Ethereum hits new highs as Standard Chartered lifts 2025 price target to $7.5K

ETH new highs are driving a wave of bullish momentum, with traders eyeing institutional inflows, clearer regulatory signals, and upcoming network upgrades as catalysts pushing Ethereum closer to uncharted territory.

Standard Chartered’s bold $7,500 target fuels expectations for ETH new highs, while stablecoin growth adds to the optimism.

Traders now speculate how quickly ETH new highs could be reached, as whales and retail alike position for ETH new highs ahead.

ETH new high is back in the spotlight as Standard Chartered turbocharges its 2025 Ether forecast to $7,500, citing surging institutional demand, regulatory clarity, and major network scaling moves.

Institutional buying ignites ETH new highs

Standard Chartered’s revised outlook stems from massive accumulation by treasury firms and ETFs—who have acquired 3.8% of all ETH in circulation since June, a pace nearly twice as fast as Bitcoin’s during the 2024 election cycle, Reuters.

According to Geoff Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered:

“We project that the stablecoin sector will grow by around 8× by end-2028, which would have a significant direct impact on fees on the Ethereum network.” Reuters

Regulation is playing a key role in fueling ETH new highs. The passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act in July provides a federal framework for stablecoins—over half of which are issued on Ethereum and currently account for 40% of all blockchain transaction fees.

This clarity is seen as a launching pad for mainstream adoption, reinforcing bullish sentiment.

Upgrades and ecosystem engagement drive ETH new highs

Beyond regulation, Ethereum’s infrastructure plays a central part in the bullish thesis. The bank highlights a 10× planned increase in Layer-1 throughput—enabling high-value on-chain settlements while shifting smaller transfers to Layer-2 networks like Arbitrum and Base.

Additionally, engagement from pillars of the ecosystem, such as the Ethereum Foundation and Etherialize, provides further confidence Cointelegraph.

Standard Chartered expects ETH new highs to materialize by the end of Q3 2025, with ETH outperforming Bitcoin and the ETH-BTC ratio rising from 0.036 to 0.05.

As of now, Ether is trading around $4,692, just under 4% away from its previous all-time high of $4,891 from November 2021.

Looking beyond 2025, projections get even more explosive:

• $12,000 by end-2026

• $18,000 by end-2027

• $25,000 by end-2025

Profit-taking tempers ETH new highs euphoria

Still, it’s not all smooth sailing. As ETH hovers near record levels, whale groups are taking profits. Notably, the Ethereum whale consortium known as 7 Siblings sold 19,461 ETH worth $88.2 million, averaging around $4,532 per ETH.

The Ethereum Foundation offloaded 2,795 ETH (~$12.7 million) in recent transactions. These moves illustrate the balancing act between bullish fundamentals and short-term trader behavior amid ETH new highs.

The path to sustained ETH new highs depends on real-world follow-through: continued institutional adoption, stablecoin expansion, successful rollout of Layer-1 upgrades, and ecosystem engagement. As Kendrick noted:

“Ethereum’s long-term growth depends on using its main blockchain (Layer 1) for high-value transactions… a big boost in Layer 1’s capacity would help make this possible.” Reuters

COVID-like sentiment swings still loom, from regulatory shifts to competitor platforms, but for now, ETH new highs are back on the map—and investors are watching closely for whether this rally has real staying power.