Regulatory progress, Ethereum’s dominance in stablecoins and DeFi, network scaling plans, and Bitmine accumulation are cited as key drivers.
Standard Chartered says Ether is positioned to outperform Bitcoin over time, even as digital asset markets have delivered weaker-than-expected performance during the current cycle. The bank said softer Bitcoin price action has weighed on the broader cryptocurrency market, but Ether’s relative fundamentals have strengthened, improving its longer-term outlook against Bitcoin.
Standard Chartered expects the ETH-BTC ratio to gradually recover toward levels last seen in 2021, reflecting a shift in relative performance between the two assets. Despite this view, the bank lowered its ETH-USD forecasts for the 2026-2028 period, citing continued weakness tied to Bitcoin’s performance.
At the same time, Standard Chartered raised its long-term projection for Ether, forecasting the cryptocurrency could reach US$40,000 (AU$60,400) by the end of 2030. Ether was trading around US$3,100 (approximately AU4,681) at the time of publication, reflecting subdued short-term momentum.
Policy Developments may Favour Ethereum
Geoff Kendrick said Ether’s prospects for 2026 have improved significantly and expects the asset to gradually return toward its previous cycle highs. The bank identified US crypto regulation as a potential catalyst, pointing to progress on the proposed CLARITY Act.
Kendrick said the legislation could establish a clearer framework for digital assets and unlock further decentralised finance (DeFi) development, with Ethereum positioned to benefit. Standard Chartered also highlighted Ethereum’s dominance in stablecoins and DeFi as a key structural advantage.
In addition, the bank cited continued ETH accumulation by Bitmine Immersion, described as the largest Ethereum-focused corporate treasury, as a source of ongoing demand. Progress toward increasing Ethereum’s layer-one throughput by roughly tenfold was also cited as supportive of its long-term valuation outlook.
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