© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin is placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) – Top cryptocurrency bitcoin could reach $50,000 this year and $120,000 by the end of 2024 Standard Chartered said on Monday, predicting the jump in its price could encourage bitcoin ‘miners’ to hoard more of the supply.
Standard Chartered (OTC:) published a $100,000 end-2024 forecast for bitcoin back in April on the view the so-called “crypto winter” was over, but one the bank’s top FX analysts, Geoff Kendrick, said there was now 20% “upside” to that call.
“Increased miner profitability per BTC (bitcoin) mined means they can sell less while maintaining cash inflows, reducing net BTC supply and pushing BTC prices higher,” Kendrick said in a report.