The Crypto Ménagerie: Winners, Losers, and Those Who Just Can’t Be Bothered

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As the tempestuous Trump tariff hurricane continues to rattle the markets like a particularly unruly maraca, the charmingly audacious Geoff Kendrick, the Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered, boldly cries out which cryptocurrencies could soon be basking in the glow of unfounded optimism.

According to our gallant sage Kendrick, Bitcoin and Avalanche (AVAX) are the “winners” of this financial soirée, while the ever-absent Ethereum seems to have lost its invitation. Kendrick anticipates AVAX could balloon tenfold by 2029, a most delightful prospect for its blockchain fancy.

Why Do Standard Chartered’s Seers Foresee Bitcoin and AVAX as the Stars After Liberation Day?

Kendrick, with all the charm of a well-dressed fortune teller, lists two key reasons for Bitcoin’s anticipated glory: accessibility and, dare we say, a drop in volatility. With the entrance of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US and the delightful prospect of a presidential administration that enjoys a good trade war, he wagers Bitcoin might just hit a staggering $500,000 before Trump decides to take a long vacation.

“We expect volatility to edge lower as the ETF market matures, making Bitcoin a darling of any respectable gold-BTC portfolio. Oh, access and lower volatility could catapult Bitcoin to $500,000 before the Trumpster packs his bags,” Kendrick shared in his sparkling email to BeInCrypto.

Other erudite experts share Kendrick’s enthusiastic predictions. They mutter about Bitcoin’s trajectory accelerating post-Liberation Day, fueled by a weakening dollar, an ever-expanding M2 money supply, and whispers of Federal Reserve kindness. Arthur Hayes, the once-mighty BitMEX CEO, envisions Bitcoin soaring to $250,000 by New Year’s Eve—cheers indeed.

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But wait, there’s more! Kendrick also champions Avalanche (AVAX) as a high-flying contender at this crypto gala. Thanks to the charming Etna upgrade, which has slashed subnet setup costs, AVAX is a hot ticket. One-quarter of Avalanche subnets now dance happily with Etna, drawing developers away from the Ethereum Layer 2 solutions—oh, the scandal!

“Consequently, we predict AVAX will outshine both Bitcoin and Ethereum in price gains, possibly reaching $250 by the end of 2029—a staggering leap from its current, oh so humble price,” Kendrick stated in a flourish of candor to BeInCrypto.

The AVAX network is positively abuzz with data predicting a whopping 4 million daily transactions and a monthly volume exceeding 100 million by 2025. Who knew? It’s practically a crypto carnival!

Ethereum is Quite Unwell

In stark contrast to our jubilant Bitcoin and AVAX, Ethereum appears to be laboring under a rather pessimistic cloud. Kendrick, that perennial optimist, has slashed his ETH end-2025 price forecast to a rather dreary $4,000—far from the once-promised $10,000. Apparently, Layer 2 solutions, intended to bolster Ethereum’s performance, have done a splendid job of sabotaging its ecosystem instead. How deliciously ironic!

“Layer 2 solutions were supposed to be a boon for ETH scalability, but we estimate Base has spirited away $50 billion from ETH’s market cap. Unless the Ethereum Foundation sees the light, ETH-BTC may continue its graceless descent, with an expected ETH-USD resting at $4,000 by end-2025,” Kendrick mused, dripping with dramatic flair in his email.

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As it stands, ETH/BTC has tumbled to a woeful low of 0.021 BTC, its nadir since 2021. Analysts lament the surging number of Layer 2 solutions, which have served to delightfully fragment Ethereum’s ecosystem, leading to a rather tragic price performance this past year.

Thus, Standard Chartered’s forecasting presents a splendidly divided landscape of the post-Liberation Day crypto bazaar. Bitcoin, with its newfound accessibility and stabilizing froth, throbs at the center of it all.

Meanwhile, Avalanche struts forth as a formidable player in the EVM blockchain arena, while Ethereum, despite its historical stature, may face grave challenges unless it rediscover its flair for dramatic improvement.

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2025-04-03 15:03