Standard Chartered has dramatically revised its Ethereum price projections, forecasting $7,500 by end-2025, $12,000 in 2026, $18,000 in 2027, and $25,000 in both 2028 and 2029. This marks a significant upgrade from March's $4,000 target for 2025, which had been lowered from $10,000 due to layer-2 competition concerns.
Geoff Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered, attributes the bullish shift to three key drivers: institutional entities and ETH ETFs purchasing 3.8% of circulating supply since June at nearly double Bitcoin's peak accumulation pace; the U.S. GENIUS Act establishing stablecoin regulatory clarity; and planned network upgrades aiming for 10x Layer-1 throughput. The bank calls the legislation a "pivotal change" that could amplify Ethereum's dominance, noting stablecoins already generate 40% of blockchain fees—mostly on Ethereum.
Ethereum currently trades at $4,684, just 4.1% below its $4,878 all-time high, with Myriad Markets pricing an 87.5% probability of hitting $5,000 this year. Analysts like CEX.IO's Illia Otychenko caution that Standard Chartered previously overpromised (e.g., $8,000 for 2024) before downgrading targets, though he acknowledges institutional inflows and ETF potential as legitimate catalysts. B2 Ventures' Arthur Azizov projects $6,000 near-term if ETH sustains support above $3,350.