Standard Chartered Maintains $100,000 Bitcoin Target Amid Strategy Inc. Volatility

Standard Chartered maintained its end-2026 Bitcoin price target of $100,000 despite recent market volatility. The volatility stems from a shift in the operations of Strategy Inc., the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin with 843,775 BTC. The company is moving away from its previous philosophy of never selling Bitcoin, instead using the asset as collateral for STRC, its perpetual preferred stock.

This strategic pivot follows a decline in Strategy Inc.'s stock premium, which had previously enabled the company to issue equity to acquire more Bitcoin. The STRC security, which has $10 billion outstanding, hit an intraday low of $71.25 in late June after the company disclosed the sale of 32 BTC, triggering a negative feedback loop.

Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered's global head of digital assets research, argued that the situation is a communication issue rather than a balance sheet failure. He suggested that the company can restore confidence and stabilize the price of both STRC and Bitcoin by providing clearer communication regarding its monetization framework and its $2.55 billion USD reserve for dividends.