Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
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Standard Chartered has initiated coverage of Morpho (MORPHO) with a $60 price target by the end of 2030.
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The bank forecasts MORPHO reaching $3.50 in 2026, $11 in 2027, $22 in 2028, and $40 in 2029.
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Analysts believe Morpho could outperform both Bitcoin and Ethereum as decentralized finance (DeFi) adoption accelerates.
Standard Chartered has initiated coverage of decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Morpho, projecting its native token could reach $60 by the end of 2030 as institutional adoption of on-chain lending accelerates.
In a research note released Wednesday, the bank's Global Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoff Kendrick, outlined a multi-year price forecast that positions Morpho as one of the strongest-performing crypto assets in its coverage universe.
According to the bank's projections, MORPHO is expected to trade at:
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$3.50 by the end of 2026
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$11 in 2027
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$22 in 2028
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$40 in 2029
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$60 by the end of 2030
If achieved, the forecast would represent a substantial increase from current prices and, according to Standard Chartered, would outperform both Bitcoin and Ethereum over the same period.
DeFi Expansion Underpins Bullish Outlook
Standard Chartered's positive outlook is largely based on expectations that decentralized finance will experience significant long-term growth.
The bank projects that assets deployed across DeFi protocols could increase 37-fold by 2030, creating a favorable environment for lending platforms such as Morpho.
"We are bullish on the outlook for Morpho, the second-largest decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol after Aave," Kendrick wrote in the report.
Analysts believe Morpho's combination of decentralized lending markets and vault-based asset management infrastructure positions it to capture a growing share of institutional and retail capital entering the sector.
Morpho currently operates two primary products that underpin its ecosystem. According to Standard Chartered, Morpho Markets, which functions similarly to Aave's lending platform, currently holds approximately $5.5 billion in deposits.
Meanwhile, Morpho Vaults manage roughly $4.3 billion in assets, allowing users to allocate capital through professionally curated lending strategies.
The bank expects these vaults to become an increasingly important gateway for institutional investors seeking exposure to decentralized finance.
Institutional Adoption Seen as Key Catalyst
Standard Chartered believes Morpho's long-term growth will depend heavily on attracting traditional financial institutions.
The bank pointed to existing integrations with digital asset infrastructure providers including Fireblocks, Anchorage, and Taurus, which provide custody and operational services that could make the protocol more accessible to institutional investors.
Analysts also highlighted the role of specialized vault managers such as Steakhouse Financial, which oversees nearly $2 billion in assets and has emerged as a major allocator of capital within the Morpho ecosystem.
The report also compared Morpho's business model with other leading DeFi protocols. Unlike competitors such as Aave and Uniswap, which have introduced protocol fee mechanisms that generate revenue for token holders or treasuries, Morpho currently charges no protocol fees.
Instead, all lending income is distributed to depositors through its vault structure.
Standard Chartered believes this approach could strengthen Morpho's competitiveness by maximizing returns for users and encouraging greater capital inflows.
Morpho is trading above $2 on Thursday after gaining nearly 12% over the previous 24 hours.
At current levels, Standard Chartered's $60 target implies potential upside of approximately 2,787% over the next several years.
The bank has also published long-term bullish forecasts for other DeFi tokens, previously projecting roughly 34-fold upside for Uniswap (UNI) and 38-fold upside for Aave (AAVE) by 2030.
Its latest report suggests Morpho could outperform both, reinforcing the bank's growing confidence in decentralized finance as institutional participation expands.
