Standard Chartered has launched its coverage of the Arbitrum ecosystem by setting a long-term price target of $10 for its native ARB token by the end of 2030. The multinational bank connected its forecast to the rising adoption of blockchain systems by traditional finance institutions and a surge in demand for tokenized assets.
Progressive price targets and ARB’s outperformance prospects
The bank projects that ARB will reach $0.50 by December 2026, $1.50 in 2027, $3.50 in 2028, and $6.50 in 2029, culminating in $10 by the end of 2030. At the time of the report, ARB was trading near $0.13, indicating the price prediction is several multiples higher than its current valuation.
Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, expects ARB to outperform both Bitcoin and Ether throughout the forecast period. He anticipates Bitcoin could hit $100,000 by 2026 and $500,000 by 2030, while Ether could reach $4,000 and potentially $40,000 for the same periods.
Kendrick emphasized that the price forecasts reflect confidence in Arbitrum’s positioning as a key blockchain infrastructure provider and the overall trajectory of tokenization in global markets.
A significant part of Standard Chartered’s outlook is tied to Arbitrum’s role in delivering blockchain infrastructure to external organizations. Through its Expansion Program, Arbitrum charges a fee equal to 10% of net protocol revenue generated by chains using its technology, directly linking network income to activity across these external chains.
Robinhood Chain, which recently integrated with Arbitrum, has contributed to altering Arbitrum’s revenue profile. During the first two weeks of September, Robinhood Chain posted a daily fee revenue of $2.8 million, resulting in an estimated $5 million in fees for Arbitrum for the entire month, based on current run rates.
Mini dictionary: Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum-based blockchain network built by the financial services company Robinhood, enables seamless transfer and trading of digital assets, leveraging Arbitrum’s scaling technology to support high throughput and low transaction costs.
| Year | ARB Price Target |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.50 |
| 2027 | $1.50 |
| 2028 | $3.50 |
| 2029 | $6.50 |
| 2030 | $10 |
Tokenization growth fuels infrastructure demand
Standard Chartered identified rapid expansion in the tokenized financial asset sector as a key long-term driver for ARB. The bank estimates that the total market for tokenized assets could rise to $4 trillion by 2028, up from a current level of roughly $340 billion. Tokenized equities alone may approach $750 billion during this time frame.
If Robinhood Chain and similar projects maintain momentum, more firms could turn to Arbitrum’s infrastructure, Standard Chartered stated. However, the bank noted several critical risks, including the possibility of slower-than-expected tokenization growth, increased competition from rival networks, ongoing regulatory uncertainty, and a limited degree of direct value accrual from the ARB token itself.
Standard Chartered underscored that unresolved U.S. regulatory frameworks and pending work by the DTCC on tokenized equities could significantly influence the pace at which traditional financial firms adopt blockchain technology and the amount of revenue Arbitrum may be able to capture.
Mini dictionary: DTCC (Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) is a U.S.-based clearinghouse that provides post-trade services to the financial markets and is actively researching the adoption of blockchain for tokenized securities transactions.
Ultimately, Standard Chartered’s report positions Arbitrum as a potential beneficiary of the institutional adoption of blockchain infrastructure if key regulatory and market milestones are reached in the next several years.
