Standard Chartered lifts Ethereum call to $7,500, arguing institutional demand could leave Bitcoin trailing

• Standard Chartered has raised its base-case year-end target for Ethereum to $7,500, up from an earlier $4,000 view.

• The bank points to growing demand from corporate treasury buyers and spot ETH products, alongside expectations for stronger network fee growth and institutional adoption.

• It also sees a path for ETH to outperform Bitcoin, though the outlook hinges heavily on ETF flows, corporate balance-sheet decisions, and broader macro and regulatory conditions.

Ethereum could be headed for a sharper run-up than Bitcoin this year, according to Standard Chartered, which has increased its base-case price target for ETH to $7,500 by the end of the year — a sizeable upgrade from its previous $4,000 projection. The bank’s digital assets team attributes the shift to rising interest from corporate treasury buyers and spot ETH products.

Bank raises Ethereum target

In the bank’s view, the next leg higher would be supported by two pillars: fee growth on the Ethereum network and deeper institutional participation. Standard Chartered also revised its longer-term forecasts, lifting its 2028 target to $25,000 and outlining scenarios that move toward $40,000 by 2030. Those higher-end outcomes are tied to models in which stablecoins and tokenized assets expand further on Ethereum’s chain.

Institutional buying drives demand

Market researchers cited in the discussion point to sustained accumulation since June. Spot ETF flows and corporate treasury firms combined have reportedly absorbed close to 4% of Ether’s circulating supply over that period. Treasury firms alone are said to have bought about 2.3 million ETH in just over two months — a pace Standard Chartered describes as faster than some prior accumulation phases seen in Bitcoin.

Ethereum seen outperforming Bitcoin

Standard Chartered’s note argues that Ethereum’s improved setup increases the likelihood it outperforms bitcoin. While weaker bitcoin performance has weighed on broader crypto sentiment, the bank sees institutional demand for ethereum as a key counterweight. A January 13, 2026 post from Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) echoed the theme that the bank expects ETH to do better than BTC.

Ethereum vs. Bitcoin

The bank also frames the call in relative-value terms, suggesting the ETH/BTC ratio could work its way back toward levels last seen during 2021’s run-up. In its scenarios, a combination of softer Bitcoin momentum and stronger real-world usage for Ethereum could allow ETH to appreciate faster over the months ahead.

Some headlines have highlighted even more aggressive long-range numbers derived from the same framework — including forecasts of $30,000 by 2029 and $40,000 by 2030 under more bullish assumptions. Those outcomes, the discussion notes, depend on a meaningful expansion in stablecoin usage, tokenized real-world assets, and ongoing staking demand that would reduce tradable supply.

Still, forecasts vary. Independent analysts remain divided and other banks have published lower year-end targets, underscoring that “expert consensus” in crypto is often more range than point.

Network fundamentals and risks

Standard Chartered’s thesis leans on Ethereum’s large share of stablecoin activity and its central role in decentralized finance, which the bank treats as supportive for fee income and on-chain demand in valuation models. At the same time, it flags execution risk: scale improvements and Layer-1 throughput will matter if large traditional-finance flows are to migrate on-chain in size.

The bank also cautions that the picture can shift quickly. A turn in macro conditions, outflows from major ETFs, or regulatory setbacks could undermine the assumptions behind the higher targets — and the relative trade versus Bitcoin, in particular, remains sensitive to ETF flow dynamics and corporate treasury decisions.