Analysts at Standard Chartered unexpectedly lowered their price targets for XRP, BTC, and ETH
Analysts at Standard Chartered, led by Geoff Kendrick, sharply revised down their cryptocurrency price forecasts for 2026. XRP saw the biggest downgrade, with experts now expecting its price to fall to $2.8 by year-end — 65% below the previous target of $8.
The updated forecast for Bitcoin by the end of 2026 is $180,000, down from the previous $250,000 estimate (a 28% reduction), while Ethereum’s target was cut to $9,500 from $14,000 (down 32%).
According to the analytical note, the downgrade reflects a combination of institutional investment data and macroeconomic pressure rather than a deterioration in long-term fundamentals.
In particular, the initial enthusiasm following the approval of spot XRP ETFs in late 2025 has faded. Persistent outflows from these funds indicate that institutional capital is not accumulating as quickly as previously expected.
A strong U.S. dollar and the continued long-term trend of higher interest rates are also dampening investor risk appetite. Against this backdrop, non-yielding digital assets — especially altcoins — are facing increased pressure.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $67,900, down nearly 4% over the past week. Ethereum stood at $1,982, marking a 7% decline over seven days. Meanwhile, XRP rose 1.3% during the same period to $1.47.
Українська
Русский
English

