Bernstein says to expect ’a rather long and exhausting crypto bull market

Analysts at the global research and brokerage firm Bernstein have predicted a “long and exhausting crypto bull market,” with Bitcoin (BTC) potentially reaching a price of $200,000 by early 2026. This prediction is based on several key factors that they believe distinguish this current cycle from previous ones.

The main driver, according to Bernstein, is a significant shift from retail speculation to institutional adoption. This includes the following:

Institutional-Led Growth: Unlike past bull markets, this one is being fueled by institutional investors, with strong inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Regulatory Clarity: The analysts point to a more favorable regulatory environment in the U.S., with new legislation and a more pragmatic stance from regulators. This is seen as a major factor for encouraging further institutional participation.

Broader Ecosystem Growth: The bullish outlook extends beyond Bitcoin, with Bernstein seeing growth in other networks like Ethereum and Solana. They also highlight the increasing importance of stablecoins in cross-border payments and the emerging trend of real-world asset tokenization.

Bernstein’s analysis suggests that the crypto market is in a new phase, moving past the “belief” stage and into an “on-ground adoption and widespread integration with the traditional financial system.” They believe that this structural shift, coupled with continued institutional and government support, will lead to a prolonged bull market rather than a quick, retail-drive

Standard Chartered has launched a spot trading service for Bitcoin and Ethereum for its institutional clients. The new service, which is operated through its UK branch, is integrated with the bank’s existing platforms and allows institutional clients like corporations, investors, and asset managers to trade cryptocurrencies through familiar interfaces.

This makes Standard Chartered the first global systemically important bank to offer deliverable spot crypto trading to its institutional clients. The bank’s move is an expansion of its existing digital asset services, which already include custody solutions and ventures like Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets. According to Standard Chartered, this initiative is aimed at meeting the accelerating client demand for digital assets and providing a safe, regulated, and efficient way to manage digital asset risk. The bank also plans to introduce non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) trading in the future.