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Ethereum’s outlook for 2026 has become increasingly contested after the most recent downturn in the entire crypto market. Earlier this year, research from Standard Chartered suggested that Ethereum could end 2026 near $7,500, a target that implies significant upside from current levels. However, recent price action, with ETH languishing around $2,000 and lacking clear bullish momentum, puts such projections against a very different realistic outlook. Standard Chartered’s Ethereum Long-Term View In a January research note, Standard Chartered’s digital assets team trimmed its medium-term outlook for Ethereum while keeping a highly optimistic vision for the years ahead. The bank now sees ether closing 2026 near $7,500, down from an earlier forecast of around $12,000, and expects the asset to climb to $15,000 in 2027, $22,000 in 2028, and eventually $40,000 by the end of 2030.  Related Reading: Ethereum Price Is Not Going To Keep Falling Forever, Analyst Says According to the note, the change is due to weak performance from Bitcoin dragging broader dollar-denominated crypto valuations, even as the bank pointed to Ethereum’s strengths in stablecoins, decentralized finance, and tokenized assets as positives to hold on to. In the research note, digital assets analyst Geoff Kendrick noted that 2026 is important not just for price but also for Ethereum’s performance relative to bitcoin. Therefore, the most important thing for gains is a rebound in the ETH/BTC ratio to levels last seen in 2021. The Odds – Current Price Action Against Bullish Case The path from roughly $2,000 to the mid-$7,000s looks very tough compared to what it was at the start of the year. This, in turn, has seen the odds of the Ethereum price reaching $7,500 reduce drastically. Ethereum started 2026 on a good foot, with a rally to $3,370 in the first two weeks of the year. Notably, it failed to sustain this rally and has since fallen by about 40% in the past 30 days. Related Reading: Analyst Says You’re Not Bullish Enough On Ethereum – What Does He Mean? As it stands, Ethereum is now trading around $2,000, and the price has repeatedly failed to close convincingly above the $2,100-$2,150 zone in recent sessions. Although the leading altcoin is now back to trading above $2,000 after a break below during last week’s sell-offs, bulls are yet to establish any control of price momentum. On-chain data also shows the transfer activity surrounding Ethereum is pointing to elevated stress conditions. Fortunately for bullish traders, it is still too early in the year to rule out the possibility of Ethereum trading at $7,500 in 2026. Several things would need to change for an outcome close to Standard Chartered’s 2026 estimate to become plausible. One of them is the return of demand and steady inflows into Spot Ethereum ETFs. At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $2,025. Right now, the cryptocurrency needs to clear the $2,150 resistance and hold above it in order to continue the steady push up.  Featured image from Pxfuel, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP’s recent slide has left traders asking whether the worst is over. Prices have been weak since Q4 2025, and reports say the token has lost roughly half its value from an October opening near $2.80 to about $1.42 as we speak. That drop came with a sharp move in momentum indicators, which traders rarely ignore. Related Reading: After Predicting XRP’s Drop, Analyst Says The Bottom May Be In Extreme RSI Readings Near A 12-Year Low According to market reports, the daily relative strength index fell to about 17 on Feb. 5, pushing readings to levels not seen in over a decade. That is an extreme number for RSI on a daily chart. When readings hit this depth, past action has often produced strong, quick rebounds. History does not promise a repeat, but it does give a pattern that many traders watch closely. Patterns From The Past Offer Both Hope And A Warning Reports note several prior episodes when low RSI numbers lined up with sharp recoveries. After an October low, a bounce of roughly 70% came in just nearly half a month. Other lows in mid-2024 and April 2024 produced gains of about 65% and 35% within short windows of days. Those moves were fast, and they were driven by buyers jumping in when momentum looked exhausted. Still, past rebounds can be followed by renewed selling, and what happened before isn’t guaranteed to happen again. XRP just hit an RSI of 20 on the daily—the most oversold it’s ever been in its history. Every single time XRP has hit these extreme levels, a 15-40% bounce followed within two weeks. Not sometimes. Every time. Relief bounce to $2.20-$2.50 is the highest probability setup we’ve… pic.twitter.com/F8e7WBRbyu — Ripple Bull Winkle | Crypto Researcher ???????? (@RipBullWinkle) February 5, 2026 Major Bounce In The Offing? A vocal market commentator, crypto researcher Ripple Bull Winkle, has pointed to those patterns and argued that a 15%–40% bounce often follows such extreme readings. Based on reports, that view has traction with some traders, who are watching for signs of a short squeeze or a flush that shakes out weak hands. Other traders caution against leaning on a single signal. The broader market, macro news, and funds’ behavior can overwhelm technical cues. Large short-liquidity zones above $2.25 and between $4.20 and $4.40 are on the chart; if price hits those spots, moves can accelerate quickly. XRP’s Position Versus Major Coins XRP has not been alone in losing ground, but its pair trades show some relative strength. The XRP/ETH pair has been in a range since August 2025, and XRP/BTC recovered after a brief breakdown. Dominance metrics have held near the 3.5% area and have even bounced to roughly 3.6%. These data points mean XRP isn’t collapsing in isolation; it’s moving inside a market that’s broadly weak. What Traders Might Watch Next Volume will matter. So will daily closes above key resistances and whether the RSI climbs out of extreme territory with conviction. A clean break above the $2.25 level could put the next targets in view, while failure to sustain a bounce would likely keep sellers in control. Related Reading: Tron Accumulates TRX, Price Pops As Justin Sun Weighs In Risk control is expected to be important; many moves after deep oversold readings were sharp but short-lived, so position sizing and stop rules have a practical role. For now, reports say the setup is one of opportunity and danger at once. Traders who are watching momentum see a chance for a quick recovery. Others note that structural selling and wider market pressures could blunt any rally. Either way, the coming days should show whether this is a relief bounce or the start of something larger. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

Tron’s blockchain operator has been adding to its stash of TRX and that activity is getting attention. Reports say the platform recently bought 179,408 TRX at an average cost of $0.28, lifting its treasury to about 680 million tokens. The buy was one more in a series of purchases that show a clear pattern: steady accumulation over several days. Related Reading: After Predicting XRP’s Drop, Analyst Says The Bottom May Be In Tron Increases Treasury Holdings According to on-chain records, the platform purchased tokens at slightly different prices across recent days. On February 7, it bought more than 184,000 TRX at $0.27 a piece. On February 8, another 181,000+ TRX were added at $0.28. The most recent move of 179,400 TRX followed those buys. These are not one-off trades. They read as deliberate, repeated steps to build a reserve of native tokens over time. Tron Inc. (NASDAQ: TRON) acquired 179,408 TRX tokens today at an average price of $0.28, further increasing its TRX treasury holdings to more than 680.7 million TRX in total. The company aims to further grow its Tron DAT holdings to enhance long term shareholder value. For live… — Tron Inc. (@TRON_INC) February 9, 2026 Tron’s founder, Justin Sun, posted a short message that read “Keep Going.” That simple line was taken by some traders as a vote of confidence. Reports note Sun’s public backing came while his legal fight with regulators remains on pause, and that political voices have criticized the pause. TRX Sees A Small Bounce, Volume Falls Market moves have been modest. The token is trading near $0.27, up about 0.75% from earlier in the day. Still, TRX has slipped 1.5% over the past week and 6% in the last month. Trading activity has cooled; 24-hour volume fell by 20% to roughly $520 million. That lower volume suggests fewer hands are moving funds, which can make any price uptick look fragile. What The Buying Might Mean Large-scale accumulation by a project is usually read two ways. For followers, it can be a sign the team expects future value or wants to support liquidity. For skeptics, it can also look like internal reshuffling or an effort to control supply dynamics. The repeated purchases at nearby price points point to a steady plan rather than panic buys, but steady plans don’t guarantee price rebounds when broader market sentiment is soft. Related Reading: Breathe… XRP Is The ‘Oxygen’ Of The New Financial System, CEO Says Reports say Tron intends to keep buying. If that continues over the next 10 days or longer, the treasury will grow and the narrative around its reserve will strengthen. Yet the wider market’s mood and regulatory pressure will probably matter more for TRX’s path than a handful of buys. Investors watching the token should note the low turnover and the modest nature of the price rise; both hint that stronger momentum has not yet arrived. Featured image from Yellow.com, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Austin has commented on how XRP could record a 1,500% rally to $24 based on an Elliot Wave theory. He also stated that the rally will be swift, which is why the analyst warned investors to be prepared when the current correction is over.  XRP Eyes 1,500% Rally To $24 as Analyst Warns Investors To Be Prepared In an X post, Austin shared an accompanying chart showing that XRP could rally to $24 on Wave 5 of an Elliot Wave analysis. Meanwhile, the altcoin is expected to reach between $8 and $14 on Wave 3, which the analyst expects to happen anytime soon. He remarked that XRP is well-positioned to begin the macro 3rd wave into price discovery at any moment.  Related Reading: XRP Price Has Just Reached Most Oversold Level In History And This Analyst Is Predicting A Bounce Austin further mentioned that the XRP rally on this Wave 3 could be right around the corner or that it could take a while longer to work out this correction before the next impulse. However, he warned investors to be prepared because when this correction resolves, which he is confident it will, it will result in swift and violent moves to higher prices just like the Wave 1 move.  The analyst also noted that the 2.618 extension sits at $8.47 while the 4.236 extension is at $13.64. He stated that these are both good targets to aim for, but expects higher prices given the length of time XRP has been consolidating and building out its current structure.  Why XRP Is Ready To “Blast” Into Price Discovery Austin stated that on the macro scale, XRP appears ready to enter price discovery at any moment. He explained that the altcoin has experienced a 7-year contracting triangle accumulation structure followed by an explosive 5-wave breakout to test the all-time highs (ATHs) at Macro Wave 1.  Related Reading: Analyst Who Predicted XRP’s 600% Rally Forecasts The Bottom And A Target Of $10 The analyst further noted that XRP has been in an ABC correction/reaccumulation for over a year, which has resulted in mass fear and capitulation down to a .702 to .786 retrace. He assured that this has been nothing but a macro wave 2. Meanwhile, Austin also reminded investors that XRP is the only crypto asset with complete regulatory clarity in the U.S. following the settlement of the SEC lawsuit.  He added that Ripple has continued to silently build out the infrastructure required to foster global adoption when the time is right to “flip the switch.” Notably, the crypto firm recently unveiled its roadmap for institutional DeFi on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), highlighting XRP’s role at the core of this infrastructure as it rolls out compliance-focused features to attract institutions.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.44, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

The cryptocurrency industry went under intense pressure last week, with Bitcoin and Ethereum leading the crash and multiple cryptocurrencies hitting new multi-month lows. The crash was more pronounced with Bitcoin, though, and the imbalance in selling pressure is quietly shifting the relationship between the two assets.  The interesting imbalance is relayed in Ethereum’s performance relative to Bitcoin. A technical analysis of the ETH/BTC ratio shared on the social media platform X by Jonathan Carter indicates that Ethereum may be approaching a critical breakout point against Bitcoin, following an extended period of compression on the 2-week candlestick timeframe chart. Long-Term Triangle On The Verge Of Break According to technical analysis of the ETH/BTC 2-week chart, Ethereum is nearing an important point against Bitcoin after years of consolidation beneath a descending trendline. This long-running pattern originates from a major peak in relative valuation in July 2017, when 1 ETH was worth 0.154 BTC in Bitcoin terms, and has since formed a series of lower highs to form a falling resistance trendline. The lower boundary of this pattern is a long-tested support zone around 0.02 that has repeatedly drawn buying interest for Ethereum in relation to Bitcoin. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Is Not Going To Keep Falling Forever, Analyst Says At the time of writing, the ETH/BTC ratio is trading around 0.030. However, the most recent 2-week candlestick has flipped green, and this development is important to the bullish outlook of Ethereum’s performance against Bitcoin. The bullish projection is based on a full playout of the green candlestick with a push towards the descending triangle’s resistance trendline. If the pair can convincingly break above the descending triangle’s upper trend boundary with sustained momentum, then this would allow Ethereum to enter a phase of sustained outperformance against Bitcoin. How High Could ETH/BTC Go If A Breakout Happens? Crypto analyst Jonathan Carter outlined a series of potential upside targets should the ETH/BTC pair break free from its downward trend. The first target is around 0.040 BTC, which would represent a clear departure from the compressed range seen across recent months. If momentum continues, higher potential objectives include 0.060, 0.085, 0.105, 0.124, and all the way up to the 2017 peak of 0.154. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices Are Still Trading Sideways Translating these ratio-based targets into absolute price levels is less straightforward, as the projections are based on Ethereum’s performance relative to Bitcoin and not standalone price moves. Such a performance can happen in two major ways: either Ethereum receives more inflows than Bitcoin, or Bitcoin could crash more than Ethereum during a market-wide correction. The former scenario would most likely translate into a sustained rotation into Ethereum and the wider altcoin market, setting the stage for an altcoin season. Nonetheless, both scenarios will see the otherwise strong Bitcoin dominance dropping massively. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

The market just hit a heavy washout, and traders are now parsing whether that selling finished the move or only paused it. Based on reports, XRP fell hard after a January peak and then suffered another brutal day in early February that pushed prices deep enough to force many sellers out. Related Reading: Breathe… XRP Is The ‘Oxygen’ Of The New Financial System, CEO Says Based on reports, crypto expert Blockchain Backer correctly anticipated the recent XRP drop. The analyst warned in early January that the rally to $2.41 was temporary and that prices could fall sharply, a prediction that proved accurate when XRP lost nearly half its value over the following month. Markets that see huge volume during a drop often settle afterwards, but that is not a guarantee. Capitulation Volume And What It Means Based on reports, Coinbase recorded a one-year intraday surge in trading when roughly 666 million XRP changed hands during the February 5 tumble. That was about double the 333 million seen during an October drop last year and sits below a February three spike when 975 million tokens traded. High volume like that often shows panic selling. It can also mark the point where weak hands are exhausted. Some traders call that capitulation. Some do not. Blockchain Backer’s Call And Technical Warnings Reports note Blockchain Backer flagged the January run-up as a short rebound rather than the start of a long climb. The analyst pointed to long-term MACD and RSI readings that were flashing weakness, and those warnings have proven prescient. After the rise to around $2.40, price resistance appeared and the decline deepened. Traders who watched the indicators closely were better prepared for the move. That track record matters when weighing current claims that the worst may be over. XRP Sees $45M ETF Inflows Amid Market Crash ETF money flowed into XRP while other top assets saw outflows during the same sell-off. Reports say ETFs added about $45 million to XRP exposure even as BTC, ETH, and SOL saw withdrawals. That is a curious split. Institutional or index buyers dipping in during a rout can offer a base of demand. Still, inflows do not erase price risk. They can, however, help stabilize a market that is otherwise dominated by retail panic. Comparing To Past Capitulations Some traders are comparing this episode to past crypto capitulations, pointing to Bitcoin’s late 2018 slide where most of the selling finished before a smaller, final leg down. History is a useful frame, but every market cycle has its own rules. A pattern that held for one asset under one set of conditions might not repeat exactly for another. It is possible that a small additional drop happens before buyers fully return. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off May Be Done, Analyst Flags Recovery Signs Reports say the drop totaled about 48% from the January high, and while the largest daily sell-off drew the most attention, a steady rebound is not guaranteed. For now, the market shows signs of damage being priced in and some institutional interest arriving. That combination supports the argument that the bulk of the decline may be behind, but the timeline for a recovery remains unclear. Traders and longer-term holders will want to watch volume levels, key support bands, and whether buy-side flows continue before assuming a clear trend change. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Ethereum’s recent sell-off has weighed heavily on sentiment after the price fell below the $2,000 level and pulled much of the altcoin market lower alongside it. The move has caused sweeping fear and caution among Ethereum traders. However, some analysts are of the notion that a bullish upside will roll in soon.  In a post shared on X, crypto analyst ChainHub said the current conditions point more toward exhaustion, and after massive downside comes massive upside. Related Reading: Bitcoin Edges Past Gold In Appeal, JPMorgan Says ETHBTC Structure Holds ChainHub emphasized that the ETH/BTC pair is still technically valid and has not seen any structural invalidation despite the recent price crash. Although Ethereum’s price fell much lower than many expected during the crash, it is not going to keep falling forever. He also pointed to fear levels that are now climbing to extremes rarely seen, noting that such environments always tend to appear near major turning points. “After massive fear and massive downside comes massive upside,” the analyst said. On Ethereum itself, ChainHub acknowledged that losing the $2,000 handle was important, but he highlighted the next major area of interest near $1,700. This zone is technically consistent with a broader corrective structure, and it is possible that Ethereum might not even fall that far before it rebounds. However, even if Ethereum does fall to $1,700, price action reaching this area means Ethereum is finally at a region where buyers may begin to reassert control. He linked this outlook to Bitcoin’s recent behavior. Bitcoin’s rejection at $72,000 opened the door to a retest of the upper portion of its summer 2024 demand range, which stretches from around $59,000 down to $49,000.  ChainHub pointed out that this is the first significant interaction with that demand area since 2025, with Fibonacci alignment clustering around $57,000 to $58,000. This increases the odds that Bitcoin is in the process of forming a base, and that is where it establishes a bottom. Altcoins Touching Meaningful Demand Levels ChainHub also noted that Ethereum is not alone in testing critical levels. Several major altcoins, including Solana and XRP, have moved into important demand zones. Many of these altcoins have revisited August 2024 lows or filled prior wicks, areas that have not yet been broken on an initial attempt. Solana, for instance, has broken below $100 for the first time since January 2024 and recently traded at a low of $75. As noted by ChainHub, this move saw Solana finally touch meaningful demand for the first time in 2 years. Related Reading: Polygon Hits $3.50 Billion In Payments As Crypto Activity Expands Dogecoin, Cardano, and Avalanche have also all filled the downward wicks on October 10, restoring balance and touching the August 2024 low. Although there is still the possibility for limited downside, the expectation is that the market begins forming a range and then starts building bullish momentum in the coming weeks. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Market expert Umair Crypto has released an updated technical analysis on the Solana price from last week. In his new report, the analyst highlighted that Solana’s market structure still remains decisively bearish, especially after its recent crash to two-year lows. Despite the downtrend, Umair Crypto believes that Solana could still build enough momentum to reach higher levels. He has shared multiple bullish and a few bearish targets for the cryptocurrency, depending on its next price movements.  Solana Price Faces Sharp Downtrend Amid Key Support Losses In his recent X post, Umair shared a chart analysis, predicting that the Solana price could recover and potentially climb back above $150. He provided detailed insights into the cryptocurrency’s recent downtrend and highlighted what a potential recovery might look like if the price breaks through key resistance levels. Related Reading: Polygon Hits $3.50 Billion In Payments As Crypto Activity Expands According to Umair, Solana’s price action turned sharply bearish after breaking key support levels and crashing below $80 earlier this week. The analyst noted that SOL lost the $100 Point Of Control (POC) from the January 2024 range. As a result, the price quickly dropped toward the next POC zone between $67 and $73. This decline represented a clean move downward of about 27%, highlighting how fragile higher price levels have become amid broader market weakness.  Following the price drop, Umair reported that Solana staged a modest 12% bounce from the lower zone. This movement confirmed the area as a volume-heavy region capable of temporarily attracting buyers. Despite this, the chart still signals caution, as Solana is already pulling back while trading volume continues to increase. The analyst emphasized that the combination of rising volume and price declines typically indicates a downside conviction rather than a V-shape recovery setup. Consequently, it suggests that SOL’s decline could continue, making a quick price reversal unlikely.  Path To Recovery And Higher Price Targets While the broader technical picture supports a bearish outlook for Solana, Umair Crypto still believes the cryptocurrency can stage a recovery to new highs, albeit slowly. He marked the former point of control near $100.93 as a key level to watch, noting that it now acts as a resistance.  According to the analyst, the best-case scenario for Solana would be to build a base within its current range, flip its daily bullish structure, and use that structure as support for any future price recoveries. Without this, any sustained trend reversal is unlikely.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Edges Past Gold In Appeal, JPMorgan Says If SOL breaks above the $100.93 level, Umair Crypto predicts the next price targets would be $120.59, $128.43, $138.77, and $150.36. In his original analysis, the analyst shared an even higher target, forecasting a surge to between $200 and $210 if Solana can maintain momentum above $150.36.  Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP’s price crash earlier this week has kept many bullish investors in the XRP community on edge, but one outspoken voice in the community believes the move is not as random as it looks.  A crypto pundit known as Stellar Rippler has encouraged XRP holders to pull their cryptocurrencies off centralized exchanges immediately, with the outlook that the recent volatility is not just another routine market dip but a warning sign of what’s to come. Related Reading: Bitcoin Edges Past Gold In Appeal, JPMorgan Says Engineered XRP Crash? Stellar Rippler’s position is based on the idea that XRP is being treated differently from most digital assets behind the scenes. He pointed to past remarks from David Schwartz, co-creator of the XRP Ledger, where XRP was described as a form of pre-allocated liquidity for institutional use, as well as statements suggesting that XRP currently held in escrow can be sold to institutions but will not be circulated until NDAs are disclosed.  He went further to name large financial players, including BlackRock, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and institutions linked to the BRICS, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and European central banking structures. According to the pundit, all these institutions have bought the right to buy the XRP currently held in escrow by Ripple. At the time of writing, there are no public filings that confirm coordinated buying of XRP escrows by these entities, but the argument has found receptive ears among investors unsettled by the recent sell-off. From that angle, the pundit noted that sudden downside moves, such as the recent drop to $1.15, are engineered. By “engineered,” this means the price crash serves a strategic purpose of creating opportunity for large financial players to accumulate XRP at lower prices before any market repricing takes place. Should You Take Your XRP Off Exchanges? Another part of the warning focused on user experience at major crypto exchanges. According to the pundit, Binance and Coinbase users have reportedly been facing difficulties getting their crypto off the exchanges. This, in itself, is a warning for XRP holders to get their cryptos off crypto exchanges and into a cold wallet. That message taps into conversation in crypto about self-custody versus keeping holdings on crypto exchanges.  Calls to be your own bank tend to resurface whenever price action turns volatile. The alarm was sounded against the backdrop of a Bitcoin price crash below $70,000 that pulled most cryptocurrencies lower. XRP, in particular, dipped to around $1.15 during the sell-off before rebounding.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off May Be Done, Analyst Flags Recovery Signs At the time of writing, XRP is trading near $1.42, easing some immediate pressure but not fully restoring confidence. On the subject of confidence, sentiment surrounding XRP on social media is relatively optimistic. Data shows XRP is drawing more positive commentary than other large-cap assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum despite the recent market-wide crash. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP is being talked about in a different way now — not just as a token to trade, but as something that could plug into real finance. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off May Be Done, Analyst Flags Recovery Signs The talk is shifting from ticker-watchers to companies that want reliable settlement rails and liquid collateral for on-chain assets. That shift shows up in moves on the ledger and in comments from people building businesses around it. XRP Seen As Financial Lifeline According to Jake Claver, CEO of Digital Ascension Group, XRP should be thought of as foundational collateral rather than a short-term bet. He called it “the most pristine collateral” and warned that 99% of holders “have no clue” what they actually hold. Those are strong words, and they line up with wider signals from developers and some institutional players who are testing XRPL’s features for real-world use. 99% of people that own XRP have no clue what it really is…. It’s the most pristine collateral the world has ever seen… It’s the oxygen the new financial system will need to breathe.. I do not know how to impress upon you how important XRP will be for the world moving forward. — Jake Claver, QFOP (@beyond_broke) February 4, 2026 Growing Tokenized Commodity Activity Reports say the XRPL now hosts roughly $1.14 billion in tokenized commodities. That number is important. It shows companies are putting things like energy-linked tokens and diamonds onto the ledger, and it positions XRPL just behind Ethereum in the specific area of tokenized commodity value. These assets aren’t just experiment tokens; they are intended to be tied to physical goods and cash flows, which changes how XRP might be used in settlement and collateral roles. Ripple’s Plan For Institutional DeFi Based on reports from Ripple’s roadmap, the ledger is being prepared for deeper institutional use. Permissioned domains and credentials are being highlighted as tools to let regulated firms operate with KYC and compliance baked in. XRP Price Action Market moves reacted to these developments. After a slide to about $1.11 amid broad market stress, XRP climbed back to roughly $1.53 on February 7, a move of over 35% from the recent low. Trading has since cooled off a little. Some traders point to renewed institutional flows and accumulation by large wallets, while others say global risk sentiment and macro headlines remain the main drivers of day-to-day swings. Institutional Steps Toward On-Chain Credit Meanwhile, reports note early institutional participants are preparing to put capital to work to increase yield and liquidity on XRPL. Planned features like a permissioned DEX, confidential transfers, and smarter escrow controls are meant to make the ledger easier for banks and regulated funds to plug into existing processes. Related Reading: Bitcoin Edges Past Gold In Appeal, JPMorgan Says XRP As ‘Oxygen’ If those pieces arrive and are adopted, XRP’s role as an on-ledger liquidity provider and settlement asset would be reinforced. There are good reasons to watch both the tech and the market. The ledger’s growing base of tokenized goods and the roadmap for lending give a clear use case for XRP as operational collateral. At the same time, price swings show that broader macro forces and speculation still matter a great deal, and adoption by banks and funds will be what really tests the claim that XRP can act as the “oxygen” for a new financial plumbing. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Reports have disclosed that Polygon closed the final quarter of 2025 with higher on-chain usage, driven by payments, stablecoin transfers, and tokenized assets. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says While traders watched MATIC drift inside a narrow range, activity on the chain told a different story, one focused on payments, stablecoins, and quiet institutional adoption rather than price momentum. Polygon Payments Use Grows Faster Than Prices According to Messari’s Q4 network review released on January 4, Polygon processed heavy payment traffic as fees stayed low and settlement times remained short. More than 50 apps built for payments handled about $3.50 billion in transfers during the quarter. That figure was 96% higher than the prior quarter and close to four times the level seen a year earlier. Stablecoin-linked cards added another layer of activity. Ten card programs together moved nearly $363 million using Mastercard and Visa rails, with Visa responsible for the larger share. Reports say this growth came from everyday spending rather than one-off events, a sign that Polygon is being used for routine transfers instead of short-term experiments. Beyond card payments, several firms expanded how they move money on the chain. DeCard allowed users to pay with USDC and USDT at a wide range of merchants. Flutterwave chose Polygon for cross-border business payments in 30 African countries. Revolut integrated cheap stablecoin transfers inside its app, while Stripe continued building subscription tools that rely on USDC. None of those moves grabbed market headlines, yet together they pushed steady volume through the network. Tokenized Assets Gain Ground Quietly Away from payments, tokenized real-world assets continued to stack up. Reports note Polygon ended Q4 with nearly $1.10 billion in RWAs, ranking ninth worldwide. Growth was driven less by retail hype and more by regulated structures. Stablecoin supply climbed to nearly 3 billion, led by USDC at $1.34 billion and DAI near $630 million. Latin America stood out as a key region, where non-USD stablecoin volume totaled $1.18 billion. Average daily DEX volume jumped 44% to a little over $200 million. MATICUSD trading at $0.19 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView MATIC Trades Sideways As Activity Builds MATIC’s price action stayed restrained despite the on-chain growth. The token slipped back from short-term resistance during broader market weakness and then stabilized as buyers defended key support zones. Related Reading: Russia’s Biggest Exchange To Launch XRP Indices And Futures Deeper losses were avoided, but strong upside moves failed to appear. Volume has yet to confirm a shift in trend. For now, Polygon shows rising use across payments and tokenized assets, while its token waits for a clearer signal from traders. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Solana’s market looks like a tightly wound spring right now. Prices have been slipping while futures activity is picking up, and that gap is what traders are watching most closely. Related Reading: Russia’s Biggest Exchange To Launch XRP Indices And Futures It’s a setup that can keep losses rolling — or flip fast if a wave of short covering hits. Either way, the scene is driven more by bets than by steady buying. Derivatives Betting Intensifies According to reports, more futures contracts for SOL are being opened even as the price moves lower. That means fresh bets are being placed, not just old ones being closed. Funding rates for perpetual contracts have moved into negative territory. When funding is negative, those backing short positions are paying those on the long side. It’s a clear sign of bearish leaning in the derivatives market. Leverage A Big Part Of The Story Reports say many of these positions are sized up with leverage. Traders are piling on with borrowed exposure. That raises the odds of violent swings because margin calls can trigger cascades. A squeeze can happen quickly. If a piece of positive news appears or a large buyer steps in, those who are short may be forced to buy back, and that buying itself can push the price up fast. Price is going down. Open Interest is going up. Funding is going down.$SOL is getting heavily shorted here. pic.twitter.com/YuYAy9lzZ0 — Ted (@TedPillows) February 4, 2026 Price Action Shows Weakness Across short-term charts — intraday and daily — SOL has been under pressure. Spot trading volume remains light, which makes every trade count more. Some traders are trimming risk because volatility in larger coins has spooked the market. In plain terms: fewer hands are willing to hold SOL at these levels, and that lack of real buying support keeps the downside pathway open. Volatility Could Swing Either Way This environment is speculative. High open interest plus negative funding is a bearish combo, but it also loads the market with risk. Covered shorts can unwind in a hurry. Liquidity gaps are where big moves start. The same factors that drive downward momentum can, under different circumstances, accelerate a rebound. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says Based on reports, the clearest signals to follow are changes in open interest, shifts in funding rates, and sudden spikes in spot volume or order book depth. Also watch news flow closely; a single announcement can change sentiment overnight. Risk management matters here. Size positions so that forced liquidations are avoidable. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Russia’s Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is moving to broaden which digital assets it tracks and trades. Reports say the exchange plans to roll out new indices and futures tied to XRP, Solana, and Tron this year. That will give traders ways to follow price moves without owning the coins directly. Related Reading: Crypto Could Bounce Soon As Fundamentals Firm Up, Tom Lee Says New Crypto Indices Planned According to local coverage, Maria Silkina, who runs the derivative products group at the exchange, outlined the expansion on a recent radio broadcast. MOEX already lists benchmarks for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Now the exchange is preparing indices that mirror three more of the bigger, actively traded tokens, and it intends to offer futures contracts based on those indices. Trading interest in these coins has been high elsewhere. Here, such contracts will be cash-settled and follow the Bank of Russia’s rules. Settlements will happen monthly under the current regime. Perpetual Contracts And Options Under Review Reports note the exchange is also thinking about perpetual futures and options for Bitcoin and Ethereum down the line. Perpetuals do not expire. They use funding rates to stay close to the spot market and allow positions to be held for as long as a trader wishes. That differs from the monthly settled contracts MOEX already uses. Some of the new ideas remain under study and will be launched step by step. The approach looks designed to keep the products inside a tightly regulated frame while allowing more sophisticated trading strategies. Russia Pushes Toward Broader Access In 2025 the exchange added a set of crypto-linked futures, and it listed indices connected to Bitcoin and Ether alongside other structured products tied to overseas ETFs. Reports say that trend continued with some big Russian financial firms offering crypto-tied investment options. Sberbank has already rolled out a product that links to Bitcoin’s price. Market access is slowly widening, but access is still likely to be limited to qualified investors at first. That said, more instruments usually bring more liquidity and more ways to manage risk. Related Reading: Trump Says He Was Unaware Of Abu Dhabi Royal’s $500 Million WLFI Investment What This Means For Traders For investors, the shift offers both opportunity and restraint. Cash settlement removes the need for custody of the underlying token, which can reduce some operational hassles. At the same time, the Bank of Russia’s standards mean the products will be boxed in by clearing and reporting requirements. If adopted, these additions could help price discovery for XRP, Solana, and Tron inside Russia and might attract institutional flows that have been sitting on the sidelines. Featured image from The Moscow Times, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Diana has predicted that the XRP price could rally to $7, representing a 450% gain for the altcoin. She alluded to technical setups that prove that the token could reach this price target this year, which would mark a new all-time high (ATH). XRP Price Eyes 450% Rally To $7 In an X post, Diana stated that the XRP price technical setup targets $7 next based on the Elliot Wave and Fibonacci levels. She noted that right now, the altcoin is sitting at a critical support zone between $1.50 and $1.55 and that this is the level buyers must defend. If this support holds, the analyst predicts that XRP can rise to between $1.88 and $2 with volume, which could lead to the chart opening up fast.  Related Reading: XRP Price Crash Is Not Over If This Support Doesn’t Hold Diana also highlighted the short, medium, and long-term outlook for the XRP price even as it looks to surge to the $7 target this year. In the short term, she expects a clean breakout above $2, which could send XRP to between $2.20 and $2.70, a move that the analyst noted will finish the current local wave.  For the medium-term outlook, Diana noted that the XRP price structure looks like the start of a larger wave 5 impulse from the 2025 to 2026 lows. Using Fibonacci extensions and channel projections, she stated that the major target lands in the $5 to $8 zone, with $7 lining up perfectly as the next realistic cycle high.  The analyst also predicted that the XRP price could reach this target within the next four to eight months if momentum continues. She added that XRP could peak between June and October 2026 in bullish scenarios.  XRP Could Soon Begin Wave 4 Move To The Upside In an X post, crypto analyst CasiTrades stated that she expects the Wave 4 relief move to begin soon for the XRP price as the altcoin has held its current support nicely. She noted that the first resistance she is watching is the .382 retrace at $1.78, which also coincides with the prior support breakdown.  Related Reading: XRP Price Falls Below $1.6: You Won’t Believe What Institutions Are Doing Amid The Crash CasiTrades also noted that the Wave 2 move was very shallow, with the XRP price only retracing to .382, and that in Elliot Wave, shallow Wave 2 moves often lead to deeper Wave 4 retraces. As such, she believes that it is possible that this Wave 4 move could push higher toward $1.93 or even up to the $2.03 macro .5 retracement level.  The analyst added that the XRP price needs to reclaim $2.03 and hold it as support. This would invalidate the need for another wave down toward $1.55 or lower, thereby causing Wave 5 to fail.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.58, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com

A technical perspective shared by crypto analyst Cryptollica is pushing back against the belief that the altcoin era is over. This perspective is based on the outlook that the current environment may be less about the decline and more about preparation. Decade-Long Structure Is In Rotation Zone Bitcoin and other large-cap cryptocurrencies are dominating market attention, and many traders have written off altcoins as a lost cause. Extended underperformance, fading arguments, and months of sideways action have led to the belief that the altcoin era is over. Related Reading: Bitcoin Analyst Reveals How Long It Usually Takes For Altcoin Season To Happen Taking to the social media platform X, crypto analyst Cryptollica pointed to the OTHERS/BTC ratio, which tracks the total crypto market capitalization excluding the top ten assets relative to Bitcoin.  According to the analyst, this ratio is now sitting directly on a trend support that has held for nearly a decade. Interestingly, the long-term chart shared by the analyst shows repeated historical interactions with this rising channel, where previous touches of the lower boundary led to major rotations into altcoins. At the time of writing, the OTHERS/BTC ratio has been compressing for the past few months without any clear sign of a directional breakout. Altcoin dominance has been drifting lower within a narrowing range, approaching the lower trendline while volatility continues to dry up.  However, instead of interpreting the current compression as weakness, the analyst noted that price is respecting a decade-long geometric structure without a breakdown. Cryptollica described this setup not as a graveyard but as a rotation point rather than a graveyard. Therefore, traders declaring altcoins dead are reacting to fatigue, not structure. The market is behaving like a loaded spring and storing energy. Momentum Indicators Quietly Flip In Favor Of Altcoins A separate analysis of the OTHERS/BTC ratio shows that boxes may already be ticking beneath the surface for an altcoin season. Crypto analyst Ash Crypto noted that the monthly MACD on the OTHERS/BTC chart has just delivered two consecutive green closes for the first time in four years.  Related Reading: Here’s When The Altcoin Season Happens Following The Bitcoin Cycle Not only that, but the Others/BTC MACD bullish cross has now been confirmed. History shows this kind of signal has always corresponded with the earliest stages of altcoin recoveries, especially when it appears after extended periods of underperformance. Ash Crypto also pointed to the ISM index moving back above the 50% level as another bullish sign for altcoins. This ISM moving back above 50% is notable because this macro indicator has repeatedly coincided with improving conditions for altcoins in past cycles.  The confirmation of momentum on OTHERS/BTC and a hold above a decade-long support strengthens the case that the current altcoin lull may be less about weakness and more about positioning ahead for an incoming altcoin season. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP sits at a crossroads. Trading around the $1.6 area after a steep run higher and a later pullback, the token now rests on a weekly support band that traders are watching closely. According to crypto analyst Scott Melker, this is one of the cleaner risk/reward setups in crypto right now — a small stop can limit losses while a bounce could offer meaningful gains. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Support Zone Holds The Key Based on reports, the zone around $1.55 to $1.60 is important. It lines up with the midpoint of the breakout that began in November 2024 and has acted as resistance before flipping to support. When price briefly dipped toward $1.50 and then closed January above the $1.60 mark, some traders read that as a liquidity sweep that cleared short orders. That kind of action can presage either a bounce or a deeper move, depending on whether fresh buying shows up. What History Shows XRP moved sideways in 2023 and much of 2024 before breaking out from roughly $0.50 to $0.60 in November 2024. A fast advance followed, carrying price toward the $2.00 area and then higher into the $3.66 peak in July 2025. $XRP Crazy chart. Trading exactly at the last meaningful support on the chart before a huge air pocket. For traders, this is about the best risk/reward you get on an asset. Easy to cut loose with a small loss if support fails. pic.twitter.com/wySapwsnT0 — The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) January 31, 2026 Those gains set a higher structure, but they also left large pockets of profit taking above current levels. Reports say that repeated failed attempts above $3.50 marked weakening demand, which helped trigger the current drop back to the $1.6 region. Tight Downside, Open Upside According to Scott Melker, a.k.a. “Wolf of All Streets”, traders can manage risk with a stop between $1.45 and $1.50. That makes the downside measured. On the flip side, a recovery would likely test $2.00 first, then run into supply around $2.50–$2.60, before facing heavier resistance near $3.00 and the old highs. That path is straightforward on paper, but market context changes outcomes. Volume confirmation is absent from many of the bullish takes; a support hold without visible buying on the tape is fragile. Broader liquidity in US markets and risk appetite for crypto will also play a major role in whether the bounce can sustain itself. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Explode: $370 Million Stolen In January Alone: Researchers XRP’s Sweet Spot: Small Risk, Big Upside For Melker, setups like XRP’s current level are rare in crypto right now — a defined support, a tight stop, and clear upside targets create a scenario where the potential reward outweighs the risk. He emphasizes that traders don’t need to predict every twist in the market; instead, focusing on trades with controlled losses and meaningful gains can be the difference between surviving and thriving in volatile conditions. In XRP’s case, the near-term risk is small relative to the possible rebound, making it a setup many are watching closely. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has highlighted how institutions are accumulating XRP amid the crypto market crash. His comment comes amid the XRP price drop below the psychological $1.6 level, which has further sparked bearish sentiments among retail investors.  Institutions Are Still Accumulating Amid XRP Price Crash In an X post, X Finance Bull noted that while retail investors are panicking over the XRP price crash, institutional investors continue to accumulate the Ripple-linked token. The crypto pundit pointed to inflows into XRP ETFs, while Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs continue to see outflows. Based on this, he stated that the rotation is starting, with institutional investors moving from BTC and ETH to XRP.  Related Reading: XRP Price At $10,000 Is Not A Prophecy: Analyst Shares Simple Framework That Points Higher SoSoValue data show that Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs recorded outflows of $1.61 billion and $353 million, respectively, on January 30. Meanwhile, the XRP ETFs recorded a net inflow of $15.6 million. X Finance Bull noted that these inflows might be small now, but that direction matters. He further remarked that institutions don’t chase hype in choppy markets but rather position for fundamentals.  The crypto pundit also noted that inflows into XRP ETFs, while Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are bleeding, aren’t random. He highlighted fundamentals that are bullish for the XRP price despite the current market crash. This includes the token’s cross-border payments utility, which he noted solves a “Quadrillion-dollar problem.” He added that regulatory clarity is coming and that infrastructure is already in place.  X Finance Bull expects the XRP price to be among the first to recover when the market rebounds, noting that capital flows to utility. He added that the smart money is already front-running that shift. The crypto pundit also believes that those investing in XRP now are still early, given that the XRP ETFs have just recorded $1.18 billion cumulative inflows in three months.  Two Potential Paths For The Altcoin At The Moment Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has highlighted two paths for the XRP price following its drop below $1.60. He stated that the first path is a double liquidity grab, whereby a relief bounce happens from here, followed by a second liquidity sweep and then an expansion. His accompanying chart showed that the second liquidity sweep could happen around $1.3.  Meanwhile, the second path of the XRP price is a direct expansion, which aligns with the cycle fractal. Egrag Crypto stated that if history rhymes, the altcoin could record a 340% gain, similar to the 2021 bull cycle, or a larger 1,600% gain, similar to the 2017 bull cycle. A 340% surge and a 1,600% surge would put XRP at $7 and $27, respectively.  Related Reading: Rising Above The Ashes: XRP ETFs Set New Record Despite Market Crash At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.54, down over 7% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

The start of this year brought a hard reminder: people remain the weakest link. Reports note that roughly $370 million in crypto were taken in January, a sharp climb from earlier months. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up That surge was driven mostly by one massive social-engineering con that emptied a single victim of about $284 million. Simple lies and well-crafted messages beat code this time. Phishing Dominates Losses According to CertiK, phishing-style scams grabbed about $311 million of the January haul. That means most losses came from attackers tricking users and insiders rather than breaking cryptographic systems. Social pressure, fake links, and impersonation were used to push victims into moving funds. People clicked. Money moved. Accounts were drained. A Bigger Picture Of Monthly Swings Based on reports, January’s total is nearly four times the $98 million stolen in January 2025 and more than triple December’s close to $118 million. The month is the largest since February 2025, when roughly $1.5 billion was taken, most of that tied to the huge Bybit heist. Those big events show how a single breach or scam can tilt an entire month’s tally. Numbers can look calm one month and explosive the next. That unpredictability keeps wallets and treasuries on edge. #CertiKStatsAlert ???? Combining all the incidents in January we’ve confirmed ~$370.3M lost to exploits. ~$311.3M of the total is attributed to phishing with one victim losing ~$284M due to a social engineering scam. More details below ???? pic.twitter.com/uXhi0P6dl5 — CertiK Alert (@CertiKAlert) January 31, 2026 Major Technical Exploits Hit Treasuries PeckShield flagged several large protocol attacks. Step Finance lost nearly $29 million after treasury wallets were compromised and over 261,000 SOL vanished. Truebit suffered a $26.4 million hit when a smart contract flaw allowed near-free minting, which also crushed its token price. SwapNet and Saga were among other victims, with losses around $13.3 million and $7 million respectively. Those hacks were technical, aggressive, and fast. #PeckShieldAlert In Jan. 2026, the crypto space saw 16 hacks totaling $86.01M in losses, representing a slight 1.42% YoY decrease compared to Jan. 2025 ($87.25M) but a notable 13.25% MoM surge from Dec. 2025 ($75.95M). Meanwhile, #phishing remains staggering with losses… pic.twitter.com/pxugbsPcZ7 — PeckShieldAlert (@PeckShieldAlert) February 1, 2026 Why This Matters Now Reports say there were 40 exploit and scam incidents over January, though the bulk of value lost was concentrated in a few cases. That pattern means the raw count of incidents doesn’t tell the whole story; a single, well-executed con can dwarf many smaller breaches combined. Some months will show many small thefts. Other months will be defined by one enormous fraud. What Needs To Change Security teams and project treasuries must tighten both human and technical safeguards. More rigorous wallet controls, staged approvals, and stronger identity checks would blunt social-engineering strikes. At the same time, independent code audits and quicker response plans can limit damage from smart contract bugs. Education programs for staff and users are cheap compared with the cost of a single large loss. Related Reading: Gold Vs. XRP: One Asset Just Added 20x The Other’s Market Value The recent spike is a clear message: attackers are mixing social skill with technical know-how. The playbook now often starts with a message in a chat app or an email, then turns into code-level theft. Patching software helps. Teaching people how to spot scams will stop many attacks before they ever reach the code. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView

Markets have been loud this week. Precious metals punched through records, then gave back much of their gains, while major crypto tokens barely budged. That contrast is what has people talking. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech Gold’s Sudden Market Jump According to posts on X by market commentators, gold’s capitalization rose by roughly $2.2 trillion inside a single trading session. That move pushed the metal into an eye-catching valuation that dwarfs many crypto assets. That figure equals nearly 20 times the entire market cap of XRP, which sits close to $103 billion based on recent prices. Bitcoin, valued near $1.77 trillion at the same time, was also overtaken by gold’s one-day gain. The scale of the move stunned many, even those used to seeing large swings in commodities. The raw math is hard to ignore: a small percent move in an enormous market turns into huge dollar figures fast. Gold has added $2.2 trillion to its market cap just today$BTC its market cap is $1.78 trillion pic.twitter.com/WUBlUrzwpl — Quinten | 048.eth (@QuintenFrancois) January 28, 2026 Why The Numbers Can Mislead Several traders replied that the headline number is a quirk of scale. Because the gold market is so big, even modest percentage swings create massive nominal changes. This point was made repeatedly in replies to the initial posts. Market depth and the sheer size of holdings mean that price shifts are not always driven by fresh trillions of dollars flowing in or out. For smaller assets, a much smaller pile of capital can push price sharply. That’s the key difference when comparing bullion to crypto. Silver’s Rapid Reversal Reports have disclosed that silver’s run was especially volatile. After a blistering ascent, silver fell sharply, wiping away a large slice of its peak gains within days. Such whipsaws show how quickly sentiment can flip when traders rush to lock in profits or cut losses. The move illustrates how headline statistics — peak valuations and sudden drops — can create a distorted sense of permanent change when markets are actually very fluid. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Crypto’s Position And The Mirror Math XRP and Bitcoin did not match metals’ fireworks. Based on current figures, some commentators ran simple scenarios: if XRP matched silver’s percentage increase, its price would be several times higher than today; if Bitcoin mirrored gold’s surge, it would be far above current levels. Those calculations are described as purely illustrative. Reports say they are mathematical exercises rather than forecasts, since many factors — token supply, investor appetite, regulation, and liquidity — will determine real outcomes. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

The XRP price was caught in the latest crypto market-wide selloff, falling to an intraday low of $1.57 within the past 24 hours. The sudden drop brings into focus XRP’s higher-timeframe structure, which is teasing a break below the 33-month exponential moving average.  According to a technical assessment shared on X by crypto analyst Egrag Crypto, the recent drop below the 33-month exponential moving average does not automatically signal the end of XRP’s cycle, but XRP must close above an exact level to avoid a macro bearish confirmation. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech The 33 EMA Breakdown Signal At the time of writing, XRP is back to trading around $1.65, stabilizing after a volatile few hours that forced many traders to reassess the broader structure. However, according to technical analysis by Egrag Crypto, the most recent crash saw XRP breaking a bit below the 33 EMA on the monthly candlestick timeframe chart. Egrag based the recent price action around one critical condition: a confirmed monthly close below $1.60 and the 33 EMA. According to the analyst, such a close would mark a macro bearish confirmation based on historical structure, not sentiment or opinion.  The chart he shared highlights how XRP has respected the 33 EMA as a long-term trend reference across multiple cycles, with violations often preceding extended corrective phases. As shown in the chart below, the XRP price has been trading above the 33-EMA since early 2025, even during periods of corrections. However, XRP is now trading dangerously close to this EMA, and there is now a risk of a breakdown. XRP Price Chart. Source: @egragcrypto On X What This Means For XRP’s Price Structure There’s a risk that XRP can transition into a macro bear structure. At the same time, there’s enough reason to suggest an upside bounce for the cryptocurrency. A major point in Egrag’s analysis is historical performance that shows XRP’s strongest upside expansions did not require a clean bull-market environment. Therefore, there are two historical analogs of how XRP can play out from its current range around $1.60. The first is a repeat of the 2021-style move. This move, measured from similar structural conditions, would imply an upside expansion of roughly 340% with a price target around the $7 region. The second one is a repeat of the 2017 cycle. Comparison to the 2017 cycle projects a much larger structural expansion of about 1,600%, which would align with the $27 zone highlighted on the chart above. In both cases, the rallies originated from oversold conditions and compression ranges, not from a strong bullish macro confirmation like many would expect. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up According to the analysis, a breakdown below $1.60 could still lead to panic selling and reinforce fear narratives of a macro bear market, yet those same conditions have previously been the zones where late sellers exit just before volatility expands upward. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A fresh whale on the XRP ledger moved a large chunk of tokens in a very short time, and traders are split on what it means. According to on-chain records, a newly activated address received two equal transfers that together totaled $120 million XRP. The transfers came through an intermediary wallet that shuffled the coins across multiple quick moves. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Whale Activity And The Flow Of Funds Reports say the incoming batches were two transfers of $60 million XRP each. The intermediary took each batch and pushed them onward to a holding address within the hour. That receiving account now shows a balance of $185 million XRP after adding a leftover $35 million it already held. Exchange tags are absent. No known custodial label appears next to these addresses. That makes the trail harder to read. Why The Moves Could Be Routine Large holders move funds for many reasons. Custodians tidy up wallets. Exchanges consolidate holdings. Firms rotate funds locked in cold storage for operational reasons. Those are common explanations. Active traders watched the price around the same time. Reports note XRP had slid to the low $1.70 range, breaking below the $1.80 support and slipping about 10% since Jan. 29. Signals Traders Want To See If this were a quiet buy-the-dip, market signs would usually show up. Price stabilization or an uptick might follow. Spot volume could climb. Net outflows from exchange wallets might be visible. None of those clear, matching clues appeared right away. Instead, the funds sat put. That raises the chance this was internal reshuffling rather than aggressive accumulation. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech What The Intermediary Pattern Suggests Routing through a central wallet is common. Some teams prefer to funnel receipts into a single address for accounting or security checks before dispersing them. The pace of transfers can look dramatic on a block explorer. But drama does not equate to new money entering the market. Without evidence that the source funds came from outside exchanges, or that they were purchased on the open market, the move should be treated as ambiguous. Reports have disclosed similar on-chain activity in past months that later turned out to be either coordinated buying or routine housekeeping. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Shiba Inu has spent recent weeks locked in a downward price action with bullish momentum fading and investor interest thinning without a clear bullish direction. However, holders may finally have something concrete to anticipate. Refreshing activity from Shytoshi Kusama, the Shiba Inu ecosystem’s lead developer, has diverted attention to a key moment expected on Sunday. Lead Dev Breaks Silence, Teases Sunday That dynamic began to change when Shytoshi Kusama, the pseudonymous lead developer and co-founder of the Shiba Inu ecosystem, resurfaced on X after a prolonged absence since early December. However, Kusama broke his silence this week with a thread on X explaining the reasons behind his inactivity and has since returned to regular posting and reposting activity. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction One post stood out more than the rest, in which Kusama hinted at a revelation scheduled for Sunday. In that message, he spoke about arriving at a discovery by pure chance and referenced what he described as an ancient marker older than time itself. Although the message was a bit cryptic, it immediately generated attention across the SHIB community, which has been hungry for direction and clarity amid recent challenges in Shiba Inu’s price action. The significance of Sunday became clearer following an interesting exchange between Kusama and a Shiba Inu community member who openly expressed concerns about transparency, reassurance, and leadership presence after recent ecosystem issues.  The community member, known as RuggRat on X, noted how there has been no official statement or simple explanation of what happened from Kusama regarding the Shibarium exploit. This is in reference to the September 2025 Shibarim Bridge exploit, which saw attackers making off with $4.1 million worth of crypto assets. In response, Kusama acknowledged the concern, stating that silence can sometimes be strategic and framing Sunday as a moment for addressing issues step by step. “This is what Sunday is for. One at a time,” Kusama said. Fair. But sometimes silence is a weapon for quiet wars. This is what Sunday is for. One bandage. Take off. Fix. Put on. One at a time. — Shytoshi Kusama™ (@ShytoshiKusama) January 29, 2026 Shiba Inu’s Challenging Phase Has Tested Holder Confidence Shiba Inu’s price action has struggled to gain any meaningful upside traction since the beginning of 2026, an extension of its late 2025 run. At the time of writing, SHIB is trading around $0.0000071, keeping it pinned down by 1.8% and 10.5% in the past 24 hours and seven days, respectively. Price structure during this period has been marked by a series of lower lows, with persistent selling pressure leaving little room for a meaningful higher high to form. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech This prolonged stagnation has been difficult for many Shiba Inu holders, and many of them are increasingly becoming sellers. Furthermore, expectations around ecosystem expansion and utility has yet to reflect positively in the price. That environment is exactly why leadership communication has mattered more than usual. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Discussion around XRP’s long-term price outlook picked up this week following remarks from David Schwartz during a Q&A exchange with members of the XRP community on X. The former Chief Technology Officer of Ripple and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger weighed in on claims that XRP could realistically reach price levels between $50 and $100.  Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech Interestingly, Schwartz’s view wasn’t one of outright bullishness but on how markets actually price belief, probability, and conviction with a blunt reality check. Schwartz Refuses To Admit Or Dismiss A $100 XRP When asked whether to tell investors that XRP cannot realistically reach $50 or $100, Schwartz refused to give in to take that position. Instead, he began by explaining why he was uncomfortable making absolute statements about XRP’s future price. Drawing on personal experience, he pointed out that he once considered much lower milestones unrealistic, including XRP trading above $0.25 and Bitcoin reaching $100 as an impossible dream. However, personal disbelief was not the issue. His contention is based on how rational markets behave when participants genuinely believe in a specific outcome.  According to Schwartz, if a meaningful number of rational investors truly believed there was even a modest chance of XRP reaching $100 within a few years, the market would already reflect that belief.  In such a scenario, investors would be unwilling to sell XRP at prices far below $10, and buyers with that conviction would rapidly absorb available supply. At the time of writing, XRP is trading well below $10, and is yet to even establish $2 as a support floor. The fact that XRP continues to trade well under that level, in his view, shows that very few market participants actually assign a serious probability to a $100 outcome.  According to Schwartz, cryptocurrency markets are more rational than they are often given credit for. However, he also noted his personal belief that most significant crypto bull runs were due to unpredictable external changes. This caveat still opens up the possibility that XRP would, in fact, trade at $100 one day. Comparing XRP And Bitcoin Through A Rational Market Lens In a follow-up exchange, Schwartz responded to a comparison between XRP reaching $100 and Bitcoin’s early journey to $1,000. The unlikelihood of XRP reaching $100 is dependent more on the multiple of the asset than anything else. A ten-fold increase in XRP, he said, is about as unlikely as a ten-fold increase in Bitcoin or Ethereum right now, regardless of whether that move occurred in the past or might happen in the future. The idea that XRP would one day trade at $100 has been a popular idea among bullish XRP enthusiasts. However, a few critics have always downplayed the idea, citing the enormous amount of inflow this would take and saying it would be best to target lower prices like $10 first. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction Schwartz’s remarks do not declare a $100 XRP impossible but follow the reasoning of the latter group. Instead, the Ripple emeritus CTO challenges the logic behind confidently promoting such targets when the market itself shows little willingness to price that outcome in today, something that might not sit well with XRP enthusiasts. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Tether closed out the year with numbers that turned a few heads in finance circles. Reports say the firm posted net profits above $10 billion for 2025 while the stablecoin USDT grew to roughly $186 billion in circulation — a new high for the token and a sign of how central it has become to crypto markets. Related Reading: Bitcoin Suppression? Analyst Claims Single Force Keeping Price Under $90K Strong Balance Sheet And Big Reserves Reports note that Tether’s balance sheet shows solid backing after dividends and payouts. The issuer reportedly ended the year with several billion in excess reserves and total assets that comfortably outmatched liabilities. That cushion has calmed investors who worry about backing for so much stablecoin. Tether’s cash and short-term holdings are heavy on US Treasury exposure. Based on reports, a large slice of its reserves sits in Treasuries and similar instruments that generate steady interest income. That income helped drive the large profit number, even as the company moved into other assets. The numbers came from Tether’s most recent annual attestation, prepared by independent accountants at BDO, highlighting the company’s status as one of the top earners in the digital asset sector. Gold Buys And A Shift In Mix Reports say Tether has been increasing its holdings of physical gold alongside Treasuries. Recent filings and public comments show roughly 27 tons of gold purchased in the final quarter of the year, and the firm has said it may aim for between 10% and 15% of its portfolio in gold over time. That move is meant to diversify reserves and trim exposure to any single market. Stock And Market Effects The profit and the increase in the USDT supply have spillover effects. Market makers and exchanges usually use Tether as the primary dollar substitute in the crypto market, and the increased USDT supply improves trading and payment liquidity. On the other hand, some rating agencies and analyst firms have pointed out some concerns. There are potential issues with transparency and risk if markets turn against them due to increased allocations to non-Treasury assets. What This Means For Users And Regulators For users, the first thing to note is that the increased supply of USDT in the market typically means improved on-ramps for trading and moving value between platforms. For regulators and big lenders, the numbers underline why stablecoins attract scrutiny. Reports note that watchdogs want clearer, repeatable disclosures to match the scale of these holdings. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech Tether’s recent performance frames a larger story about how crypto handles dollar-like liquidity in practice. The company says its reserves and reporting meet its own standards, while independent commentators push for still greater clarity. Either way, USDT’s role has grown, and the conversation about risk, disclosure, and where those backing assets sit is only getting louder. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

According to reports, Vitalik Buterin has pulled 16,384 ETH from his reserves and plans to spend it on privacy and truly open technology. That move is paired with a call for five years of thrift at the Ethereum Foundation so the foundation can keep building core software while staying healthy for the long run. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment A New Focus On Privacy And Openness Reports say the funds, worth about $45 million, will back a broad list of projects: open silicon, secure hardware, private messaging, local-first operating systems, and tools that mix zero-knowledge proofs with other privacy tools like FHE and differential privacy. He has already put money toward encrypted messaging and air quality work, and some new efforts aim to make secure hardware more affordable and verifiable. The plan covers both pieces of tech and the systems people run on them. Simple apps for daily life are included, not just fancy research. In these five years, the Ethereum Foundation is entering a period of mild austerity, in order to be able to simultaneously meet two goals: 1. Deliver on an aggressive roadmap that ensures Ethereum’s status as a performant and scalable world computer that does not compromise on… — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 30, 2026 Personal Money For Public Good Buterin is taking on what might once have been “special projects” of the foundation. He withdrew the ETH personally, and reports note he is looking at secure, decentralized staking to route future staking rewards into these efforts. That shifts some financial risk from institutions to an individual who wants those projects to survive even when they are slow or controversial. Some of the initiatives are unlikely to attract fast capital. That is why personal backing matters. A Stronger Core, Not Bigger Hype The Foundation is said to be entering a phase of mild austerity so it can meet two clear goals at once: finish an aggressive technical roadmap and remain alive and independent into the far future. The technical aim is to keep Ethereum fast and scalable without losing decentralization or security. At the same time, the team wants to protect users’ ability to control their keys, their data, and their privacy. Reports note that “Ethereum for people who need it” is the guiding line, rather than chasing large corporate deals that transform how people use the chain. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Gold and silver have recently dominated headlines, outperforming both Bitcoin and altcoins in the broader crypto market. While both precious metals recorded new all-time highs in 2026, many altcoins failed to reach similar milestones. Bitcoin, by contrast, did achieve an ATH in 2025; however, following that peak, its price retraced sharply to new lows. With this in mind, analysts argue that the strength of gold and silver does not pose a threat to digital assets. Instead, they interpret the divergence as a major bullish signal for Bitcoin and altcoins.  Gold And Silver ATH Signals Bitcoin And Altcoins Upside Crypto market expert Mark Chadwick delivered a detailed analysis of precious metals and cryptocurrencies on X this week, pointing to what he calls “the biggest price divergence” ever recorded between gold and Bitcoin. His chart and analysis suggest that a strong performance in gold could be a major indicator for a potential rally in cryptocurrencies.  Related Reading: Dogecoin Price Could Continue To Decline If This Doesn’t Happen; Analyst Chadwick noted that gold has surged aggressively, reaching an ATH of over $5,600 in January 2026. This price rally has pushed the metal into extreme overbought levels on higher timeframes. In contrast, Bitcoin is facing prolonged weakness and negative sentiment in 2026, despite reaching an all-time high above $126,000 in October 2025.  The analyst suggested that this performance imbalance has reached levels that typically signal a major market shift. Gold and silver have been boosted by factors such as central bank accumulation, inflation hedging, and geopolitical pressures. At the same time, Bitcoin has been weighed down by tighter liquidity, reduced investor interest, and risk-off conditions. As a result,  traditional safe-haven assets have entered overbought territory, leaving BTC and altcoins largely overlooked.  Chadwick argues that markets move in cycles driven by sentiment and positioning. When one asset becomes excessively overbought, returns diminish, and capital seeks higher upside elsewhere. In past macro cycles, periods of strong performance in gold and silver have often been followed by capital rotating into higher-risk assets once fear subsides.  Based on his analysis, Bitcoin’s current positioning reflects exhaustion rather than structural weakness. Chadwick believes that when manipulation ends and capital starts flowing out of gold and silver into BTC, it could set the stage for a sharp rebound in the leading cryptocurrency. Since altcoins typically follow Bitcoin’s performance, the analyst expects that once Bitcoin regains momentum, some of that profit could also rotate into select altcoins, fueling a price rally.  Related Reading: XRP Prints Bullish Divergence On The Weekly Chart, But Is ATHs Still Possible? How High Bitcoin And Altcoins Could Rally  Chadwick has stated that Bitcoin’s price could easily surge 10x as capital flows back into it and market sentiment and liquidity improve. However, the chart outlines a short-term rally, projecting a 91.60% rise to $170,000 from the $82,000 region. The analyst also predicted that altcoins could rise 50-100x, reflecting a staggering potential for gains in the crypto market.  He concluded his analysis by emphasizing that smart money knows massive returns often come from diversification. From this perspective, the current ATHs of gold and silver do not undermine cryptocurrencies but signal an upcoming shift in capital.  Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Crypto pundit BigShortRare has declared that a Litecoin price rally to between $1,200 and $2,000 is not a fantasy but a marketcap math. This came as he explained exactly how the altcoin will reach this price target based on its market cap and circulating supply.  Why A Litecoin Price Rally To $2,000 Could Happen In an X post, BigShortRare noted that LTC has a circulating supply of roughly 76.78 million coins. As such, a $1,200 Litecoin price will give the altcoin a market cap of about $90 billion, while at $2,000 per LTC, the altcoin’s market cap is about $150 million. The pundit remarked that these numbers sound big until they are put in context.  Related Reading: Here’s Why The Litecoin Price May Be Getting Ready For Another Massive Rally BigShortRare alluded to the fact that Bitcoin has already crossed $2 trillion in market cap in the past, while Ethereum has traded above a $500 billion market cap. Furthermore, he stated that in the previous cycle, capital has repeatedly concentrated into a few large, liquid, and battle-tested assets.  Therefore, a Litecoin price rally to a $90 billion to $150 billion market cap would still be a fraction of Bitcoin’s market cap and well within historical altcoin concentration ranges during late-cycle rotation. BigShortRare also mentioned that what supports that valuation range is not illusion but structure.  He explained that Litecoin is fully integrated across exchanges, wallets, payment processors, and merchant rails. The pundit added that the altcoin has a fixed supply, no VC overhang, no emissions surprises, and no dependency on speculative incentives. LTC is also said to function as a settlement and payment network, not a promise.  “LTC Is The OG” BigShortRare also noted that LTC is an OG crypto project, which is another reason why he is confident that the Litecoin price can rally to as high as $2,000. He stated that when markets rotate from experimentation to reliability, capital doesn’t spread evenly but rather compresses into assets that already work at scale.  Related Reading: XRP, HBAR, And Litecoin: Pundit Highlights Coins To Watch In 2026 The pundit remarked that a $1,200 to $2,000 price tag for LTC doesn’t require it to replace Bitcoin or Ethereum. Instead, it only requires the market to price Litecoin as a major monetary rail and not a side character. “That’s not a prediction of timing. It’s a valuation argument. Price decides when. Structure decides if,” he concluded. It is worth noting that BigShortRare’s thesis was in support of crypto analyst Surf’s prediction that the Litecoin price was about to rally to $2,000. His accompanying chart showed that the rally to this price target could happen by 2028. At the time of writing, the Litecoin price is trading at around $64, down over 5% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Ripple’s new stablecoin rollout has put a bright spotlight on a simple fact: most RLUSD is living on Ethereum right now. That imbalance has stirred worry among long-time XRP supporters. Some feel the company’s heart might be shifting away from the ledger that gave it a base. Others say the move is practical and short-term. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction Exchange Rollouts And Technical Gaps According to Luke Judges, Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead, the choice of which chain goes live first often comes down to plumbing — the systems exchanges already run. He told followers that Ripple talks about XRPL every time it speaks with an exchange, and that many trading platforms have promised to add XRPL support. Still, existing tools on Ethereum can make listings happen faster. That speed matters when liquidity and market access are the goals. What The On-Chain Numbers Show Reports note RLUSD’s circulating supply sits at roughly $1.45 billion across both chains. About $1.11 billion of that amount is on Ethereum, leaving around $337 million on XRPL. That split — roughly 77% on Ethereum — is a big part of why people worry. Numbers are blunt. They shape how investors react, and they shape headlines. When a major exchange launches support only on one chain, the signaled path is hard to ignore. Community Reaction And Company Tone Binance’s decision to enable RLUSD trading first on Ethereum raised the heat. Many XRP fans saw that as proof of a preference. Judges answered that some launches are a function of readiness, not preference. To ensure complete clarity: the RLUSD team consistently prioritizes the XRPL in every centralised exchange engagement. While some exchanges may complete their Ethereum technical integration first, simply because they have existing infrastructure for that network, making it a… — LJ (@luke_judges) January 29, 2026 He used plain language and made a short, clear point: Ripple “loves” XRP and the ledger it runs on. That line was meant to calm nerves. It did, for some. Others remain skeptical because commitments on paper do not always match activity on the ground. What Comes Next For XRPL What will settle this argument is data. If trading activity, transfers, and custody flows begin to move onto XRPL in meaningful ways, perception will shift. If XRPL volumes stay small, the worry will grow. Exchanges can keep their promises. They can also delay. Some technical work will be needed on both sides to make the experience as smooth for XRPL users as it is for those on Ethereum. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment Ripple’s message, at least for now, is meant to be simple and firm. Judges pushed back on the idea that his comments were an apology, saying there was nothing to walk back. He framed the statement as a response to noise, not a change in direction. “We love XRP and XRPL” was not offered as a slogan, but as a reminder of where Ripple says its roots still sit. Whether that sentiment carries weight will depend less on words and more on how quickly XRPL sees real growth tied to RLUSD in the months ahead. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Washington is trying again to clear a path for federal crypto rules. Talks that had stalled are being pulled back into the open as lawmakers and industry players head to a White House meeting. The plan, based on reports, brings bank executives and crypto company leaders to the same table with officials from the administration of US President Donald Trump. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment White House Steps In Reports say the meeting is scheduled on Monday, and is meant to smooth over clashes that have held up a draft known as the CLARITY Act. About 10 bank and crypto leaders are expected to attend. Conversations have been quiet for weeks, but bringing them into a formal room raises the chance of a fresh compromise. What happens there may not be made public right away, and details could still change. Banks Have Real Concerns Lenders want limits written into law to stop certain token features from acting like bank deposits. They argue that reward-style payments on stablecoins could siphon money from traditional accounts. That worry has pushed them to demand clear language that keeps customer deposits in the conventional system. Strong guardrails are being sought so balance sheets and consumer protections do not get muddled. Crypto Firms Push Back Crypto companies say those same rules would clip useful features and slow innovation. They point out that users expect to earn yields in some crypto services and that strict limits would change how people use digital assets. Several firms stepped away from the current bill draft after saying it would harm parts of the market. That pullback helped stall the process and forced negotiators to rethink priorities. Markets Signal Mixed Views Bitcoin has reacted to the back-and-forth. Prices moved up on some headlines and fell on others. Traders are watching for clear rules; many feel long-term clarity would help markets. Short-term moves, though, have been choppy as investors digest each new report. The mood is cautious, and that caution has been visible in trading volumes and in how quickly prices bounce. Political Timing Matters The Senate calendar is tight. Lawmakers who support the bill want something to show before deadlines and committee work closes. That pressure could spur faster drafting if both sides give some ground. But politics will shape what language survives. Some aides say compromise is still possible, while others expect more delay. Related Reading: Record Pain: Bitcoin Investors Suffer $4.5B Loss, Most In 3 Years A Narrow Window For Action If those at the meeting signal flexibility, a revised draft could go back to committee in the weeks ahead. If no common ground appears, the CLARITY effort may be parked again. Either outcome will leave the industry watching how regulators handle stablecoins, custody, and who has oversight between agencies. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Luke has declared that an XRP price rally to $10,000 is not a prophecy, but one that can indeed happen. He shared a framework that breaks down the factors that could drive the altcoin’s rally toward this ambitious target.  Analyst Shares Framework For XRP Price Rally To $10,000 In an X post, Luke stated that an XRP price target of $10,000 is ot a target or prophecy but a thought experiment. He further noted that Ripple is building the infrastructure that makes this outcome possible for the altcoin. The analyst then provided the “simple framework” on how XRP will reach this $10,000 price target.   Related Reading: Pundit Explains Why The XRP Price Hitting $100 Isn’t Delusional First, he predicted that the XRP price would reach between $10 and $25 when liquidity rotates, not because fundamentals had changed, but because attention had shifted. Luke stated that altcoin cycles still exist and that speculation still moves first. Furthermore, the analyst predicts that XRP will reach $100 once the altcoin is used rather than discussed. This utility will come in the form of repeatedly serving as the bridge currency for cross-border transactions. When this happens, Luke believes that velocity begins to matter and that idle liquidity becomes a liability. The next part of the framework is the XRP price rally to $1,000, which the analyst stated will happen when financial infrastructure assumes XRP is there. In this phase, he envisions a scenario in which XRP becomes the backbone of global finance, with no workarounds or substitutes.  Luke said that at this stage, the system relies heavily on XRP, as removing the altcoin would break the system. He added that the price will reflect dependency, not belief. The final part of the framework is the XRP price rally to $10,000, which he claimed would occur when global capital moves under pressure, prefunding fails at scale, and speed, certainty, and liquidity are non-negotiable.  Another Pundit Shares XRP Thesis Crypto pundit BarriC, who has always predicted that the XRP price could reach $10,000, has shared his thesis on what will happen as the altcoin rallies to as high as $1 million. He stated that XRP at $2 equals retail speculation, while a $10 price target is early utility and liquidity growth. At $100 per XRP, the analyst believes that institutional usage will begin to matter.  Related Reading: Analyst Says All Conditions Are In Place For XRP, Here’s What It Means Furthermore, BarriC stated that large-scale settlements will reduce the required supply, with the XRP price at $1,000. Meanwhile, the analyst noted that fewer units will be needed to move massive value when the altcoin reaches $10,000. He also predicted that XRP could reach $1 million, noting that at this stage, efficiency will exceed abundance.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.86, down almost 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com