Standard Chartered predicts Bitcoin reaching $500,000 by 2029 amid rising institutional interest.
Government bonds lose appeal as safe havens during economic downturns.
Institutions use Strategy shares as a proxy for indirect Bitcoin exposure.
Bitcoin — BTC, nudged past $107,000 this week and Standard Chartered isn’t flinching. The bank’s latest price target of $500,000 isn’t just headline bait. It’s a bold statement backed by mounting data, rising institutional hunger, and eroding faith in traditional financial safe havens. When government bonds lose their shine, something else must take the spotlight—and Bitcoin seems ready for the stage.
https://twitter.com/BTC_Archive/status/1925514987889459654 Big Banks, Bigger Bets on Bitcoin
Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick now expects Bitcoin to hit $120,000 by the end of Q2. His team sees $200,000 by late 2025. And by the end of Donald Trump’s term in 2029, the projection hits $500,000. The bank ties this rise to growing institutional and even government exposure to Bitcoin. Kendrick referenced the SEC’s latest 13F data—mandatory filings from large investment managers. The Q1 results show a notable uptick in Bitcoin-related holdings. He believes these filings prove a larger shift is underway.
Exchange-traded funds saw a slight drop in institutional involvement. However, investment in Strategy shares jumped. Kendrick explained that governments and large entities use Strategy as a workaround. In regions where direct Bitcoin ownership faces regulation, Strategy stock offers an indirect pathway. That workaround signals something deeper: commitment.Strategy’s own playbook—buying Bitcoin through debt and equity—has turned its stock into a sort of digital gold mine. Institutions have started treating it like a Bitcoin proxy.
Bonds No Longer Offer Shelter
While Bitcoin’s momentum builds, government bonds are falling from grace. KKR & Co. released a grim assessment. According to them, bonds are failing their traditional role as portfolio shock absorbers. On risk-off days—when investors usually rush to safety—bonds are no longer the hero. Japan’s 30-year bond yield surged to 3.15%, a record high. US Treasury yields briefly passed the 5% psychological barrier after Moody’s downgraded the country’s credit outlook.
Investors responded by selling off bonds, dragging their prices down. At the same time, stocks also dropped. That dual decline shook confidence. KKR’s Henry McVey described a growing panic among CIOs. Stocks and bonds both fell, while liabilities climbed. Traditional safe havens no longer offered relief. This fear fuels the search for alternatives. Gold glimmers. Bitcoin shines. When bonds falter, Bitcoin becomes more than a bet—it becomes a strategy.
Kendrick called the SEC data “the best test of our thesis.” He believes Bitcoin will continue attracting new institutional buyer types. Bitcoin’s rise feeds off old systems losing steam. Strategy’s approach gave institutions a bridge. Now they're crossing it in bigger numbers. Standard Chartered just put a spotlight on that move. With faith in bonds shrinking and gold moving slowly, Bitcoin looks agile, bold, and unbothered.
