Citibank has released new 12-month price targets for Bitcoin and Ethereum, outlining a broad spectrum of potential outcomes that span from significant declines to substantial gains.
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The bank’s recent analysis indicates that Bitcoin’s baseline scenario is set at $181,000, while a pessimistic view places it at $82,000. Conversely, an optimistic scenario could elevate Bitcoin to $231,000 within the next year.
Citi Outlines Diverse Forecasts
As per reports, Citi opts for multiple forecasts rather than a singular prediction, presenting three distinct trajectories for Bitcoin. The bearish target of $82,000 signifies a 31% decline from Bitcoin’s current price of $120,314.
The middle ground of $181,000 would indicate a 52% increase. At the upper end, Citi’s figure of $231,000 signifies a rise of approximately 95% compared to the current rate. These fluctuations exhibit the considerable uncertainty that traders are encountering.
Citi announces new 12-month price targets for digital assets:
Bear Base Bull
BTC $82k $181k $231k
ETH $2k $5.4k $7.3k pic.twitter.com/AlpWPaK2YW— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) October 2, 2025
Macro Factors and Institutional Interest
Citi identifies the US dollar and gold prices as significant influences that could limit Bitcoin’s potential upward movement. A stronger US dollar and declining gold prices were cited as challenges for cryptocurrency returns.
Simultaneously, the bank noted persistent interest from large investors and increased institutional investments as factors that could drive Bitcoin’s rise.
The report also compared these new targets with Citi’s previous year-end predictions — $132,000 for Bitcoin and $4,500 for Ethereum — indicating an extension of the timeline to a 12-month outlook extending to October 2026.
Market Response and Additional Predictions
Reports indicate that in the past 24 hours, Bitcoin increased by 2% while Ethereum rose by 2.10%. Other notable forecasts were mentioned alongside Citi’s outlook.
Analysts from Standard Chartered and Fundstrat’s Tom Lee suggest Bitcoin could reach between $200,000 and $250,000 by this year’s end.
Tom Lee has also projected a significantly higher price for Ethereum, estimating $15,000 for ETH — a figure that exceeds Citi’s most optimistic prediction.
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Ethereum’s Uncertain Trajectory?
Citi asserts that Ethereum faces greater uncertainty. The bank established a bearish target of $2,000 for ETH, a base target of $5,400, and an optimistic mark of $7,300.
These figures suggest a potential increase of around 65% from Ethereum’s current value of $4,480 in the best-case scenario. Citi elaborated that Ethereum’s ecosystem is still evolving, making it challenging to forecast how value will be distributed across projects and staking participants.
Citi’s range serves as both a cautionary tale and a strategic outline. It warns of substantial price drops — illustrated by the $82,000 bear case for Bitcoin and $2,000 for Ethereum — while simultaneously delineating potential positive outcomes.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
