Standard Chartered Predicts Bitcoin (BTC) Could Hit $500K by 2029

A new Standard Chartered report is causing quite a stir in the financial and cryptocurrency community for its bold Bitcoin (BTC) prediction.

A new Standard Chartered report is causing quite a stir in the financial and cryptocurrency community for its bold Bitcoin (BTC) prediction. The multinational bank claimed the premier digital asset could hit as much as $500K per coin by 2029.

How the Market Could Reach $500K Per Bitcoin

According to Standard Chartered, the increasing indirect exposure of sovereigns and governments through the acquisition of MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares reinforces the half-a-million-dollar forecast. The numbers could hit the target before US President Donald Trump’s term ends.

“The latest 13F data from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) supports our core thesis that Bitcoin (BTC) will reach the $500,000 level before Trump leaves office as it attracts a wider range of institutional buyers,” Geoffrey Kendrick, the global head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, told The Block. “As more investors gain access to the asset and as volatility falls, we believe portfolios will migrate towards their optimal level from an underweight starting position in BTC.”

Based on the 13F data the financial institution sourced from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), most governments preferred holding MSTR shares over spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Kendrick believes the trend is due to institutions considering MicroStrategy as an indirect Bitcoin proxy. The high acquisition rate for MSTR shares is a possible result of these entities wanting to gain Bitcoin exposure but are constrained by local regulations.

Among the governments that significantly increased their MSTR stock holdings last quarter were Norway (through its government’s pension fund), Switzerland (through the Swiss National Bank), and South Korea (where several pension and investment bodies made new or increased MSTR holdings). Sweden and Liechtenstein also marginally accumulated additional BTC. Meanwhile, California, Kentucky, New York, and North Carolina were among the largest BTC buyers in the US during the same period.

Microstrategy’s Legal Woes

It’s clear that the primary driving factor in Standard Chartered’s recent projection is Microstrategy. However, the bank notably prepared the report before the Bitcoin development company disclosed the case involving its executives in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

On Monday, the business revealed a class action lawsuit naming Microstrategy Chair Michael Saylor, CEO and President Phong Le, and EVP Andrew Kang as defendants. The plaintiffs accused them of falsifying, misleading, and withholding crucial information about the company’s BTC-focused investment scheme and treasury operations. Moreover, they alleged that the officials failed to inform investors about the inherent volatility of BTC properly.

Microstrategy warned in its Form 8-K filing on Monday that the lawsuit may cause unforeseen ramifications to public sentiment toward the company. Furthermore, it couldn’t provide a reasonable estimate yet of the possible losses it may incur during the pendency of the case and in the event that the plaintiffs are successful in financially penalizing the company.

With that, it remains to be seen if the case will have a long-standing effect on the exposure of governments in Microstrategy, and if Standard Chartered will revise its prediction in the second quarter report.