Wall Street’s biggest Bitcoin bulls are cutting near-term price targets after the latest market pullback. Their longer-term outlook remains intact. Standard Chartered, one of crypto’s most prominent backers, halved its Bitcoin forecasts in a note published Tuesday.
The bank now sees Bitcoin reaching $100,000 by the end of 2025, down from $200,000, and $150,000 by the end of 2026.
Its long-term target of $500,000 remains, though the timeline has been pushed to 2030 from 2028.
The downgrade reflects a shift in demand. Corporate treasury buying, once a major driver, has faded. Exchange-traded fund flows have slowed.
Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital asset research, said aggressive corporate accumulation has “run its course.”
“Future price gains will be driven by one leg only,” Kendrick wrote, referring to ETF inflows. He expects consolidation rather than broad selling.
Bernstein analysts struck a similar tone. They forecast Bitcoin at $150,000 by the end of next year and near $200,000 by late 2027, according to Bloomberg.
The firm dropped its call for a $200,000 peak this year but argues Bitcoin is no longer bound by its historical four-year cycle. Analysts say institutional participation has added durability to the market.
The revisions follow a rough stretch for prices. Bitcoin has fallen almost 30% from its October peak above $126,000.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $60 million in net outflows on Monday. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust lost about $2.3 billion in November, its largest monthly redemption since launch.
Those outflows represent about 3% of the fund’s assets. Bernstein notes that total ETF withdrawals remain below 5% of assets under management. Retail investors still hold most ETF shares, though institutional ownership has climbed to 28%.
Bitcoin price rebound
Despite these predictions, Bitcoin rose more than 4% today to near $94,640, pushing market capitalization to about $1.86 trillion as trading volume climbed to $46 billion and prices hit a seven-day high.
Institutional momentum continued with Twenty One ringing the NYSE opening bell holding over 43,500 BTC, while PNC became the first major U.S. bank to offer direct spot bitcoin trading to private clients and Bank of America encouraged limited digital asset allocations.
Investors are also weighing supportive macro signals, with expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts and comments from Cathie Wood suggesting Bitcoin’s cycle lows may already be in.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading near $94,000.
Libeara developed the fund with FundBridge Capital for Singapore’s market.
Standard Chartered is expanding digital-asset activity through SC Ventures.
A separate physically backed gold fund was recently launched in Singapore.
Institutional investors in Singapore are being offered a new digital route into gold exposure as Standard Chartered broadens its presence in tokenised assets through Libeara’s MG 999 fund.
The product arrives during a period of rising demand for safe-haven assets, shaped by geopolitical tension, shifting currency expectations, and tariff moves under President Donald Trump.
The fund blends a synthetic link to gold prices with a lending feature designed for jewellery retailers in the city-state.
With interest in real-world asset tokenisation growing across global markets, MG 999 reflects how traditional financial groups are testing new digital structures without altering core investment themes.
The approach broadens investor access while encouraging further experimentation across evolving digital asset markets globally.
Tokenised access
Libeara developed the MG 999 fund with FundBridge Capital to give professional investors exposure to gold in the form of blockchain-based tokens.
Each token is designed to track the spot price of gold on Libeara’s ledger.
The fund removes the need for vaulting or transport but still aims to reflect market performance, creating a synthetic alternative to physical bullion.
FundBridge has described the structure as a way to connect regulated fund design with digital systems while keeping governance at the level expected for institutional products.
Institutional shift
The fund is open only to institutional and accredited investors. MG 999 is different from physical gold funds because it does not store metal.
Instead, it uses a token mechanism engineered to mirror market movement.
Standard Chartered’s involvement fits into broader expansion in Asia through SC Ventures, which also holds majority stakes in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets.
These platforms focus on institutional digital-asset access, strengthening the bank’s position in real-world asset tokenisation as the sector gains momentum across treasuries, bonds, funds, and commodities.
Global demand conditions
The launch comes at a time when central banks have been increasing gold reserves. Market watchers have linked this trend to concerns about the long-term role of the US dollar and a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty.
Experts have also cited Trump’s tariff policies as a driver of interest in safe-haven assets.
Last month, Standard Chartered joined other firms in launching a physically backed gold product in Singapore.
In that fund, the bank acts as custodian for bullion stored at the Le Freeport facility near Changi Airport. That offering targets investors wanting allocated metal rather than tokenised exposure.
Jewellery market lending
MG 999 also includes a lending element tied to Singapore’s jewellery sector.
Mustafa Gold has been named as the first borrower. The structure lets the retailer use its jewellery inventory as collateral while keeping the pieces available for customers.
Libeara and FundBridge say this design shows how tokenisation can connect investment products with working-capital needs in traditional retail markets, expanding digital use cases beyond asset tracking alone.
Standard Chartered-backed Libeara’s MG 999 fund offers tokenized, synthetic exposure to gold for institutional investors in Singapore, pairing gold-linked performance with lending to jewelry retailers like Mustafa Gold amid rising global demand for safe-haven assets. Libeara, a blockchain infrastructure platform…
Libeara, the blockchain infrastructure platform backed by Standard Chartered’s venture arm SC Ventures, has rolled out a new tokenized gold investment fund in Singapore, bringing one of the world’s oldest safe-haven assets onto digital rails.
Key Takeaways:
Libeara and FundBridge launched a tokenized gold fund that tracks gold’s spot price.
The structure removes vaulting costs while keeping regulated, gold-linked exposure.
The move expands Standard Chartered’s push into real-world asset tokenization.
The fund, launched in partnership with FundBridge Capital, allows professional investors to gain exposure to gold through blockchain-based tokens issued on Libeara’s ledger.
Each token is designed to correlate to the spot price of gold, offering a digitized alternative to holding the physical metal.
FundBridge Says Tokenized Gold Cuts Costs While Preserving Price Exposure
FundBridge said the structure removes the traditional costs of vaulting and logistics while keeping the price exposure intact.
“FundBridge’s priority is to bridge traditional fund governance with emerging digital infrastructure,” CEO Sue Lynn Lim reportedly told Nikkie.
“We’ve worked closely with our partners to ensure the framework meets the standards of a regulated fund environment while advancing the use of real-world assets on-chain.”
The fund, named MG 999, is available exclusively to institutional and accredited participants. Unlike traditional gold funds, MG 999 does not hold physical bullion.
Instead, the tokens are engineered to mirror gold’s market performance, offering a synthetic exposure mechanism that FundBridge says targets efficiency without compromising regulatory safeguards.
𝐔𝐒$𝟏 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 in regulated assets, powered by Libeara !
The move extends a broader push by established financial institutions to tokenize real-world assets, bonds, funds, treasuries and now precious metals, as blockchain technology gains ground well beyond the volatile world of cryptocurrencies.
SC Ventures has been steadily expanding its digital-assets footprint in Asia. Alongside Libeara, the bank holds majority stakes in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, both focused on institutional digital-asset services.
The latest initiative underscores how traditional finance players are leveraging their reputation to enter a sector that has struggled with trust following multiple industry blowups.
Gold Demand Surges as Institutions Seek Alternatives
The launch also comes during a renewed surge in global gold demand. Central banks have been increasing their bullion reserves this year amid ongoing concerns about the long-term dominance of the US dollar and geopolitical uncertainty.
President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have further stoked demand for safer assets.
Last month, Standard Chartered joined other financial institutions in launching a physically backed gold fund in Singapore, with the bank acting as custodian for bullion stored at the high-security Le Freeport vault near Changi Airport.
MG 999 also contains a lending component aimed at Singapore’s jewelry sector. Mustafa Gold, a major retailer in the city-state, has been named the fund’s first borrower.
The structure allows Mustafa to secure credit against its gold jewelry inventory while keeping the pieces on display.
“Gold-linked tokens are quite unique and complex,” said Mustafa founder Mustaq Ahmad. “MG 999 lets retailers tap digital innovation and better manage working-capital needs.”
Bitcoin price surged to $115,000 on Monday, rising more than 1% in 24 hours, as optimism over easing U.S.–China trade tensions and renewed investor appetite for risk assets lifted global markets.
According to Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered Bank, Bitcoin price may “never fall below $100,000 again” if this week’s macro tailwinds continue.
In a note to clients, Kendrick said that improving trade relations between Washington and Beijing have flipped last week’s market fear into “hope.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s weekend statement that restrictions on China’s rare earth exports could be postponed for a year, combined with reports that Beijing plans to buy large quantities of U.S. soybeans, sparked a relief rally across equities, commodities, and crypto.
China, U.S trade deals and FOMC rate cuts
The agreement, expected to be finalized after the upcoming Trump–Xi summit in South Korea, has renewed risk appetite and pushed the bitcoin-to-gold ratio back above pre-October 10 levels — the date when 100% tariff threats sent markets tumbling.
Kendrick pointed to fresh inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs as another key signal of strength. Over $2 billion exited U.S. gold ETFs late last week, and if even half of that re-enters bitcoin funds, he said, it would mark a major vote of confidence.
The analyst also highlighted macro tailwinds, including expectations for a 25-basis-point rate cut at Wednesday’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting — a move widely seen as bullish for bitcoin.
Meanwhile, investors are watching a packed earnings calendar from both tech and crypto heavyweights. Microsoft, Meta, and Google are set to report on Wednesday, followed by Apple, Amazon, Coinbase, and Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) later in the week.
“If this week goes well — bitcoin may never fall below $100,000 again,” Kendrick said.
Bitcoin price outlook
While bulls have made modest progress with Bitcoin, stronger resistance remains overhead at $117,600 and $122,000, leaving bears largely in control.
If Bitcoin manages to surpass $122,000, professionals note the next target could be the upper boundary of a broadening wedge pattern at $128,000.
Support levels remain critical for maintaining bullish momentum. The key short-term support at $106,900 held throughout last week, helping stabilize the market.
Falling below this level could open the path toward the $105,000–$102,000 support zone, which has already been tested twice, with a third test raising the likelihood of a breakdown.
Beyond that, $96,000 represents a crucial long-term support level for the broader bull market, acting as a do-or-die floor if prices decline further.
As of press time, bitcoin was trading at $115,041, up 1.22% over the past 24 hours.
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