Ray Dalio Endorses Bitcoin Over Bonds as US Debt Risks Mount; Standard Chartered Eyes $126K BTC

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio is urging investors to favor gold and "a bit of Bitcoin" over bonds, warning that the United States could face a debt crisis within roughly three years. The Bridgewater Associates founder said Friday that portfolios could benefit from allocating 10% to 15% toward gold to reduce risk, while overweighting gold and BTC relative to debt assets. Dalio cited mounting political and geopolitical tensions as catalysts for his shift, though he has historically been more cautious on Bitcoin, previously raising concerns about privacy and quantum computing risks. His latest comments mark a continued evolution; in 2022, he described a 1% to 2% Bitcoin allocation as "reasonable."

Standard Chartered may be underestimating Bitcoin's near-term trajectory, according to Geoff Kendrick, the bank's global head of digital assets research. In a Friday note, Kendrick said BTC could approach its all-time high of $126,000 before year-end, with the recovery potentially accelerating after October 6. He attributed the recent rally largely to short liquidations and recovering inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, noting that low open interest leaves room for additional investor participation. "For the first time this year there is now a risk my end year forecast (of USD100k) is too low," Kendrick wrote, suggesting the bank's February target cut from $150,000 may need to be revised upward.

Meanwhile, MANTRA's native token sank 18.5% from its 24-hour high to a record low shortly before the MANTRA Chain network stopped producing blocks. The team announced a precautionary halt after an unexplained incident disrupted block production, triggering fresh concerns about the project's technical stability and governance. The sharp decline underscores how infrastructure failures can rapidly translate into market losses for layer-1 blockchain ecosystems, even as broader digital asset sentiment continues to improve on the back of bullish institutional commentary.