Bitcoin selloff tests Standard Chartered’s $100K forecast: is Geoffrey Kendrick’s call on track?

Standard Chartered has kept its $100,000 Bitcoin target and $4,000 Ethereum target after the selloff.

Standard Chartered digital-assets research head Geoffrey Kendrick said the drop likely set the cycle bottom in his latest note. Bitcoin fell toward $59,000 before rebounding near $63,500, while Ethereum traded near $1,665.

Bitcoin’s price target stays at $100,000

Kendrick described the $59,000 Bitcoin move as the “likely low” for the current cycle. He kept the bank’s $100,000 year-end Bitcoin target after the rebound toward $63,500. His note framed the latest move as the end of crypto winter. It did not treat the drop as the start of another breakdown.

Kendrick tied the selling pressure to forced selling, weak ETF flows, and liquidity stress. He said those factors had caused the deepest damage during the drawdown. The bank’s call extends its earlier bullish Bitcoin view after a sharp decline.

Bitcoin trades far below Standard Chartered’s target, despite its recovery from $59,000. Kendrick’s call depends on stronger confirmation from ETF flows and institutional demand. The note kept its focus on price levels, flows, and treasury demand.

Bitcoin ETF flows and SpaceX liquidity stay in focus

Spot Bitcoin ETF redemptions remain a central test for Kendrick’s bottom call. Market context showed U.S. funds saw heavy outflows during the selloff. Those redemptions weakened the institutional bid that supported Bitcoin earlier. Kendrick said consistent inflows would support his recovery thesis.

The liquidity picture also includes the SpaceX IPO window, according to Kendrick’s note. He cited cash demand around the listing as pressure on risk assets. Crypto markets tracked SPCX trading on Nasdaq after SpaceX’s $75 billion IPO, according to related context. 

Synthetic SpaceX-linked markets drew crypto-native volume during the same period. Strategy remains a demand factor in Bitcoin’s short-term market setup. Market participants tracked whether Michael Saylor’s company would keep absorbing Bitcoin supply.

Ethereum’s target remains at $4,000

Kendrick also kept his $4,000 Ethereum target and expects ETH to outperform Bitcoin. Ethereum traded near $1,665, well below that target. Standard Chartered’s existing Ethereum thesis links ETH demand to stablecoins, tokenized assets, and onchain settlement. 

The bank has argued that Ethereum network use remains stronger than price action. Ethereum’s recent weakness kept the ETH/BTC ratio under pressure. Kendrick said a ratio rebound would show renewed investor demand for Ethereum exposure.

The note placed Ethereum’s path beside Bitcoin’s ETF flow test. It also kept institutional demand and macro stress in view as market confirmation points. Kendrick listed several markers for the next market stage. They include Bitcoin holding $59,000, ETF inflows returning, Strategy demand stabilizing, and Ethereum regaining relative strength.