Late-night cryptocurrency震荡, over 110,000 traders liquidated, Bitcoin forecasted price halved

Cryptocurrency volatility has increased significantly in recent days!

On January 3rd, Bitcoin surged to over $90,500, then plunged in the afternoon below $90,000. As of 10:50 PM, Bitcoin has risen back above $90,000, with several major cryptocurrencies collectively climbing. Ethereum has regained $3,000, up over 2%; XRP increased by more than 6%; Dogecoin surged over 9%. According to CoinGlass data, over 110,000 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours.

On the news front, on the evening of January 3rd, Xinhua News Agency reported that U.S. President Trump claimed the U.S. has successfully struck Venezuela. Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife were reportedly “dragged out of their bedroom and taken away” during the U.S. military raid. A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement on the 3rd, expressing shock at the recent escalation of the situation in Venezuela. The spokesperson warned that the military actions taken by the U.S. in Venezuela could have worrying regional implications.

Bitcoin has experienced a nearly 30% drop in two months.

Standard Chartered sharply downgrades long-term Bitcoin price forecasts

Notably, according to Cailian News, Geoff Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered, one of Wall Street’s most steadfast Bitcoin bulls, recently significantly lowered his forecast for this cryptocurrency.

Standard Chartered has nearly halved its future Bitcoin price predictions, especially for 2026–2028, with the largest reductions. Kendrick stated that Standard Chartered now expects Bitcoin to reach $150,000 in 2026, down from the previous target of $300,000.

In early October 2025, Bitcoin briefly soared to a historic high of about $126,000. Compared to that peak, Bitcoin has fallen nearly 30%.

The recent decline in Bitcoin has been driven by multiple bearish factors, including insufficient market liquidity, reduced risk appetite amid uncertain interest rate cut prospects, and market speculation that major corporate Bitcoin buyers like Strategy may be forced to sell some holdings.

Additionally, expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts have strengthened.

Barclays’ U.S. economist team stated in a report that they maintain their forecast of two rate cuts by the Fed in 2026, each of 25 basis points in March and June. They believe the risks around this baseline forecast lean toward delaying rate cuts.

Nomura’s Chief Economist for Developed Markets, David Seif, told 21st Century Business Herald that the Fed’s policy changes in 2026 could be more intense. Nomura expects the U.S. economy to remain resilient, with real GDP growth of 2.4%. Easing labor market pressures and accelerated AI-driven business investments will support the economy. The labor market is expected to improve, with unemployment falling to 4.0% by year-end after three years of slight increases.

Regarding the future monetary policy path of the Fed, Nomura predicts that although inflationary pressures caused by tariffs in 2025 will ease, core services inflation will keep the Fed cautious. Under a new, more dovish leadership, the Fed is expected to cut rates once in June and once in September 2026.

(Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors operate at their own risk.)