Standard Chartered Predicts: Corporate Ethereum Holdings May Gobble Up 10% of Total Supply
Wall Street's sleeping giant just woke up—and it's hungry for ETH.
The Corporate ETH Landgrab Begins
Forget Bitcoin treasuries—smart money's now eyeing Ethereum's supply crunch. When banks start making bullish calls, you know the institutional FOMO is real (even if they're late to the party).
The 10% Threshold
One tenth of all ETH could soon vanish into corporate vaults. That's not speculation—it's math. Treasury strategies are shifting from 'if' to 'how much' as DeFi yields outperform traditional finance's sad 2% offerings.
The Irony Alert
Banks spent years dismissing crypto—now they're advising clients to hoard it. Classic finance: first they ignore you, then they try to own you. The only thing missing? A Goldman Sachs ETH ETF.
Ethereum is entering a new phase of institutional adoption. From treasury strategies to bullish price targets, it is getting serious attention from corporate and financial players.
As per a recent report from Standard Chartered, institutional treasuries now hold around 1% of ETH’s total circulating supply. But that’s just the beginning.
The bank believes that this could grow tenfold, with businesses eventually holding up to 10% of ETH’s total supply.
Ethereum Gains Edge Over Bitcoin
Corporate ETH buying and spot Ether ETF inflows are both on the rise. According to data from Sosovalue, the cumulative total net inflow for spot ether ETFs has reached $9.40 billion.
$ETH ETF inflow + $65,200,000 yesterday.
Blackrock bought $130,200,000 Ethereum. pic.twitter.com/EIzLYMHvbG
The rise in interest has likely played a big role in ETH outperforming Bitcoin recently. The ETH/BTC ratio has jumped from 0.018 in April to 0.032 in July. Geoff Kendrick, analyst at Standard Chartered, notes that this could spark the start of a bigger shift, where institutions begin favoring ethereum more heavily in their digital asset portfolios, even over Bitcoin.
Is ETH More Attractive Than BTC?
Ethereum is emerging as a more useful treasury asset than Bitcoin. While Bitcoin is often held for its scarcity, Ethereum offers the added benefits of staking rewards, currently around 3%, along with access to DeFi tools that can boost returns.
In regions with strict crypto regulations, Ethereum also stands out. The report suggests that ETH can serve as a smart workaround for companies that want crypto exposure on their balance sheets but face regulatory limitations.
That makes ETH a more flexible option for publicly listed firms.
Staking Brings Rewards and Risks
However, a Bernstein report highlights how Ethereum treasuries are taking a different approach than Bitcoin-focused ones. Instead of just holding ETH, companies are staking it to earn yield and boost earnings.
But this strategy isn’t without risks. There are liquidity delays when unstaking, and tools like restaking or DeFi protocols introduce smart contract risks that traditional assets don’t face.
Companies like BitMine, SharpLink, and Bit Digital have accumulated over 876,000 ETH in July, with BitMine alone crossing $2 billion in ETH and aiming for 5% the total supply. Bernstein sees Ethereum gaining long-term value from its growing ecosystem.
Will Ethereum Cross $4,000? Analysts Debate
Ethereum briefly crossed $3,900 on Monday, its highest since December 2024, before pulling back. It has surged over 50% in the past month.
Standard Chartered has maintained its $4,000 target for Ethereum, while analysts expect it to break its previous all-time high of $4,800 this year. BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes even sees it hitting $10,000. Meanwhile, Tom Lee’s Bitmine projected an eye-popping $60,000 target.
$ETH has broken out of its short-term consolidation phase.
First time it happened, ETH pumped 25% in a week.
2nd time it happened, ETH pumped 30% in a week.
If history repeat itself again, ETH will trade above $4,300 by end of this week. pic.twitter.com/Cc6TaJmgDd
Chris Burniske pointed out that Ethereum went from the most hated coin to the favorite in just about five weeks.
As promised, here’s the updated $ETH outlook. Two paths ahead:
• Conservative target: $8K+
• Optimistic: $13K+ and beyond
In both scenarios, expect a sharp 20–25% washout after ATHs, the final shakeout before liftoff.
Q4 is when it ignites.
This is the roadmap. pic.twitter.com/bI48uCQuhT
Crypto analyst Wolf predicts that in a conservative scenario, ETH could reach over $8,000, while the more optimistic view targets above $13,000. Wolf also warned that after Ethereum hits a new all-time high, a typical market correction of 20-25% is likely before the next rally begins.
