Bitcoin

Standard Chartered analysts are more bullish about Ether than Bitcoin

A new research team from the UK-based multinational banking and financial service anticipates Bitcoin will touch $100,000 early next year Researchers at Standard Chartered have predicted that Bitcoin will reach $100,000 by early next year with the coin forecast to carry Ether along with it. The team added that they structurally valued Bitcoin at $50,000…

A new research team from the UK-based multinational banking and financial service anticipates Bitcoin will touch $100,000 early next year

Researchers at Standard Chartered have predicted that Bitcoin will reach $100,000 by early next year with the coin forecast to carry Ether along with it. The team added that they structurally valued Bitcoin at $50,000 to $175,000 with the structural valuation for Ether falling between $26,000 and $35,000.

A report published by the analysts on Tuesday suggests that Bitcoin, which has been trading at around the $50,000 mark in recent days, could potentially rise to $175,000, at which point Ether could reach $35,000. Geoff Kendrick from Standard Chartered says that the halving occurs approximately every four and a half years.

“I think the main driver of the whole asset class is the cyclical nature of the halvings that happen in bitcoin supply where every four and a half years there is a halving of the number of new bitcoins issued,” he noted.

Kendrick, who heads emerging market currency research and crypto research at the bank, reckons that in the short term, Bitcoin could hit $100,000 late this year or early 2021. He adds that along with this predicted valuation, Ether will potentially rise to $15,000 before the middle of next year.

The Standard Chartered team believes that Bitcoin will become the preferred option for peer-to–peer transactions in a cashless society. The lack of variety in Bitcoin’s use cases was also noted by the research team. The analysts stated that Bitcoin’s use is limited to peer-to–peer transactions and as a store-of-value, but Ether’s usability could still allow it to take on the role of financial market.

“ETH serves more as a facilitator of a larger software platform hosting a variety of decentralized applications (dApps) and contracts, which together constitute the Ethereum network. This gives rise to a much wider set of use cases,” the report read.

The researchers also observed that Ethereum would pose greater risks, as the SEC’s regulatory efforts will be used to classify it as an equity in the near future.

“There’s clearly a risk to Ethereum that at some point the SEC will view it as equivalent to equities,” Kendrick told clients.

Standard Chartered is already making inroads into the crypto market. It has earlier this year launched its own exchange and brokerage platform for digital assets.

Bitcoin

BitcoinOS Launches Charms: Metaprotocol for Programmable Tokens on Bitcoin and UTXO Blockchains

BitcoinOS (BOS) has announced the launch of Charms, a groundbreaking metaprotocol designed to enable native, programmable tokens on Bitcoin and other UTXO blockchains without the need for bridges or custodians. This new protocol allows developers to create decentralized applications and smart assets directly on Bitcoin, facilitating seamless token transfers across UTXO-based chains such as Cardano…
Read More

Bitcoin

qBTC to Release Open-Source Quantum-Safe PoW Bitcoin Side Chain, Adds Jameson Lopp as Advisor

This content is provided by a sponsor. LAS VEGAS, May 23, 2025 – Quantum Safe Technologies Corp, the research collective building qBTC, the world’s first quantum-safe sidechain for Bitcoin, today announced it will publish the full source code of its proof-of work- side chain protocol during the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas…
Read More

Bitcoin

Report: Trump administration wants USAID to adopt blockchain technology

USAID will change its name to the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) By using blockchain technology, it will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability” The revamp comes after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut USAID numbers from 10,000 to just under 300 in early February The Trump administration reportedly wants its…

Mavryk Dynamics raises $5M to build its RWA L1 blockchain network

USAID will change its name to the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA)
By using blockchain technology, it will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability”
The revamp comes after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut USAID numbers from 10,000 to just under 300 in early February

The Trump administration reportedly wants its United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to “leverage blockchain technology” as it works on renaming the organization.

According to a report from WIRED, a government memo has been circulating among State Department officials detailing plans for USAID. In the 13-page document – first reported on by Politico – it states that as part of the revamp, USAID will change its name to US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA).

The memo also suggests “leveraging blockchain technology” which will “radically increase security, transparency, and traceability.”

It adds: “This approach would encourage innovation and efficiency among implementing partners and allow for more flexible and responsive programming focused on tangible impact rather than simply completing activities and inputs.”

USAID staffers on leave

Since US President Donald Trump re-entered the White House, significant changes have been made to organizations in the US. One of which is USAID.

In early February, USAID staff were put on administrative leave “with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions,” according to a government notice.

Following the implementation of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), staff numbers at USAID have been cut from 10,000 to just under 300.

In a post on X in February, Musk wrote: “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.”

USAID is a criminal organization.

Time for it to die. https://t.co/sWYy6fyt1k

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025

Blockchain in humanitarian efforts

The use of blockchain in humanitarian efforts has been used before with many seeing the potential is can bring. In 2020, UNICEF invested around 135 Ethereum – about $30,000 at the time – into eight companies from seven developing countries to assist in developing prototypes and to scale their projects.

Financial services company AID:Tech turned to the payment rails of stablecoin issuer Circle to provide fraud-resistant disaster relief delivery in USDC in 2021. By doing so, they wanted to reduce inequality and increase opportunities by bringing accountability and transparency to the distribution of federal relief.

Realizing the benefits of blockchain technology, AID:Tech was the first company to use the technology to deliver international aid in 2015.