🚀 Bitcoin (BTC) to Hit $135K by Q3 2025? Standard Chartered’s Bold $200K Year-End Prediction

Wall Street's crystal ball is glowing orange again—this time with Standard Chartered doubling down on Bitcoin's bull run. Their latest forecast? A $135K surge by September… and a moonshot to $200K before New Year's Eve.

The institutional FOMO playbook

Banks love catching knives—except when it's crypto. After years of sidelining BTC, suddenly every analyst's spreadsheet projects six-figure price targets. Coincidence? Or just hedgies realizing gold 2.0 won't wait for their paperwork.

Math or marketing?

Sure, $200K sounds juicy—that's a 3x from today. But remember 2021's "$100K by Christmas" crowd? Pro tip: When suits start quoting Fibonacci retracements, check their trading desk's BTC holdings first.

One thing's certain: The halving aftermath is here. Whether you're stacking sats or side-eyeing the hype, buckle up. This train's leaving with or without the "serious investor" stamp of approval.

The global banking powerhouse believes Bitcoin could reach $135,000 by Q3 2025 and climb as high as $200,000 by the end of the year. As BTC trades around $107,600, all eyes are on ETF updates and macroeconomic signals.

Market Overview: Bitcoin Consolidates, Eyes Key Resistance

Bitcoin price today is consolidating within a narrow range between $105,333 and $108,355 after last week’s 7.32% rally. At the time of writing, BTC is holding NEAR $107,600 after rebounding from the lower boundary of its current range. Technical indicators show signs of strengthening momentum. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads 55 and is trending upward, suggesting a potential bullish breakout.

Bitcoin (BTC) was trading at around $109,531, up 3.5% in the last 24 hours at press time. Source: bitcoin Liquid Index (BLX) via Brave New Coin

Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) also flashed a bullish crossover last week, with increasing green histogram bars supporting further upside. If BTC breaks above $108,355, a MOVE toward the all-time high of $111,980 from May 22 appears likely. However, failure to hold support at $105,333 could open the door for a retest of the 50-day EMA near $104,305.

Institutional Trends and Bitcoin ETF Sentiment

Standard Chartered’s latest forecast aligns with growing Optimism around Bitcoin ETF news. While U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs saw an outflow of $342 million on Tuesday—ending a 15-day inflow streak—the overall outlook remains bullish. “We expect prices to resume their uptrend, supported by continued strong ETF and Bitcoin treasury buying,” said Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s head of digital asset research.

BlackRock is now earning $187 million annually from Bitcoin ETF fees, surpassing revenue from its S&P 500 offering. Source: The Bitcoin Historian via X

Kendrick further noted that Bitcoin’s price action is diverging from previous halving cycle patterns. Historically, BTC prices dipped around 18 months after each halving. However, Kendrick stated, “Thanks to increased investor flows, we believe BTC has moved beyond the previous dynamic whereby prices fell 18 months after a halving cycle.”

According to CoinGape, nine companies acquired over 6,000 BTC for corporate treasuries last week alone, signaling rising institutional demand.

Expert Insights: Standard Chartered and Bitwise Stay Bullish

Standard Chartered’s bullish projection isn’t isolated. Bitwise analysts recently reaffirmed their own Bitcoin forecast of $200,000 by the end of 2025. They attribute this to robust institutional adoption, ongoing regulatory clarity, and increased demand for stablecoins.

Standard Chartered forecasts Bitcoin could reach $135,000 in Q3 and $200,000 by year-end, fueled by ETF inflows and corporate demand, despite possible short-term volatility. Source: Wu Blockchain via X

Analyst LEO Heart also weighed in, leveraging his Bitcoin Rainbow Wave model. According to his long-term view, Bitcoin may reach between $137,000 and $165,000 by the end of 2025, and over $500,000 by 2029. “It will only be possible to buy Bitcoin below $120,000 until late 2028,” Heart predicted, suggesting the current consolidation may represent a rare accumulation window.

Macro Factors and the Trump Effect

President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) passed the Senate on Tuesday, with the House vote and July 9 tariff deadline expected to influence market sentiment in the coming days. The fiscal expansion outlook from the bill could support risk assets like Bitcoin, while the tariff uncertainty may temporarily add pressure.

Bitcoin has rebounded to around $108,000 but faces short-term resistance near $109,000, risking continued weakness and volatility until it breaks through. Source: Allenbrowser-3 on TradingView

Traders are also watching this week’s U.S. economic data, including the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Thursday. A strong jobs report could influence rate expectations and, in turn, impact Bitcoin’s price movement.

Looking Ahead: BTC Outlook Bright Despite Short-Term Uncertainty

The post analyzes Bitcoin’s chart, indicating a potential breakout in the coming days that could lead to significant price movement. Source: nileshtembhurne06 on TradingView

Bitcoin’s price remains range-bound in the short term, but longer-term projections from both Standard Chartered and Bitwise paint an optimistic picture. While ETF outflows and macro headwinds could cause short-term volatility, the broader sentiment supported by institutional inflows and positive halving dynamics suggests that BTC’s next move could be explosive.

As investors consider their next steps, Bitcoin’s long-term outlook continues to shine bright—with $135K and even $200K in sight before 2025 closes out.