Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction: Standard Chartered Predicts 2026 Outperformance Against Bitcoin

TLDR

• Standard Chartered predicts Ethereum will outperform Bitcoin in 2026 despite lowering near-term price targets to $7,500 for year-end
• The bank raised long-term forecasts, projecting ETH could reach $40,000 by end of 2030
• Ethereum dominates stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and DeFi with over 50% market share in these sectors
• Network transaction counts hit all-time highs recently, with stablecoin activity accounting for 35-40% of transactions
• Standard Chartered expects the ETH-BTC ratio to return toward 2021 highs of around 0.08

Standard Chartered released new price forecasts for Ethereum on January 12, showing confidence in the cryptocurrency’s long-term prospects. The bank now expects ETH to end 2026 at $7,500, down from a previous estimate of $12,000.

Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, said he believes 2026 will be Ethereum’s year. He compared the upcoming period to 2021 when ETH saw strong performance.

The bank lowered its 2027 target to $15,000 and its 2028 forecast to $22,000. Both figures represent reductions from earlier projections.

However, Standard Chartered increased its longer-term outlook. The bank now sees ETH reaching $30,000 by end of 2029 and introduced a new target of $40,000 for end of 2030.

Ethereum’s Market Position

Kendrick pointed to several factors supporting Ethereum’s outlook. The cryptocurrency holds a dominant position in stablecoins, real-world assets, and decentralized finance.

More than half of all stablecoins and tokenized RWAs currently operate on Ethereum. The bank expects this share to grow as traditional financial activity moves onchain.

Standard Chartered forecasts both stablecoin and tokenized real-world asset markets will reach $2 trillion by 2028. The majority of this activity is expected to settle on Ethereum.

The bank also highlighted continued buying by BitMine Immersion. The company currently holds about 3.4% of ether in circulation and aims to reach a 5% target.

Network Growth and Upgrades

Ethereum’s transaction count reached fresh all-time highs in recent weeks. Stablecoin activity drives much of this growth, accounting for roughly 35% to 40% of transactions.

The bank noted that planned increases in Ethereum’s Layer 1 throughput are critical for future growth. Higher throughput has historically translated into higher market capitalization.

Ethereum developers deployed two major hard forks in 2025 through the Pectra and Fusaka upgrades. The successful rollout began a twice-a-year upgrade schedule designed to scale the network.

Standard Chartered said weaker Bitcoin performance has dampened prospects for digital assets against the dollar. However, relative to Bitcoin, Ethereum’s drivers have strengthened.

The bank expects the ETH-BTC ratio to gradually return toward its 2021 highs of around 0.08. This would represent an improvement in Ethereum’s value compared to Bitcoin.

Flows into digital asset exchange-traded funds have slowed across the board. However, they remain relatively more supportive for Ethereum than for Bitcoin.

Standard Chartered also mentioned regulatory developments as a potential catalyst. The bank expects the proposed U.S. Clarity Act to pass in the first quarter of 2026.

Passage of the bill, combined with resilient U.S. equity markets, could help push Bitcoin to a fresh all-time high in the first half of the year. This scenario would also support Ethereum’s longer-term upside.

The bank is also working on expanding its crypto infrastructure. Bloomberg reported Standard Chartered is exploring a crypto prime brokerage offering through its venture arm, SC Ventures. The business would provide financing, custody, and trading services to institutional clients.

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