Standard Chartered has presented a new Bitcoin price prediction, expecting it to reach $135,000 by the end of Q3 2025. This is based on increased ETF demand and active corporate interest in adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets.
Why the Bank Sees $135K Ahead
Standard Chartered's Bitcoin price prediction is built on three key factors:
* **ETF Accumulation:** U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted $9 billion in net inflows in just five weeks, primarily led by BlackRock's IBIT and Fidelity's FBTC. * **Corporate Treasury Demand:** The bank anticipates a 1% allocation to Bitcoin across S&P 500 balance sheets by mid-2025, equivalent to around 300,000 BTC leaving circulation. * **Halving Supply Squeeze:** The reduction in block rewards to 3.125 BTC in April means that ETFs are now buying triple the new issuance each day, steadily draining supply.
Record ETF Inflows
Bitcoin ETFs are not just steady buyers; they are setting records. BlackRock's IBIT registered $6.35 billion in inflows in May, its strongest month since launch, while a single session on June 24 saw U.S. ETFs pull in $588.6 million, the largest single-day total of the year.
CoinDesk reports cumulative ETF holdings at approximately 1.25 million BTC, almost 6% of total supply. Each fresh wave of demand reinforces the bank's central Bitcoin price prediction that prices must rise to accommodate the diminishing float.
Corporate Treasuries Accumulate
MicroStrategy added 4,980 BTC ($532 million) in late June, increasing its holdings to 597,235 BTC, while Tether quietly acquired another 4,812 BTC in May.
Even new entrants are aiming high: a Reuters report details ProCap Financial, a $1 billion Bitcoin treasury firm formed from a SPAC merger, planning to monetize its holdings via lending and derivatives. These moves corroborate Standard Chartered's belief that balance sheet demand will support its Bitcoin price forecast well into 2025.
By highlighting persistent ETF inflows, rising corporate purchases, and a historically tight post-halving supply, Standard Chartered makes a bold but data-driven prediction of $135K by Q3 2025. Provided macro conditions remain favorable, monitoring fund flows and corporate disclosures will be key to determining whether this ambitious target becomes Bitcoin's next milestone.