Bitcoin Price Slides as Stanchart Cut Targets, $50K Risk Looms

What Is Dragging Bitcoin Price And What Could Support Its Next Phase?

Bitcoin’s sharp fall from its 2025 highs has shaken market confidence and pushed analysts into defensive mode. After peaking near $126,000 last year, the Bitcoin price has lost almost half of its value at the worst point of the sell-off, reminding investors that crypto cyclers remain brutal even in the ETF and institutional -driven eras. 

Prices have fallen around the mid-$60,000 range in February 2026, many major financial institutions are now stashing their Bitcoin price targets for 2026, citing weaker macro conditions, while remaining bullish on long-term position. 

Source: Coin Bureau

Among them, Standard Chartered remains the most recent and attention gatherer. The $800 billion banking giant cut its end-2026 Bitcoin price target to $100,000, down from $150,000. The bank also warned that continued pressure could drag prices toward $50,000 in the short-term. 

Along with that, Ethereum price target was also trimmed, with the new end-2026 level set at $4,000 and downside risk toward $1,400 if tension continue. 

This is the bank's second downgrade in just three months, after once projecting much higher levels, highlighting how quickly the outlook has changed. 

Reasons Behind Cut: Why Standard Chartered Lowered its Bitcoin Price Forecast

Standard Chartered pointed to a mix of market and macro factors behind its decision.

The biggest drag has been persistent outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs, with more than $8 billion leaving since November. These ETFs were expected to act as a steady demand engine, but recent redemptions have instead added supply pressure.

At the same time, geopolitical conditions have turned less friendly, mainly due to President Trump’s intense acquiring or policies structure. Delayed rate cuts by the Federal Reserve have further tightened financial conditions, weighing on risk assets like crypto. 

And the overall uncertainty in BTC’s recent performance, which highlights how frequent the values react even on macro-conditions. 

Bitcoin Price Performance So Far: Driving the Narrative

Recent price action itself has become a key influencing factor. 

The coin peaked near $126,000 in October 2025, driven by ETF inflows, election-era optimism, and strong risk-on sentiment. That rally has since unwound sharply. 

By early Feb, 2026, the digital asset fell to the $60,000 range, making a roughly 52% decline from the peak. Aside from this ATH mark, in a general calculation of year-to-date, the coin has dropped 31.5%, where it was trading around $96,600 in Feb 2025. 

Source: CoinMarketCap Data

As of now, BTC is trading around $66,000, showing a modest rebound in weekly data which is up by 1.35%, with a 0.8% decline in market cap. 

Even with this, investors’ confidence builds in its historical data. Post-halving cycles often see 50–80% corrections after major highs, placing the current drawdown well with past norms. 

Trust In Asset: Long-Term Outlook Remains Intact

Despite near-term caution, Standard Chartered kept its long-range outlook unchanged. The bank still projects a BTC price of $500,000 by 2030, arguing that institutional adoption, limited supply, and maturing market infrastructure remain powerful tailwinds.

On-chain data also shows large holders accumulating during the dip, while retail sentiment stays fearful, a pattern that has often preceded recoveries in past cycles.

Note: The article above is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.