Ethereum’s current weakness to Amazon’s experience during the collapse of the dot-com bubble, arguing that token prices do not always move in line with underlying network progress.

Standard Chartered maintained its Ethereum targets of $4,000 by the end of 2026 and $40,000 by 2030.

Meanwhile, the bank has continued expanding its presence in the digital asset sector. As reported by crypto.news earlier, Coinbase recently broadened its partnership with Standard Chartered, adding institutional funding support for the Australian dollar, Singapore dollar, Canadian dollar, and Swiss franc, while also providing GSIB-backed settlement services for euro and pound transactions across Coinbase Prime and Coinbase Exchange.

According to Coinbase, the arrangement is intended to help institutional clients move capital more efficiently across trading and financing activities.