The post Standard Chartered Warns Bitcoin Has Lost A Crucial Safety Net appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Standard Chartered has lowered its long-term Bitcoin (BTC) price forecasts, warning that a key pillar of recent demand, corporate Bitcoin buying, is likely over. The bank now believes future gains in Bitcoin will be driven by a single source: exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows, a shift that could slow the pace of upside in the years ahead. Sponsored Sponsored Bitcoin’s Pullback ‘Painful but Normal’ In a new note, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Asset Research, Geoff Kendrick, said the bank is pushing back its timeline for Bitcoin reaching $500,000 and lowering its year-end price targets for 2026 through 2029. “While the recent Bitcoin price decline has been rapid, we think it is within expected bounds. However, further corporate buying of Bitcoin is unlikely, as valuations no longer support it. This leaves ETF buying, which may be slower than earlier expected, to drive price gains from here. We lower our year-end price forecasts for 2026-29 and push out our $500,000 forecast to 2030. Not a crypto winter, just a cold breeze,” Kendrick said. Bitcoin’s recent price action has unsettled investors, but Standard Chartered argues the sell-off fits historical patterns rather than signalling a structural downturn. Kendrick noted that Bitcoin has fallen around 36% from its all-time high on October 6, a decline comparable to other drawdowns seen since the launch of US spot Bitcoin ETFs. “The recent price action in Bitcoin (BTC) has been challenging, but the decline, while rapid, falls within ‘normal’ expectations,” Kendrick stated, adding that similar pullbacks have occurred over the past two years. The timing of the peak has fuelled renewed fears of a crypto winter, with Bitcoin topping roughly 18 months after the April 2024 halving, a pattern seen in past cycles. “The timing of the recent losses, the 6 October high was reached 18 months after… The post Standard Chartered Warns Bitcoin Has Lost A Crucial Safety Net appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Standard Chartered has lowered its long-term Bitcoin (BTC) price forecasts, warning that a key pillar of recent demand, corporate Bitcoin buying, is likely over. The bank now believes future gains in Bitcoin will be driven by a single source: exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows, a shift that could slow the pace of upside in the years ahead. Sponsored Sponsored Bitcoin’s Pullback ‘Painful but Normal’ In a new note, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Asset Research, Geoff Kendrick, said the bank is pushing back its timeline for Bitcoin reaching $500,000 and lowering its year-end price targets for 2026 through 2029. “While the recent Bitcoin price decline has been rapid, we think it is within expected bounds. However, further corporate buying of Bitcoin is unlikely, as valuations no longer support it. This leaves ETF buying, which may be slower than earlier expected, to drive price gains from here. We lower our year-end price forecasts for 2026-29 and push out our $500,000 forecast to 2030. Not a crypto winter, just a cold breeze,” Kendrick said. Bitcoin’s recent price action has unsettled investors, but Standard Chartered argues the sell-off fits historical patterns rather than signalling a structural downturn. Kendrick noted that Bitcoin has fallen around 36% from its all-time high on October 6, a decline comparable to other drawdowns seen since the launch of US spot Bitcoin ETFs. “The recent price action in Bitcoin (BTC) has been challenging, but the decline, while rapid, falls within ‘normal’ expectations,” Kendrick stated, adding that similar pullbacks have occurred over the past two years. The timing of the peak has fuelled renewed fears of a crypto winter, with Bitcoin topping roughly 18 months after the April 2024 halving, a pattern seen in past cycles. “The timing of the recent losses, the 6 October high was reached 18 months after…