Bitcoin price could reach $135,000 by the end of Q3 2025, according to Standard Chartered’s latest outlook. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s head of digital assets research, revealed the forecast in a note to their clients. He believes the momentum will carry BTC to $200,000 by year-end. Bitcoin was trading near $109,000 at the time of writing, meaning the bank expects a near-doubling in just six months.
The prediction comes as institutional buying accelerates. Spot ETFs and corporate treasuries snapped up 245,000 BTC in Q2 2025 alone. Kendrick expects both Q3 and Q4 to surpass that figure. The demand has been boosted by passive fund allocations and public firms copying MicroStrategy’s aggressive accumulation strategy. While MSTR bought 69,000 BTC in Q2, non-MSTR treasuries weren’t far behind with 56,000 BTC.
ETF Demand and Corporate Buying Surge
Despite a recent $342.3 million outflow from spot ETFs—the first in 15 days—sentiment remains strong. That outflow represented just 7% of the $4.8 billion inflows recorded over the past two weeks. Kendrick sees this as a temporary dip, not a trend reversal. He notes that newer buyers are stepping up even as MSTR slows its pace.
Asset manager Bitwise backed Standard Chartered’s prediction. The firm believes Bitcoin could hit $200,000, due to growing interest from big investors and improved crypto rules. According to Bitwise, Bitcoin ETFs might even beat last year’s $35 billion record for new investment. So far in 2025, $13.8 billion has already flowed in, and that number could grow fast as more investment platforms get into crypto.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank wants to launch a safe way to store Bitcoin and other digital assets by 2026. To build this service, it’s teaming up with Bitpanda Technology Solutions and Taurus SA—two well-known crypto tech companies. This move shows that big banks are beginning to trust crypto and see real value in Bitcoin.
Also Read: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Now Makes More Money Than Its S&P 500 Fund
