Bitcoin
February 13, 2026
The cryptocurrency market has been painted red for a while now. Adding to the strain, Standard Chartered came out with a rather bearish Bitcoin price forecast. According to the bank’s global head of digital assets research, Geoffrey Kendrick, Bitcoin is expected to slide to a low of $50,000 during the coming months.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $66,955.36 following a 0.73% drop throughout the past 24 hours. If Standard Chartered’s $50K Bitcoin prediction turns into reality, the asset could face a 25.3% downfall. In addition, the king coin is trading 46% below its all-time high of $126,198.
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Bitcoin Price Forecast and Crypto Market Outlook After $50K Prediction
Bitcoin’s recent price cycle has dragged the overall market sentiment into “extreme fear.” Certain members of the community pointed out that the Fear and Greed Index recently dropped to 5, a level even lower than what was recorded during major shocks like the collapse of Mt. Gox, the downfall of FTX, and the COVID-19 crash, among others.
By the looks of it, Bitcoin’s $50K prediction could bring more fear into the market. Kendrick further described the upcoming months as potentially painful. He believes that the current period is one in which exhausted sellers would finally flush out remaining optimism.
The Standard Chartered global head of digital assets research highlighted exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Kendrick noted how investors in spot crypto ETFs weren’t actively buying during recent dips. Instead, some have reduced exposure by removing a key layer of demand. Spot Bitcoin ETF balances have dipped by nearly 100,000 BTC since October 2025. In addition, a notable number of ETF investors are currently holding positions at an estimated 25% loss on paper.
Beyond the cryptocurrency market, macro factors are also in the spotlight. Markets are pricing in rate cuts ahead of changes at the Federal Reserve. In January, US President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell. But uncertainty and minimal regulatory clarity could bring in added pressure. Elaborating on the same, he added,
“I think we are going to see more pain and a final capitulation period for digital asset prices in the next few months. The macro backdrop is unlikely to provide support until we near [Kevin] Warsh taking over at the Fed.”
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No Respite Through Altcoins
Kendrick also trimmed his outlook beyond Bitcoin. The bank’s revised Ethereum price forecast sees ETH sliding toward $1,400. The second-largest cryptocurrency is currently priced at $1,956.
He lowered his end of 2026 targets for Solana (SOL) to $135 from $250, XRP to $2.80 from $8, BNB to $1,050 from $1,755, and Avalanche (AVAX) to $18 from $100.
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