Summary
⚈ The bank cites Bitcoin’s growing role as a hedge amid financial instability.
⚈ A longer-term target of $500,000 by 2028 is based on rising institutional demand.
Bitcoin (BTC) still has a 125% upside potential in 2025, according to estimates by Standard Chartered.
In an investor note dated Tuesday, April 22, Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, set a $200,000 price target for Bitcoin by the end of 2025, citing the asset’s evolving role as a hedge against financial risks in the private and government sectors.
This bold prediction comes as Bitcoin bulls and bears continue to battle over the asset’s next trajectory. At the time of reporting, BTC was valued at $88,740, up 1.7% in the past 24 hours.
Kendrick highlighted the cryptocurrency’s resilience during financial instability, crediting its decentralized ledger system.
Notably, the leading digital asset has remained mainly in a state of consolidation, while equities experienced massive volatility as trade tensions between the U.S. and China put increasing pressure on global financial systems.
He pointed to two key risk drivers behind Bitcoin’s rise: private sector shocks, such as the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and government-related pressures, including concerns over the independence of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve.
Impact of Trump’s influence on the Fed
A major concern is the potential replacement of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, which the bank’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research warns could further erode confidence in the central bank’s autonomy.
To this end, markets remain on edge as President Donald Trump pushes for Powell’s exit due to disagreements over monetary policy, particularly interest rates.
These concerns have driven the 10-year U.S. Treasury term premium to a 12-year high, closely mirroring BTC’s rise since early 2024.
Though Bitcoin recently lagged behind the surging term premium, partly due to tariff-related pressure on tech stocks, Kendrick expects it to surpass previous highs as concerns over central bank independence continue to build.
Notably, Kendrick’s long-term outlook is even more bullish, projecting a $500,000 Bitcoin price by the end of 2028. His forecasts carry weight, particularly after Standard Chartered accurately predicted that the digital asset would hit $100,000 by the end of 2024, driven by institutional inflows.
If Bitcoin reaches a valuation of $200,000, its new market cap would be approximately $3.8 trillion.
Featured image via Shutterstock
