‘2026 will be Ethereum’s year’ – Can ETH hit $40K by 2030?

Standard Chartered is uber-bullish on Ethereum [ETH] in 2026 and for the next five years overall.

The bank’s global head of digital assets research, Geoffrey Kendrick, stated that the altcoin would outperform its peers in 2026, despite downgrading some of its near-term crypto projections.

In the latest digital asset report to clients, Kendricks cited growing blockchain adoption and on-chain products as key catalysts that could drive Ethereum’s outperformance. He wrote,

“I think 2026 will be the year of Ethereum, much like 2021 was.”

By the end of 2026, Standard Chartered expects ETH to tag $7500, which is lower compared to its previous target of $12000.

In 2027, the bank projected a potential price target of $15,000 and $22,000 in 2028.

However, by the end of 2030, the bank expects the ETH price to reach $40K, making it one of the most aggressive ETH predictions. For perspective, VanEck’s base case for ETH by 2030 was $22K with a bullish scenario of $154K.

ETH long-term catalysts

At press time, ETH traded at $3,100, and hitting $40,000 would translate to a 12x or 1,190% explosive run. The altcoin has been consolidating since November, forming a symmetrical triangle, which could be bullish or bearish depending on the breakout.

Holding above $3,000 or the 50-day Moving Average (white), alongside a bullish breakout, could raise the odds of reaching $3,600 in the near term.

However, breaking below $3,000 and the consolidation range could drag it to $2,800 or lower.

So what exactly could drive ETH to as high as $7,500 by the end of this year, as projected by Standard Chartered Bank?

For Kendrick, a final passage of the U.S. crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, could be a key catalyst for DeFi and ETH. He noted,

“Passage of the U.S. CLARITY Act — which creates a regulatory framework for digital assets — would boost digital assets, particularly ETH, if it unlocks the next steps for DeFi.”

The bank singled out stablecoins, tokenization, and DeFi traction, areas that Ethereum dominates, as other positive drivers that could lift the altcoin.

Another tailwind for ETH was digital asset treasuries (DATs) and ETF demand, with the bank citing Bitmine Immersion’s (BMNR) aggressive bidding as a net positive for the price in the mid-term.

Final Thoughts

• The passage of the CLARITY Act could drive ETH to $7,500 by 2026, and the DeFi unlock could lift the altcoin to $40k by 2030, according to Standard Chartered Bank.
• Additionally, corporate treasuries and Ethereum’s dominance in stablecoin and tokenization could further drive long-term value to ETH.