Standard Chartered said Bitcoin could slide toward $50,000 before any meaningful rebound, as the correction stays unfinished. Meanwhile, Bitcoin futures open interest dropped to about $31-$35 billion, which shows deleveraging and puts $60,000 back on the radar as a key level.
Standard Chartered’s Bitcoin Outlook — What the Bank Said Today
Standard Chartered said in a new note to clients that Bitcoin’s price could fall deeper before any meaningful rebound. In the bank’s view, the market hasn’t finished correcting and may see more downside pressure in the short term.
The bank’s near-term forecast calls for Bitcoin to drop toward around $50,000 in the coming months as part of a continued price correction. Alongside this, it expects Ethereum could fall toward about $1,400 before any recovery takes hold.
Standard Chartered also revised its year-end targets downward. In its latest projection, the bank now sees Bitcoin finishing 2026 around $100,000, down from its earlier forecast of $150,000 and far below prior estimates above $300,000.
The bank tied these lower projections to weakening investor demand and broader economic pressures, and noted that selling pressure from holders could persist before any sustained upside.
Open interest drop signals deleveraging as $60,000 support comes back into view
Meanwhile, Bitcoin futures traders pulled back sharply as aggregate open interest slid to about $31 billion to $35 billion in late January, its lowest level since the period around November 2024, according to a Coinglass chart. The drop signals heavy deleveraging across derivatives venues and adds pressure to a market already grappling with uneven risk appetite.
The chart shows open interest climbing from roughly $31.44 billion in October 2024 to above $60 billion by November and December, before easing into the low $40 billions by late February and March 2025. It then rebuilt through spring and early summer, pushing into the mid $60 billions and later peaking near the mid $70 billions around early October 2025.
Bitcoin Futures Open Interest. Source: Coinglass
After that peak, open interest trended lower for months. It fell through November and December 2025, hovered in the mid $40 billions into early January, and then dropped steeply into late January toward the chart’s lower bound near $31.44 billion.
Lower open interest often means traders closed positions or reduced leverage, which can thin liquidity and change how price reacts to new flows. With fewer futures positions absorbing moves, spot declines can reach major chart levels faster, including the $60,000 area that many analysts treat as a key support zone.
Source: https://coinpaper.com/14587/bitcoin-price-prediction-standard-chartered-warns-bitcoin-may-slide-toward-50-k
