TLDR
- Standard Chartered raised its 2025 ETH price target from $4,000 to $7,500 due to institutional buying surge
- ETF and treasury companies have acquired 3.8% of all ETH in circulation since early June
- GENIUS Act passage provides regulatory framework for stablecoins, boosting Ethereum demand
- Stablecoin sector expected to grow eightfold to $2 trillion by 2028
- ETH trading at $4,692, less than 4% from its November 2021 all-time high of $4,891
Standard Chartered has raised its Ethereum price forecast for 2025 to $7,500, up from a previous $4,000 target. The British bank cited a surge in institutional buying and accelerating stablecoin adoption as key drivers.
The bank reported that Ether treasury companies and exchange-traded funds have acquired 3.8% of all ETH in circulation since early June. This represents almost double the fastest rate of Bitcoin accumulation by similar entities during the 2024 US election cycle.
ETH has surged over 50% in the past four weeks. Ethereum was trading at $4,775 at the time of reporting, less than 4% from its previous all-time high of $4,891 registered in November 2021.
Standard Chartered noted increased engagement from the Ethereum Foundation and Etherialize. The bank highlighted plans by Vitalik Buterin to boost Ethereum’s layer-1 throughput by 10x.
This upgrade would enable more high-value transactions to settle onchain. Smaller transfers would be delegated to layer-2 networks such as Arbitrum and Base.
Regulatory Framework Drives Growth
The passage of the GENIUS Act in July provided another major catalyst according to Standard Chartered. The legislation creates a clear regulatory framework for stablecoins, paving the way for mainstream adoption.
Stablecoins account for 40% of all blockchain fees. Over half of all stablecoins are issued on Ethereum, driving demand for ETH to pay transaction fees.
The bank expects the stablecoin sector’s market capitalization to grow eightfold to $2 trillion by 2028. This growth would drive both direct and indirect demand for Ethereum through decentralized finance expansion.
ETH already holds a 65% share of total value locked in DeFi protocols. Standard Chartered anticipates ETH will surpass its previous all-time high by the end of Q3 2025.
Long-term Price Projections
The bank projects the ETH-BTC ratio will climb from 0.036 to 0.05 as Ethereum’s fundamentals strengthen. Standard Chartered’s long-term outlook sets ETH at $12,000 in 2026.
The bank forecasts $18,000 in 2027 and $25,000 by 2028. These projections represent a raise from the previous 2028 target of $7,500.
Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s head of digital assets research, emphasized the importance of layer-1 capacity. He noted that Ethereum’s long-term growth depends on using its main blockchain for high-value transactions.
The bank sees potential for Ethereum treasury companies to increase their holdings to 10% of all ETH in circulation. This would represent a major shift in institutional adoption patterns.
Recent profit-taking activity has emerged as ETH approaches new highs. The Ethereum whale collective known as 7 Siblings sold $88.2 million worth of ETH over the past day.
The Ethereum Foundation also sold 2,795 ETH worth about $12.7 million in two transactions late Tuesday. These sales totaled 19,461 ETH at an average price of $4,532.
Standard Chartered’s new year-end target represents a premium of nearly 60% from current trading levels.
