Ethereum Expected to Double in Value This Year
January 12, 2026
Standard Chartered is bullish on the prospects of Ethereum, predicting that the popular cryptocurrency will more than double in value this year. Despite lowering its end-of-year forecast for Ethereum from $12,000 to $7,500, the investment bank believes that Ethereum will outperform its older sibling, Bitcoin. Geoff Kendrick, the global head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, anticipates that the ETH-BTC ratio will return to the highs of 2021.
The positive outlook for Ethereum is based on several key factors. Standard Chartered points to the continued buying activity by BitMine Immersion Technologies, which recently acquired 24,266 Ethereum tokens. Additionally, Ethereum is expected to increase its network throughput by 10 times over the next two to three years following a recent announcement by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The firm is also optimistic about the passage of the CLARITY ACT, which is aimed at creating a regulatory framework for digital asset markets and could further boost Ethereum’s value.
The investment bank also highlights the growing adoption of stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and decentralized finance (DeFi) on the Ethereum network. As more traditional finance (TradFi) activities move into the blockchain space, Ethereum is poised to benefit due to its established reputation and reliability. Kendrick notes that Ethereum has a strong track record, having operated for over a decade without any network downtime, making it a trusted platform for TradFi operators.
In a recent development, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin introduced the “walkway test” to evaluate the network’s value proposition. This test focuses on features that are not currently part of the protocol, including full quantum-resistance, scalability to support thousands of transactions per second, and a block-building model that resists centralization pressures. By meeting these criteria, Ethereum can further solidify its position as a leading blockchain platform.
Overall, Standard Chartered’s positive outlook on Ethereum is grounded in the network’s structural advantages, regulatory developments, and increasing adoption of DeFi and tokenized assets. With the potential for Ethereum to outperform Bitcoin in the coming year, investors and market enthusiasts will be closely watching the developments in the Ethereum ecosystem.
