THE LATEST CRYPTO NEWS

XRP transaction volume on the XRP Ledger surged 65% over the past twelve months — from 43 million to 71 million transactions — setting a new record that a digital asset treasury firm argues reflects something far more significant than speculative activity: measurable, institutional-grade utility arriving quietly on the ledger while most of the market is watching price charts. Related Reading: Bitmine ETH Holdings Cross 5.2 Million—CEO Announces New Phase For Crypto Markets The data was shared by Evernorth (@evernorthxrp), a purpose-built digital asset treasury focused on XRP, in a post on X. The firm was pointed in its framing: speculative volume on a blockchain comes in bursts. What the XRPL is recording looks different — steady, programmatic, and tied to real businesses moving real money, according to the post. XRP Ledger sees massive increase in network utility driven by transactions from crypto exchanges and other institutional users. Source: evernorthxrp on X Who Is Actually Driving The XRP Volume The top drivers behind the 12-month transaction surge, per Evernorth’s analysis, span a notably diverse institutional base. Bitstamp, one of the world’s oldest regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, sits alongside RLUSD — Ripple’s US dollar stablecoin — as well as Justoken, Braza Bank, a Brazilian financial institution settling cross-border payments on the ledger, and VERT. Exchanges, stablecoin issuers, DeFi protocols, and a Latin American bank are all settling on the same infrastructure, the firm noted — a composition that signals demand distribution rather than concentration in a single use case. The Institutional Plumbing Most Investors Are Missing The transaction surge does not exist in isolation. In a separate blog post published May 8, Sagar Shah, Chief Business Officer at Evernorth, laid out what he described as the most under-discussed XRP story of 2026 — a series of protocol-level upgrades that have quietly built the compliance and settlement infrastructure that regulated capital requires before committing to a public blockchain. The upgrades, shipped across a six-month window, include Multi-Purpose Tokens with compliance rules embedded directly into the token itself, per the XLS-33 standard activated in October 2025. Permissioned Domains went live in February 2026, enabling banks to establish closed on-chain environments where every participating wallet has been KYC’d and credentialed. Token Escrow followed days later — delivering on-chain Delivery-versus-Payment settlement, the standard that backs trillions of dollars of traditional securities trades daily, according to the Evernorth post. A Permissioned DEX, functioning as the on-chain equivalent of a regulated dark pool, completed the settlement layer. A native zero-knowledge proof verifier, developed by Boundless and XRPL Commons and currently live on testnet, adds a programmable privacy layer that allows institutions to settle large trades on a public blockchain without broadcasting transaction details to competitors, per the post. Institutional Access Has Been Compounding The protocol upgrades are running in parallel with a growing institutional access stack, per Evernorth’s analysis. CME Group launched XRP futures in May 2025, with open interest crossing $1 billion within three months — the fastest any CME crypto contract has reached that threshold. Guggenheim issued tokenized commercial paper directly on XRPL in June 2025, backed by US Treasuries and rated Prime-1 by Moody’s, with over $280 million in volume. Société Générale, a European bank managing approximately $1.8 trillion in assets, chose XRPL as one of only three public blockchains to host its EU-regulated euro stablecoin, which went live in February 2026. Five US spot XRP ETFs launched between November and December 2025, with inflows crossing $1 billion by mid-December — the fastest institutional adoption of any digital asset since Ethereum’s ETF launch, according to the Evernorth blog. Two additional protocol primitives currently in development — a native lending protocol and Smart Escrows combining zero-knowledge proofs with conditional settlement — are expected to complete what Evernorth describes as a full financial system on the ledger, covering treasury management, prime brokerage, and programmatic credit. This development marks a pivotal juncture for XRP in the current market cycle. A 65% surge in on-chain transactions driven by exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and institutional banks settling on the same ledger is the kind of structural demand signal that typically precedes sustained price appreciation in the nascent sector — not because of speculation, but because the infrastructure underpinning real utility is quietly becoming impossible to ignore. Related Reading: Something Shocking Just Happened To The XRP Price, Analysts Are Using It To Make A Bold Prediction As of this writing, XRP trades at around $1.4, consolidating above key support as the institutional buildout that analysts like Evernorth have been tracking continues to compound beneath the price chart. XRP's price sees small losses on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview Cover image from Grok, XRPUSD Chart from Tradingview

Crypto pundit BarriC has declared that XRP was never designed to be cheap, given its projected utility among institutional players. He also indicated that the altcoin could reach at least $1,000 as it continues to gain greater adoption among these institutions.  Crypto Pundit Says XRP Not Designed To Be Cheap In an X post, BarriC stated that XPR was never designed to be cheap and that it was designed to move institutional value. He gave an example of how a larger amount of XRP will be needed if an institution wants to execute a $1 million cross-border transaction. Specifically, he mentioned that such a transaction would require 200,000 XRP at $5 per XRP, whereas it would require only 20 XRP if the altcoin were trading at $50,000 per coin.  Related Reading: XRP At $21.5 Isn’t A Bet: Why This Analyst Says A Measured Move Is Coming The pundit further remarked that while retail hopes that XRP will remain at a lower price, institutions are looking at how they can move billions of dollars with as few coins as possible. In line with this, BarriC declared that a $2 XRP price tag doesn’t solve global liquidity, and neither does a $5 or $10 price solve institutional settlement.  BarriC also mentioned that price stops negotiating with retail once an asset becomes required, and that the price adjusts to scale accordingly. The pundit suggested that XRP will need to reach at least $1,000 to become fit for institutional use. He also indicated that the token could reach $10,000 and $50,000 as it continues to scale.  In another X post, he said that an XRP rally to between $2 and $10 is just the beginning, while a rally to between $100 and $1,000 is the start of the shift from retail to adoption. He further remarked that a rise to between $1,000 and $10,000 marks the point at which adoption becomes a necessity. Meanwhile, a rally between $10,000 and $50,000 is where XRP exists within the global financial infrastructure.  Former Ripple CTO Casts Doubt Over The Altcoin Reaching $10,000 Former Ripple CTO David Schwartz previously addressed speculation about a potential XRP rally to $10,000, suggesting it was impossible. In an X post, he stated that if there were a few very rich and rational people who believed that there was a 1% chance that XRP could reach $10,000 in years, they would have bid it up to at least $20.  Related Reading: Ripple’s Eyes $5 Trillion Master Account, What This Would Mean For XRP Crypto pundit Pumpius reacted to the post, noting that the former Ripple CTO dropped $20 as the rational bid for XRP believers while he sold his ETH around $1. He added that applying the 2,300x ETH multiple to the $10 tag could mean that XRP could reach $46,000.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.46, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Two prominent crypto analysts have separately flagged what they describe as a significant technical setup for the XRP price, with one pointing to a chart structure he has tracked since October 2023 that continues to map the asset’s price action — and the other capturing an unusual moment that briefly showed XRP trading at over $43,000 on a major price aggregator. Related Reading: Bitcoin Found Support Where Recent Buyers Can’t Afford to Lose: Discover the Mechanics On-chain analyst and technical researcher Dark Defender (@DefendDark) returned to X with an update on a chart he originally published on October 25, 2023, arguing that the structure has remained the only technical framework for XRP that has stayed valid across the intervening period. According to the post, the chart continues to track the XRP price behavior accurately — a claim that carries weight given the asset’s volatile journey across two and a half years of market cycles. XRP's price 2023 fractal remains valid anticipating an explosion in the crypto's value. Source: DarkDefender via X XRP’s Technical Structure Dark Defender’s analysis is built around Elliott Wave theory and Fibonacci extension levels, a framework that maps price action against recurring structural patterns rather than short-term momentum signals. Per his broader body, the analyst has identified key Fibonacci targets above current prices including levels around $2.58 and $3.56, with the correction phase that defined XRP’s recent price action now appearing technically resolved on the weekly chart. The analyst has stated that a directional move is viewed as inevitable as long as the XRP price maintains its critical support structure — a condition the chart currently satisfies. The longer-term targets referenced in his analysis extend considerably higher, with a Wave 5 projection pointing toward $5.85 and extended Fibonacci levels beyond that, according to reporting by BYDFi based on his prior chart work. These remain projections contingent on the broader wave structure holding. The only chart that has stayed valid since 25-Oct-23. Just look at the levels, how well they played. It will continue. Gigantic success for #XRP is on its way. https://t.co/huo84RHclY — Dark Defender (@DefendDark) May 10, 2026  The $43,032 Moment Separately, crypto analyst Steph Is Crypto (@Steph_iscrypto) posted a video on X capturing an unusual data anomaly — the XRP price briefly traded at $43,032.32 on a major cryptocurrency price tracking platform. The currency converter on the same page simultaneously listed XRP’s actual rate at approximately $0.57, confirming the figure as a platform glitch rather than a genuine market event. The incident drew immediate attention across the XRP community. While clearly a data error, it arrived at a moment when technical analysts are already constructing bullish frameworks for the asset — adding an ironic footnote to a week of mounting analyst conviction around XRP’s direction. However, the analyst took the glitch as an expression of future possibilities for the XRP price. The Bigger Picture for the XRP Price XRP currently trades near the $2.11 area, sitting above key support but below the resistance levels that analysts identify as the threshold for a confirmed breakout. The CLARITY Act, currently advancing through the US Senate, remains the most significant near-term regulatory catalyst for the asset — with digital prediction markets pricing the odds of passage in 2026 at over 60%. Related Reading: SUI Surges 40%: Analytics Firm Explains What’s Driving The Rally A clean legislative outcome, combined with the technical structure Dark Defender describes, could prove to be the combination that finally resolves XRP’s prolonged consolidation into something more decisive. XRP price trends sideways on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview As of this writing, the XRP price trades at around $2.11, holding above critical support as the technical and regulatory setup that analysts have been building toward enters what many in the community consider a pivotal window. Cover image from Grok, XRPUSD Chart from Tradingview

XRP price started a downside correction from the $1.5050 zone. The price is now consolidating and might aim for another increase if it stays above the $1.4450 zone. XRP price started a downside correction after it failed to stay above the $1.50 zone. The price is now trading above $1.4450 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4450 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could start a fresh increase if it settles above $1.480. XRP Price Holds Key Support XRP price started a decent upward move above $1.4350 and $1.4550, outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.480 resistance. A high was formed at $1.5074, and the price started a downside correction. There was a move below $1.4750 and $1.4650. The price dipped below the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3785 swing low to the $1.5074 high. The price is now trading above $1.4450 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4450 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.4720 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.480 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.4880. A clear move above the $1.4880 resistance might send the price toward the $1.50 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.520 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.550. Downside Continuation? If XRP fails to clear the $1.4720 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.4450 level. The next major support is near the $1.4430 level and the trend line or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3785 swing low to the $1.5074 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.4430 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.4280. The next major support sits near the $1.4280 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.4120. Any more losses might call for a test of $1.4050. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.4450 and $1.4280. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4720 and $1.4880.

Fresh accusations of market manipulation are surrounding XRP after a wave of unusual whale activity triggered sharp liquidity shifts across major exchanges. On-chain analysts claim that large XRP holders may be strategically moving billions of tokens to influence price action, target leveraged positions, and exploit weak liquidity zones during critical market sessions. Is XRP Becoming A Whale-Controlled Market? XRP whales have now confirmed strategic manipulation of liquidity, turning what appears to be resistance into a calculated market trap. A crypto trader and investor known as Cheeky Crypto on X noted that as XRP tests the $1.45 resistance level for the fourth time, new data suggests this ceiling is a deliberate liquidity zone engineered by large holders. Related Reading: XRP Market Now Controlled By Whales? Dominance Reaches 91% On Binance At the core of this setup lies a staggering 1.16 billion XRP token supply overhang and a hidden market pipe. While retail investors interpret repeated rejections as weakness at the resistance zone, institutional players are reportedly absorbing sell pressure through ETFs. On-chain data adds weight to this narrative. In a single day, 34.94 million XRP tokens were withdrawn from exchanges, while the XRP native automated market maker is creating a supply-demand imbalance. Furthermore, regulatory developments could act as a major catalyst. The United States Senate Banking Committee’s ongoing work on the Clarity Act could become a major turning point for XRP resistance if lawmakers officially classify the asset as a digital commodity. Cheeky Crypto believes that the Goldman Sachs disclosure of a $153.8 million position in spot XRP ETFs marks the beginning of the institutional era for the ledger. Stablecoin Activity On XRP Ledger Continues Accelerating Rapidly Multiple bullish signals are aligning for XRP and its broader ecosystem. The CTO and founder of House of Cauliman, Mr. Cauliman, has highlighted that one of the strongest indicators came from exchange flow data showing that more than $115 million worth of XRP was withdrawn from exchanges within 24 hours. These large exchange outflows are often interpreted as a sign that big holders are moving assets into private wallets rather than preparing them for immediate sale. Related Reading: This New Move Just Opened XRP To 44 Million New Users At the same time, activity surrounding real-world assets on the XRPL is rapidly accelerating. Tokenized assets on XRPL have surged to approximately $3.03 billion, representing a roughly 45% increase over the past 30 days. At the same time, stablecoin adoption is also expanding across the network, with value nearing $498 million, and transfer volume continues to rise. Furthermore, institutional adoption is also becoming more tangible. In a notable development, Ondo Finance, JPMorgan Kinexys, Mastercard, and Ripple successfully executed a near real-time cross-border redemption of tokenized US Treasuries using XRPL. Despite whales steadily removing XRP from exchanges, institutions testing real settlement with RWA, and stablecoin activity rapidly expanding, the network continues to operate efficiently. This growing appeal is coming from buyers, but the reason people are paying attention is utility. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Ripple announced its agreement with the global investment firm Monday, noting that Ripple Prime’s revenue has tripled in the last year, when. it acquired it for $1.25 billion.

Ripple Prime secured a $200 million Neuberger Berman facility to expand margin lending across equities, fixed income and crypto.

Crypto analyst Tom has declared that a projected XRP rally to $21.5 isn’t a gamble and will definitely happen. This came as he revealed that a measured move is coming for the altcoin, which will send its price to this $21 target.   XRP Eyes Measured Move To New ATH Of $21.5 In an X post, Tom said that XRP is set to see a measured move to a new all-time high (ATH) of $21.50, with this price target also his second take-profit zone. The analyst revealed that he had held XRP when the token was trading at $0.30 and and held until it reached its current ATH of $3.84.  Related Reading: XRP Analyst Reveals The Question No One Asks And Why It’s Important Now, the analyst is again holding the token, targeting higher prices for XRP. He highlighted some positives as the token eyes the $21.50 target, noting that the 3-week golden cross has fired. Furthermore, Tom noted that the current base is a 1:1 fractal of the 2014 to 2017 cycle and that the volume is lower than the last cycle’s bottom, with supply gone.  In another X post, the analyst reiterated his bullish outlook for XRP, citing the CLARITY Act as a catalyst that could spark a rally. His accompanying chart showed that the altcoin could reach $2.8 by July, which is around when the crypto bill could pass. The bill is a positive for XRP, as it will provide regulatory clarity by classifying XRP as a commodity.  Crypto analyst Michael also echoed similar sentiments about XRP, stating that a parabolic rally could begin at any time. He declared that this will be the biggest breakout of the year, as the altcoin has already bottomed.  XRP Yet To Bottom Despite Recent Relief Rally Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has indicated that XRP has yet to bottom despite its recent rally above $1.4. In an X post, he stated that the weekly chart presents a very interesting diminishing downside structure relative to the 200 SMA. He noted that during the first major cycle low, XRP bottomed roughly 60% below the 200 SMA. Meanwhile, during the second major cycle low, the token bottomed roughly 40% below the 200 SMA.  Related Reading: XRP Price Is Replicating The 2017 Trend And The Implications Are Parabolic Applying the same diminishing downside pattern, the analyst said the next major low could be 20% below the 200 SMA, implying a price target of $0.93. Egrag Crypto stated that this thesis wasn’t unreasonable because mature assets tend to experience reduced downside volatility and smaller capitulation percentages. Such assets are also said to have stronger macro support structures and more institutional liquidity stabilization.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.45, up over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP price started a downside correction from the $1.50 zone. The price is now consolidating and might aim for another increase if it stays above the $1.440 zone. XRP price started a downside correction after it failed to clear the $1.5050 zone. The price is now trading above $1.440 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4420 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could start a fresh increase if it settles above $1.4620. XRP Price Trims Some Gains XRP price started a decent upward move above $1.4250 and $1.450, outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.450 resistance. A high was formed at $1.5074, and the price started a downside correction. There was a move below $1.480 and $1.4620. The price dipped below the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3786 swing low to the $1.5074 high. The price is now trading above $1.440 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4420 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.4580 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.4620 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.4770. A clear move above the $1.4770 resistance might send the price toward the $1.5050 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.520 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.550. Another Drop? If XRP fails to clear the $1.4620 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.4420 level. The next major support is near the $1.4280 level and the trend line or the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3786 swing low to the $1.5074 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.4280 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.4120. The next major support sits near the $1.40 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.3850. Any more losses might call for a test of $1.3650. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.4420 and $1.4280. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4620 and $1.4770.

XRP is drawing renewed attention in the crypto community after an analyst raised a key question about the driving force behind demand for the asset in a global settlement system. The discussion focuses on how XRP would function if the XRP Ledger (XRPL) were widely adopted for payments, and whether the cryptocurrency’s value comes from usage, liquidity routing, or deeper institutional structures built around it. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Need One More Signal To Confirm Market Bottom – Details Analyst Questions XRP’s Demand Source In An XRPL Economy  Crypto analyst Iso Ledger posted a compelling question in an X post on May 7, 2026, sparking debates across the crypto community. The analyst argued that if the entire world used the XRP Ledger and settled with the RLUSD stablecoin, XRP would primarily function as a gas token. If this is the case, he questions what actually creates real and sustainable demand for XRP within that system. Iso Ledger explained that the answer lies in “bridging.” In his view, XRP gains demand when it is used as a liquidity bridge between two currencies or assets that do not have direct trading pairs. He used the example of a Japanese pension fund paying a Brazilian supplier, in which XRP would route value between OUSG and a BRL stablecoin when no direct liquidity exists. In this structure, XRP is not just a fee mechanism but a neutral bridge asset that enables settlement between disconnected markets. According to Iso Ledger, this is where demand is created through transaction flow rather than simple usage.  However, he also raised a more complicated issue about what happens when liquidity becomes too deep across all assets on XRPL. If direct pairs exist between most major currencies and stablecoins, XRP may no longer be needed for routing. In that case, it could be sidelined in favor of direct settlement paths. Iso Ledger suggested this creates a tension in the cryptocurrency’s long-term value model. According to him, XRP either has to become expensive enough to remain practical for large institutional settlement or stay low-priced around $2 and collect fractions of a penny with low demand forever. XLS-66D Seen As Solution To XRP’s Demand & Supply Issue  He pointed to the upcoming XLS-66D, a proposed lending protocol on XRPL, as a potential solution that could lock up XRP supply. By reducing circulating supply, XRP’s price could increase, which in turn could strengthen its role as a settlement asset and support more adoption in a feedback loop. He believes this loop could eventually lead to a continuous demand and price appreciation in the long run.  Related Reading: XRP Flashes Historic Rally Signal, Fueling $12 Price Speculation He concluded his debate by raising a key question. Iso Ledger asked why institutions would build a lending protocol or a $550,000 security audit around a “gas token.” He questioned why companies would create XRP ETFs or why Goldman Sachs would invest $152 million in XRP if it were just a simple gas token. According to him, the market is underestimating XRP’s evolving role in global settlement systems. He said that its price just hasn’t caught up with the bullish developments surrounding it.  Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto pundit Remi has declared that an XRP rally to $1,000 is nothing big, indicating that the altcoin could easily reach this target. The pundit also revealed why he believes that XRP could rally much higher, outlining potential use cases for the token.  Pundit Explains Why XRP Can Rally Well Above $1,000 In an X post, Remi remarked that those who think an XRP rally to $1,000 is something “big” haven’t been out in the real world. First, he alluded to the DTCC, stating that XRP can’t be less than $100 solely because of the DTCC utility, as this could drive in “quadrillions” of dollars. The pundit is alluding to the DTCC working with Ripple on its tokenization goals, which could be bullish for XRP.  Related Reading: These Catalysts Can Trigger The Next XRP Price Run, But Can It Reach $3? Furthermore, Remi noted that the inclusion of SWIFT, tokenization, U.S. debt, the Special Drawing Rights (SDR), and the entire banking system makes it impossible for XRP to support such use cases without slippage unless the token is worth over $1,000. In line with this, he declared that if the bull cycle ends quickly, then XRP is likely to have only a three-digit price tag. However, if the cycle extends, then the altcoin could rally above $1,000.  The pundit also noted that XRP needs volume and adoption percentage, which he believes will only come with time. He declared that it will be a quick adoption. XRP is already seeing significant adoption with increased activity on the XRP Ledger. The total tokenized value on the network has surpassed $3 billion, according to data from RWA.xyz.  The CLARITY Act Factor Remi stated that if the CLARITY Act gets signed into law by July, and the bull cycle ends in September, then XRP won’t have time to mature before the cycle ends. However, he believes the token will keep rising while the economy tanks, and that it could rally above $1,000 at year-end 2027 rather than at the start of the year.  Related Reading: XRP History Is About To Repeat Itself And Price Could Rally 1,008% To Cross $10 Interestingly, the pundit also raised the possibility of XRP rallying to $100,000 in the near future, stating that this could happen when they make XRP an e-SDR. He declared that this would happen as the token becomes the settlement rail for the global financial system. He doubled down on the e-SDR angle, predicting that XRP could reach as high as $5,000 overnight if the  International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) labels the token as an e-SDR. Remi also expressed confidence that this will eventually happen.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.42, up over 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com

Market analysts are identifying new catalysts that could propel XRP to explosive highs. A leaked footage shared by Crypto analyst Don Digital Finance highlights two catalysts from a theorized pricing model that could trigger a massive price surge for XRP. Meanwhile, other experts are focusing more on XRP’s payment rails and utility, predicting a price rally to $3.  While most XRP price projections in the market are often based on speculation and hype, the leaked model treats the cryptocurrency as a functional tool for banks and institutions. This means that a higher XRP price is required or even mandated for the system to remain efficient. Leaked Model Predicts XRP Price Rally Between $5 and $4,300 In a post on X, Don Digital Finance shared details regarding leaked footage featuring Teucrium CEO Sal Gilbertie. The video captures Gilbertie discussing various legitimate pricing models for XRP that suggest a valuation range starting from $5 to $4,300. Related Reading: XRP History Is About To Repeat Itself And Price Could Rally 1,008% To Cross $10 These pricing models primarily focus on XRP’s institutional adoption and velocity, which measures how many times it is used within a specific period. Explaining the theory governing the model, Don Digital Finance said that if the XRP network settles trillions of dollars in global payments, the speed of these transfers would dictate how many tokens must be available at any given second. Notably, when institutions move large sums of money, they need deep liquidity to prevent the price from swinging wildly during a single trade. This suggests that if XRP’s price remains low, banks would need to move a massive number of tokens to settle a single multi-billion-dollar payment. This strategy would create a huge functional problem because there are not enough tokens in circulation to support that volume of wealth at a low price point. Related Reading: XRP Price Is Replicating The 2017 Trend And The Implications Are Parabolic However, Gilbertie’s mathematical models suggest that for XRP to handle massive institutional flows, the price needs to be high enough for the existing supply to cover all transactions. A higher price means global banks can use fewer coins to transfer very large amounts of money. According to his calculations, the required price for this system to work is between $5 to $4,300.  Analyst Projects XRP Surge To $3 Then Higher In a separate X post, market expert XRP Queen stated that XRP is positioning for a significant breakout. She predicts that the cryptocurrency could first reach its 2018 all-time high of $3.84, then ultimately target an ambitious $227. According to XRP Queen, the catalyst behind this rally is XRP’s growing role as a global payment asset. She noted that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has recently entered a $2.7 trillion market that encompasses payments, decentralized media, and the broader Web3 ecosystem. She believes that XRP could become a core payment rail within this space, potentially fueling substantial price growth. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

A crypto analyst has laid out a technical case for XRP reaching between $8 and $12 by April 2027. This technical case is purely based on XRP’s price pattern on the weekly candlestick timeframe chart and a projection of where the cryptocurrency goes from here. XRP Can Technically Rally $8 To $12 The foundation of the pundit’s prediction is a multi-year ascending channel that has governed XRP’s price structure since the 2020 bear market lows. The cryptocurrency has been moving within a long ascending channel that stretches from the 2020 low to the 2021 rally, the 2022-2023 accumulation area, and the latest market cycle since 2024.  Related Reading: Analyst Sets $220,000 Minimum Price Target For Bitcoin, But How Will It Get There? Furthermore, the weekly chart shows XRP repeatedly reacting around the lower and middle portions of this channel before attempting to push back to the upper trendline. However, the most notable part of the current positioning is where the XRP price is sitting within this structure. The ascending channel is connected to higher lows, and the lower trendline is currently around $1.2 to $1.4.  This means the cryptocurrency recently tested and held the lower boundary of the channel and has since begun curling upward, with the next projection being a return to the upper trendline of the channel. This movement implies that XRP is now in the early stages of what could become its most powerful channel rally to date. Interestingly, the upper boundary of the channel is currently around $12, which corresponds to the pundit’s prediction of an $8 to $12 price target zone for XRP. The Fibonacci levels on the chart also support the bullish projection. The 1.618 extension from the channel’s low is around $12.15, and this makes the $12 target more than a random number in the analysis. It aligns with the upper Fibonacci extension and the projected channel resistance, giving the prediction a technical basis. XRP Price Chart. Source: @CelalKucuker On X What The MACD Is Saying Another pointed element of the chart was highlighted in the MACD panel below the price action. A circled region on the weekly MACD shows the indicator printing a bullish signal, where the blue MACD line is about to cross over the orange one. This setup is similar to previous MACD crossovers that preceded XRP’s major upside moves, including mid-2025, which took the cryptocurrency to a new all-time high of $3.65. Related Reading: Bitcoin Has Entered Its ‘Most Dangerous Quarter,’ And This Expert Is Warning Investors The weekly MACD is starting to print green bars, and if this is sustained, it would add momentum confirmation to the bounce from the lower trendline of the ascending channel. In order for Kucuker’s 2027 predicted timeline to hold, XRP would need to clear several intermediate resistance levels before the end of the year, including the psychologically significant $2.00 price level, the $3.65 price peak, and the 1.272 and 1.414 Fibonacci extensions at $4.42 and $6.70, respectively. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP’s latest breakout attempt appears to be losing steam as bulls struggle to maintain price action above the key resistance zone near $1.45. The rejection has pushed XRP back toward an important support area despite ongoing bullish developments surrounding Ripple and the XRPL ecosystem.  Failure To Hold Above $1.45 Resistance In a recent analysis, crypto analyst EllaWeb3 noted that XRP struggled to maintain momentum above the $1.45 level and has since started drifting back toward the same breakout zone that traders had been closely monitoring in recent sessions. The rejection near resistance has slowed bullish momentum and placed the market back into a wait-and-see phase. Related Reading: XRP Nears Triangle Apex—Will A Breakout To $1.80 Follow? What makes the situation more notable is that the pullback occurred despite Ripple continuing to expand institutional tokenization use cases on the XRPL network. Major names such as JPMorgan, Mastercard, and Ondo have reportedly been involved in this move. Yet, the market appears to be reacting more to technical structure than to bullish headlines. At the moment, traders are closely watching several key price levels. The $1.40–$1.41 range is currently acting as the primary support zone, while the $1.45–$1.47 area continues to cap upside attempts. Momentum weakened significantly following the rejection near $1.45, and thinner-than-usual liquidity conditions could lead to sharper price swings in either direction. Although the broader setup has not fully broken down, XRP has returned to an area where the market is once again seeking confirmation. A successful reclaim of the upper range could quickly improve sentiment. However, if support levels begin to fail, confidence in the breakout narrative may fade rapidly. XRP Continues To Lag Behind Bitcoin’s Recovery According to More Crypto Online, XRP continues to trade sideways even as Bitcoin has already produced stronger B-wave rallies during the current market phase. From a higher timeframe outlook, the overall structure has not changed significantly. Related Reading: XRP Compression Peaks: Symmetrical Triangle Signals Explosive Move Ahead The current price action continues to appear corrective and may still be unfolding as part of a broader ABC pattern. Rather than displaying impulsive upside behavior, XRP seems to be developing a B-wave range. At the moment, the key local range between $1.22 and $1.55 remains the main support and resistance zone. As long as XRP stays trapped within this region, the market structure continues to favor a corrective outlook over a bullish one. From an Elliott Wave standpoint, there is still no convincing evidence that XRP has begun a direct impulsive advance toward new all-time highs. The broader structure still leaves room for another C-wave decline into the larger support area between roughly $0.98 and $0.48. At the same time, a temporary rally toward the red resistance region between $1.78 and $2.87 remains possible and would still fit within a larger corrective B-wave scenario. For now, momentum remains the key issue for bulls, as XRP continues to struggle for a decisive breakout while Bitcoin trades near major resistance levels. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Crypto pundit Vincent Van Code has explained what a $5 trillion Fed master account, which Ripple is eyeing, could mean for XRP. This comes as the Fed weighs rolling out skinny master accounts for crypto firms, which could also provide them access to the central bank’s payment rails.  What A Fed Master Account For Ripple Could Mean For XRP In an X post, Vincent Van Code stated that a Fed master account for Ripple means that the company can hold its RLUSD backing balance with the Fed without counterparty risk. He further noted that the $5 trillion is a glimpse into how much RLUSD will be printed. The pundit then alluded to the RLUSD/XRP pair, suggesting that XRP’s value could increase significantly as it is used to enable cross-border asset exchanges.  Related Reading: Ripple Execs Are Firing Back And XRP Investors Could Be In For A Good Time In line with this, Vincent Van Code declared that there are big plans in store for XRP and that the flywheel hasn’t yet spun up. The pundit suggested that XRP holders simply have to be patient as these plans materialize. In another X post, he explained the model for how a Fed master account could send XRP to at least $80 based on Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s prediction that over 30% of Ripple Treasury’s $13 trillion could be on-chain by 2031.  The pundit noted that 30% of $13 trillion is around $5 trillion and that a Fed master account is also $5 trillion. He further remarked that a potential monthly release of 1 billion XRP from escrow at $80 per XRP would reach $5 trillion in about 60 months. Vincent Van Code added that he may be wrong, but that the model adds up. He added that XRP reaching $80 by 2032 will shock some people, but those who bought at $0.50 could see a 160x return.  30% of Ripple Treasury’s $15 Trillion Could Move On-chain In an X post, Crypto pundit ChartNerd highlighted Ripple CEO’s statement that 30% of their treasury business could move on-chain in the next five years. Garlinghouse noted how this could provide more liquidity in the crypto ecosystem, potentially boosting XRP’s price, with the firm already integrating the altcoin into their treasury management system.  Related Reading: Why Does Ripple Keep Unlocking And Selling Millions Of XRP Every Month? The Ripple CEO also mentioned that their treasury business is seeing greater adoption among large- to mid-sized companies, with American Airlines as a client. He noted that they have been able to make payments faster and more cost-effectively for these companies, as they can now make cross-border payments in real time. Garlinghouse also alluded to their dashboard, which makes payments easier, seeing as they have now integrated XRP and RLUSD with fiat on the same dashboard.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.38, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP price extended losses and traded below $1.40. The price is now consolidating losses and faces hurdles near $1.3980 and $1.4050. XRP price started another decline and traded below the $1.40 zone. The price is now trading below $1.40 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.3920 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move down if it stays below $1.40. XRP Price Dips Further XRP price failed to stay above $1.4120 and extended its decline, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price declined below $1.4050 and $1.40 to enter a short-term bearish zone. The price even extended losses below $1.3880. A low was formed at $1.380, and the price is now consolidating losses below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.4570 swing high to the $1.3800 low. The price is now trading below $1.40 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh recovery move, the price might face resistance near the $1.3920 level. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.3920 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The first major resistance is near the $1.40 level. The main resistance could be $1.4095. A close above $1.4095 could send the price to $1.4180 or the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1.4570 swing high to the $1.3800 low. The next hurdle sits at $1.4250. A clear move above the $1.4250 resistance might send the price toward the $1.450 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.4650 resistance. Another Decline? If XRP fails to clear the $1.40 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.380 level. The next major support is near the $1.3680 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.3680 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.350. The next major support sits near the $1.3320 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.320. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.3800 and $1.3680. Major Resistance Levels – $1.3920 and $1.4000.

XRP has entered a new chapter in Japan’s payments market after Rakuten Wallet connected the token to Rakuten Pay and Rakuten Cash, giving millions of everyday users a route to interact with the cryptocurrency through an ecosystem they already use. The development is one of the most talked-about XRP adoption stories of the year, among many others. Crypto commentator Dr. Kamilah Stevenson relayed a message for investors fixated on XRP’s price chart: they are watching the wrong screen, while the XRP ecosystem is quietly being opened to 44 million new users. The Market Is Missing The Real XRP Story Stevenson’s comments are based on one idea: XRP adoption may be moving forward beneath the surface even when price action looks quiet. According to the crypto commentator, many investors judge adoption by whether the price jumps immediately after a headline. That is the wrong way to measure developments like the Rakuten Wallet rollout. Related Reading: Is XRP A Scam Or A Trillion-Dollar Coin? Pundit Shares The Answers As noted by Stevenson, 44 million people just got access to XRP. However, that is not a claim that 44 million people have bought the cryptocurrency. Instead, it references Rakuten Wallet, which added XRP to its Rakuten Pay app, allowing its 44 million users to use the cryptocurrency as a payment method across more than 5 million merchant locations in Japan.  Therefore, this implies that a consumer base of 44 million users now has access to XRP anytime they want, particularly to be used as a payment option. That matters for XRP because the cryptocurrency’s long-running investment thesis has always leaned heavily on payment utility. It also plays into the trend of an outlook of adoption by financial institutions. As noted by Stevenson, “this is exactly what institutional adoption looks like, and most people are completely missing it.” Price Is Not The First Signal To Watch Most crypto investors, especially retail traders, are always chasing headlines and expect the XRP price to jump very quickly to moves like this. However, there is a risk in expecting adoption to show up instantly on the price chart. Related Reading: Here’s Why The XRP Price Keeps Crashing Despite Bitcoin Rising On the other hand, real adoption doesn’t move prices immediately. Institutional money doesn’t move on headlines. The more important things are transaction volume, merchant adoption, and proof of concept at scale.  That view fits the Rakuten development more closely than a simple bullish price headline would. Rakuten Wallet’s rollout allows users to convert Rakuten Points into XRP, trade the asset in-app, and charge Rakuten Cash through Rakuten Wallet for spending with Rakuten Pay. Interestingly, the Rakuten development is one of many that are increasing the utility of XRP and the entire XRPL ecosystem on a global scale. While retail traders are watching the price chart, the real money is watching the infrastructure quietly built underneath.  Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Crypto analyst Dark Defender has alluded to history to predict a 1,008% rally for XRP, which could send its price above $10. This comes as the altcoin looks to build a base at $1.4 amid the recent recovery in the crypto market.  XRP Eyes Rally Above $10 As Price Looks To Mirror Past Gains In an X post, Dark Defender predicted that XRP could record a 1,008% gain, rallying to as high as $18. This is expected to be similar to the gains that XRP recorded in the 2021 bull run, when it rallied to $1.72. The analyst noted that history doesn’t repeat itself but that it rhymes, which is why the altcoin could see a similar gain.  Related Reading: XRP Price Is Replicating The 2017 Trend And The Implications Are Parabolic Notably, the analyst had earlier noted that XRP is maintaining the primary structures and levels and that a correction on the weekly time frame is technically over. Based on this, he declared that a directional move is inevitable as long as $1.31 is maintained. XRP is currently holding above $1.40 amid Bitcoin’s rally to as high as $82,000. The recent crypto market recovery has provided optimism that the bull market may be back.  Crypto analyst ChartNerd also provided insights into XRP’s current price action as the altcoin eyes a rally to new local highs. In an X post, he stated that XRP’s multi-month compression range is tightening while the weekly 20/55 EMAs sit above as resistance.  The analyst further remarked that a successful breakout of this structure toward $1.80 would mark a critical inflection point. However, he warned that liquidity hotspots suggest alternative short-term price scenarios.  Analyst Points To Symmetrical Triangle On XRP’s Chart In an X post, crypto analyst Egrag Crypto said that the symmetrical triangle on XRP’s chart is becoming impossible to ignore. This came as he noted that the price keeps compressing tighter and that this type of structure historically leads to a violent expansion move. The analyst further remarked that the measured targets are becoming crystal clear, but the $1.80 to $1.90 zone is a major resistance to this expansion.  Related Reading: Bitcoin And XRP Are Seeing A Surge In Adoption, Here Are The Numbers  Egrag Crypto explained that this zone is not just a resistance but also a macro trend barrier. The analyst predicted that XRP could see a rapid move to $2.30 if the altcoin breaks through this zone with conviction, especially with support bouncing from the White Line structure. However, he added that he was still leaning toward the “fake pump” scenario first, despite this bullish setup for the altcoin, as it tends to trap breakout traders before the real move.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.41, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP price started a downside correction from the $1.4550 zone. The price is now consolidating and might aim for another increase if it stays above the $1.40 zone. XRP price started a downside correction after it failed to clear the $1.4550 zone. The price is now trading near $1.4080 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4050 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could start a fresh increase if it settles above $1.4220. XRP Price Dips Again XRP price started a decent upward move above $1.3850 and $1.4150, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.4220 resistance. A high was formed at $1.4570, and the price started a downside correction. There was a move below $1.4320 and $1.420. The price dipped below the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4570 high. The price is now trading near $1.4080 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.4050 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.420 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.4220 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.4350. A clear move above the $1.4350 resistance might send the price toward the $1.4550 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.4620 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.4840. Another Drop? If XRP fails to clear the $1.4220 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.3050 level. The next major support is near the $1.40 level and the trend line or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4570 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.40 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.3820. The next major support sits near the $1.3620 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.350. Any more losses might call for a test of $1.3320. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.4050 and $1.4000. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4220 and $1.4550.

The pilot, run with Ondo Finance and Mastercard, processed the redemption of Ondo's OUSG tokenized Treasury fund in under five seconds.

Analysts are predicting an explosive surge in XRP’s price this year, comparing the current cycle to the 2017 bull market. According to a recent forecast, XRP’s chart structure is replicating the bullish patterns that preceded its historic 2017 rally. Experts believe that if this historical trend plays out perfectly, the XRP price, which has been trending downward for months now, could go parabolic. XRP Price Mirrors Bull Setup From 2017 Rally @Cryptocupra, a market analyst on X, is sounding the alarm about a major bullish move he believes could soon take place in XRP’s price. In a video analysis shared on May 4, the expert forecast that XRP could soon go parabolic, citing historical chart patterns from the 2017 cycle. Related Reading: Here’s How High The XRP Price Will Be If It Repeats The 2017 Surge The analyst drew comparisons between XRP’s price action in 2026 and its movements in 2017. According to @Cryptocupra, XRP is currently displaying the exact structure and setup that had led to its parabolic rally in 2017. At the time, the cryptocurrency was trading around $0.006. However, it broke out of lower levels and rallied, extending its bullish run until it hit an all-time high above $3.84 in 2018. @Cryptocupra’s video chart further shows that in 2017, XRP broke out of a descending triangle pattern before launching into a rally. The chart shows that XRP had been trending downward for months inside this narrow triangle before breaking out to the upside. @Cryptocupra reveals that this same triangle pattern has appeared in the 2026 cycle, reinforcing his bullish outlook for XRP this year. The chart shows that after the cryptocurrency surged above $3.5 in 2025, it began to trend downward and eventually formed a descending triangle. Since then, XRP has been trading in the red, steadily declining even as other cryptocurrencies surged.  Notably, if XRP can break out as it did in 2017, @Cryptocupra believes its price could surge, turning many holders into millionaires. He predicted that all that’s left is a final shakeout before a trend reversal to the upside begins, triggering the projected price explosion.   Analyst Says XRP At $10-$20 Still On The Table In a separate analysis, market expert Crypto Patel forecasted that XRP’s potential rally toward the $10 to $20 range was “absolutely” still on the table. Despite the cryptocurrency currently trading around $1.4 after months of decline and muted price action, the analyst maintains a solid bullish outlook, citing past price performance and achievements. Related Reading: Analyst Shares ‘Realistic Stance’ For XRP, But Is It The End Of The Road? He noted that despite market participants calling XRP a dead coin in 2023, the cryptocurrency jumped from $0.006 in 2017 to over $3 in 2018. He said that XRP also skyrocketed from $0.50 in November 2024 to over $2.60 in just 30 days.  As a result, Crypto Patel believes that a surge to $10 is closer than ever, highlighting a critical accumulation zone between $0.70 and $1.10 for XRP. He believes that this parabolic rally will likely be fueled by the cryptocurrency’s underlying network, which he says is 1,000x faster than Bitcoin, 99% cheaper than Ethereum, and already being used by global banks.  Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Ripple and XRP are now tied to a sweeping claim of 13,000 banking connections and $12.5 trillion in payment activity. The scale draws immediate attention and prompts closer examination of how XRP fits within a network this large and operates across such an extensive financial system. XRP And Ripple’s 13,000-Bank Reach: What Connects Them? The scale of 13,000 connected banks begins with how Ripple links financial institutions without requiring them to abandon existing systems. Instead of replacing banking infrastructure, the company built a framework that integrates with it. This approach allows thousands of banks to operate within a shared network while still relying on their established processes. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Expansion To $97,000 Is Only Being Blocked By One Pesky Retest At the center of this structure is Ripple’s treasury platform, which unifies payment flows and liquidity tracking in one environment. It delivers a consolidated view of cash positions, giving institutions the ability to monitor and manage funds across borders in real time. Such visibility becomes essential when transaction volumes extend into the trillions. A key step in expanding this capability came with the $1 billion acquisition of GTreasury in 2025. This added established treasury management tools widely used in corporate finance, strengthening Ripple’s ability to coordinate large-scale financial activity. By integrating tested technology rather than building entirely new systems, the network expanded more efficiently while maintaining compatibility with existing operations. This structure clarifies the 13,000-bank figure. It reflects connectivity through a unified system rather than a complete shift into new infrastructure. The network functions as a bridge across institutions, enabling interaction within a shared financial layer while preserving internal systems. XRP’s Role Inside The $12.5 Trillion Payment Flow The next focus is on volume, and this is where XRP’s role becomes more defined. Within a system handling $12.5 trillion in payments, efficiency in moving value across borders becomes essential. Positioned within Ripple’s infrastructure, XRP functions as a liquidity tool designed to support faster and more flexible value transfer across currencies. Traditional cross-border payments often depend on pre-funded accounts in multiple currencies, which ties up capital and slows transactions. XRP offers an alternative by acting as an intermediary asset, allowing value to move between currencies without requiring those reserves. This function aligns with the demands of a system processing large-scale payment flows. Related Reading: Bitcoin Renko Mari-Ashi Reveals Where The Bottom Lies And When The Rise Will Begin Again Still, the reported $12.5 trillion does not imply that every transaction runs through XRP. Ripple’s platform supports multiple payment methods, giving institutions flexibility depending on regulatory requirements and operational preferences. XRP is used in specific scenarios where speed, cost efficiency, and liquidity access are priorities. The figures shared by BSCNews point to a broader infrastructure rather than a single-channel system. XRP operates within that structure as a targeted solution, not the sole mechanism behind the entire volume. Its role becomes clearer when viewed in context: part of a larger financial network designed to move value efficiently across thousands of connected institutions. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

David Schwartz once sold 40,000 Ethereum tokens for $1.05 each. That trade netted him $42,000. Those same tokens are worth roughly $94 million today. Related Reading: Trump-Linked WLFI Files Major Defamation Lawsuit Against Billionaire Justin Sun A Pattern Of Early Exits It wasn’t a one-time call. Schwartz, the former chief technology officer of Ripple, also held more than 1,000 Bitcoin at one point. He sold the bulk of it at $1,000 per coin, then cleared out most of what remained at $7,500. He now holds less than one BTC. His XRP story follows a similar arc — he sold most of his holdings when the token hit $0.10, having never believed it would climb to $0.25. Those disclosures have drawn scrutiny from corners of the XRP community, with some pointing to his early exits as evidence of poor judgment. The criticism sharpened recently when Schwartz publicly questioned whether XRP could ever reach $100 or $10,000 — price targets that many in the community treat as realistic. Everyone had the same opportunity to buy and sell XRP that I did. I did the same thing with bitcoin and ETH and nobody seems to have a problem with that. I utterly reject the idea that selling is somehow morally inferior to buying and have advocated that everyone sell when it’s… — David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) May 5, 2026 What Schwartz Actually Said His response came on X. He pushed back on the idea that selling an asset makes someone less committed or somehow at fault. According to Schwartz, every investor had the same chance to buy and sell XRP that he did. He also noted that he applied the same approach to Bitcoin and Ethereum, and that neither of those sales drew the same level of backlash. Schwartz went further, saying he has long believed that people should sell when it benefits them financially. Reports indicate he traced that view back to his early days in the Bitcoin community, where that principle was part of the culture that drew him in. One community member argued that builders have a duty to hold the tokens tied to their projects. Schwartz rejected that reasoning outright, calling it illogical. He did confirm, though, that he still holds more than 1 million XRP. Related Reading: Long-Dormant Bitcoin Whale Transfers 11,300 BTC, Sparking Market Speculation The $10,000 Question On the price debate, Schwartz offered a market-based argument. Based on reports from his recent posts, he said that if a group of wealthy investors truly believed XRP had even a 1% chance of hitting $10,000, they would have already piled in. That buying pressure, he argued, would have pushed the price to at least $20 by now. Some community members aren’t buying it. They point to his earlier skepticism about $0.25 — a level XRP has since surpassed — as a reason to question his current read on the asset’s ceiling. Schwartz has not walked back his position. Featured image from Bitpanda, chart from TradingView

Days after the Senate Banking Committee released its draft language for the CLARITY Act, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse delivered a blunt message about the road ahead for the delayed crypto market-structure bill.  Speaking Tuesday at CoinDesk’s Consensus Miami event, Garlinghouse said the next two weeks could prove decisive—not just for the momentum of the legislation, but for whether it ultimately clears one of the last key procedural hurdle. Ripple CEO Defends CLARITY Act Compromise Garlinghouse emphasized that the CLARITY Act passage is still not guaranteed. He pointed to the Senate Banking Committee’s long-awaited hearing as the immediate turning point. Without that progression, he warned, the odds for the broader package would deteriorate quickly. “If it doesn’t happen then, I think the likelihood is going to drop precipitously,” he said. Even so, he added that he still believes the bill is likely to advance. Related Reading: XRP Near $1.40—What Could Spark A Move To $1.70, And How The CLARITY Act Fits In The CLARITY Act draft, as previously reported by Bitcoinist and echoed across coverage through the weekend, is designed to curb certain yield practices in the crypto sector—particularly by restricting how crypto firms handle stablecoins used for payments.  Under the draft, crypto companies would be barred from paying customers “any form of interest or yield” simply for holding payment stablecoins. The intent, according to the framing around the bill, is to align the treatment of stablecoin holdings with how traditional banks handle deposits. At the same time, the bill includes an important carve-out. Companies would be allowed to offer incentives or rewards, but only if those benefits are not functionally or economically comparable to the interest a customer would receive on a bank deposit.  That distinction—between permissible promotional incentives and incentives that could be viewed as effectively equivalent to deposit yield—has been one of the most contested negotiation points in the process since the CLARITY Act began taking shape.  Garlinghouse acknowledged that the outcome does not fully satisfy every concern. “Do I think it’s perfect? Hell, no,” he said. He described the bill as a product of tradeoffs and compromises, but argued that the goal of regulatory “clarity” is still better than leaving the sector to operate in uncertainty.  The Fight Over What Counts As ‘Yield’ Eleanor Terrett of Crypto In America reported on Monday that some in crypto were interpreting the CLARITY Act draft as a win for banks, arguing that a broad “no yield” approach would give traditional institutions an advantage.  However, banks appear to be looking at the language differently—some are reportedly worried that the compromise may not go far enough to prevent crypto firms from finding ways around it. Related Reading: DTCC Tokenized Securities Roadmap: Pilot In July, Scale Up In October—With Big Names Like Ripple By Tuesday, Terrett said a split is forming in bank circles over the yield compromise itself. Some institutions—especially larger banks with consumer-facing operations—are said to be taking issue with parts of the final wording.  Meanwhile, those without similar consumer arms reportedly appear more comfortable with the direction of the CLARITY Act compromise. Community banks are also signaling interest, though the industry group ICBA has voiced concerns over how the approach may affect their perspective and interests. Terrett also relayed the concerns of at least one major bank that shares the view held by some negotiators: the core problem is that the CLARITY Act language could be drafted too narrowly, leaving room for crypto companies to repackage or restructure “yield-like” rewards in ways that still resemble bank deposit interest.  At the time of writing, the price of Ripple’s associated cryptocurrency, XRP, was $1.41, marking a 2.5% increase over the past week.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

XRP price started a steady increase above $1.40. The price is now consolidating gains and might aim for more gains above the $1.4120 zone. XRP price started a steady increase above the $1.4080 zone. The price is now trading above $1.4040 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.40 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $1.4220. XRP Price Aims for Fresh Increase XRP price started a fresh upward move above $1.3980 and $1.40, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.4150 resistance. The bulls even pumped the price toward the $1.4220 zone. A high was formed at $1.4215, and the price started a consolidation phase above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4215 high. The price is now trading above $1.4040 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. Besides, there is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.40 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.420 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.4220 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.4350. A clear move above the $1.4350 resistance might send the price toward the $1.450 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.4740 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.50. Downside Correction? If XRP fails to clear the $1.420 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.40 level and the trend line. The next major support is near the $1.3840 level and the trend line or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4215 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.3840 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.3650. The next major support sits near the $1.350 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.3250. The main support could be $1.3120. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.4000 and $1.3840. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4200 and $1.4500.

The XRP price action has long been a topic of debate in the crypto community, with analysts and investors discussing the reasons behind its weak performance despite ongoing bullish developments. Given the cryptocurrency’s persistent downtrend, some market participants have labeled XRP a scam, suggesting that it lacks real potential and its price is being deliberately suppressed. However, a crypto pundit has addressed these claims, debunking the scam label while shedding light on XRP’s long-term potential as a trillion-dollar asset.  Why Crypto Users Are Calling XRP A Scam Vincent Van Code, a crypto analyst on X, has outlined several reasons that counter the idea that XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), could be a scam. In his post, he asked why people believed “XRP is a scam or it’s not being used.” The analyst’s question connects to the broader criticism that XRP’s price has remained low for years despite its active use in cross-border payments, strong community, partnerships with key financial institutions, and expansion into different regions.  Related Reading: Ripple Execs Are Firing Back And XRP Investors Could Be In For A Good Time Before XRP’s rally above $3.5 in 2025, the cryptocurrency was in a steady downward trend for years. The XRP price had been consolidating around the $0.5 level for over four years before it broke past that level in 2024 and jumped above $2.  With the SEC lawsuit officially over and new developments emerging for Ripple and the XRP Ledger, many believed it would be only a matter of time until the price began rallying again to an explosive high. However, XRP has done the opposite. After crashing from above $3.5 last year, the cryptocurrency has been trading at lower levels around $1.3 for months. This weak price action has prompted many in the crypto community to doubt XRP’s potential, with some labeling it a scam token.  Analyst Debunks XRP Scam Labels In his X post, Van Code noted that XRP cannot be a scam if Ripple, a $50 billion company, is actively using the cryptocurrency and working to make it a multi-trillion-dollar asset. He said that there are ongoing plans to use XRP to handle over $1.5 trillion in cross-border payments each year, highlighting its potential role as a bridge currency in global transactions.  Related Reading: XRP Price Set To Rise As It’s Set To Capture A $180 Trillion Market; Analyst Rather than focusing on near-term price action and current performance, the analyst emphasizes XRP’s core utility as a payments solution and how this could drive long-term potential. Van Code suggested that as XRP continues to be used for payments and gains widespread adoption, its price would begin to appreciate in good time. Until then, he urges investors and holders to remain patient as XRP builds real-world use and expands its network. Van Code also referenced a recent statement made by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who emphasized the importance of XRP, saying that “all roads lead back to Ripple’s North Star, XRP.” Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

The crypto market structure Clarity Act needs to get to its next step, a Senate hearing, this month to have a reasonable chance, Garlinghouse said.

XRP has never lacked lofty price targets, but the latest comments around a possible move to $10,000 have led to a direct response from one of the most familiar voices in the Ripple ecosystem. David Schwartz, Ripple’s former chief technology officer and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, has pushed back against the idea by pointing to a simple market question. According to him, if serious capital truly believed in even a small chance of that outcome, why is XRP still trading at its current level? David Schwartz Challenges The $10,000 XRP Predictions The XRP community has long been home to some of the most ambitious price forecasts in crypto. Numbers like $10,000, $20,000, and above circulate regularly on social media, often backed by the outlook of financial institutions adopting the XRP Ledger for facilitating payments. Related Reading: Does The Ethereum 300% Boost In Capacity Mean Price Can Rise 3x To $6,000? David Schwartz, who departed as Ripple CTO in December 2025, addressed the $10,000 XRP prediction head-on during a discussion on X earlier this week. The motivation for Schwartz’s comments was a question from an X user who asked him to respond to valuation theories built around a crypto adaptation of analyst Chris Burniske’s equation of Price = PQ / (V × S). Some market commentators have used the model to support very high projections for digital assets, including XRP. According to Schwartz, if there were a few very rich and very rational people who really believed that there was a 1% chance that XRP could hit $10,000 in 10 years, then they would’ve bid XRP up to at least $20 today. A move to $20 would still be huge from XRP’s current level, but it is nowhere near $10,000.  The Gag Order Claim At the time of writing, XRP is trading $1.41, with a market cap of $86.7 billion and a circulating supply of about 61.8 billion tokens. At $10,000 per XRP, that same circulating supply would imply a valuation around $618 trillion. Therefore, the point made by Schwartz is that even a remote chance of such a massive future price and market should already be attracting aggressive buying from large investors if it were credible. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Expansion To $97,000 Is Only Being Blocked By One Pesky Retest The conversation did not stop at XRP price predictions. Schwartz also addressed suggestions that he may be restricted from speaking fully about XRP or Ripple. He noted that he has never signed any agreement that required him to lie, adding that he would choose silence or avoidance over giving an answer he did not believe was truthful and accurate. Schwartz also took aim at claims that Ripple holds an undisclosed mechanism that will one day be revealed and send the XRP price above $100. “For one thing, circumstances have changed so much that it’s hard to imagine we’ve held onto this magic switch for so long and it’s still just waiting to go,” he said. Interestingly, this is not the first time Schwartz has spoken against ultra-bullish XRP price predictions. Back in January, he pointed out that even a modest chance of XRP reaching $100 within a few years would already be reflected in its current price. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP price started a steady increase above $1.3880. The price is now consolidating gains and might aim for more gains above the $1.420 zone. XRP price started a steady increase above the $1.4050 zone. The price is now trading above $1.4050 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.3910 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $1.420. XRP Price Could Soon Accelerate Higher XRP price started a fresh upward move above $1.3950 and $1.3980, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.4050 resistance. The bulls even pumped the price toward the $1.420 zone. A high was formed at $1.4199, and the price started a consolidation phase. There was a minor decline below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4199 high. The price is now trading above $1.4050 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. Besides, there is a bullish trend line forming with support at $1.3910 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.4120 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.420 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.4320. A clear move above the $1.4320 resistance might send the price toward the $1.450 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.4740 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.50. Downside Correction? If XRP fails to clear the $1.420 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.3910 level and the trend line. The next major support is near the $1.3830 level and the trend line or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3460 swing low to the $1.4199 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.3830 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.3550. The next major support sits near the $1.3320 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.320. The main support could be $1.3120. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.3910 and $1.3830. Major Resistance Levels – $1.4200 and $1.4500.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) said Monday it has reached new progress and clarified timelines for delivering its tokenization service—an initiative aimed at bringing tokenized real-world securities into the same infrastructure used by the US capital markets today.  Two-Phase Rollout For Tokenized RWAs DTCC said the service will move in two phases. It plans to facilitate initial, limited “production” trades of real-world assets (RWAs) that have been tokenized using the tokenization service in July 2026. After that trial period, DTCC expects to launch the service more fully in October of this year.  DTCC’s tokenization service, as described in its release, is designed for tokenizing real-world, DTC-custodied assets while preserving the core rights that investors expect from securities held in traditional form.  Related Reading: This Signal Has Predicted Every Bitcoin Bottom, Here’s What It’s Saying Now The company said tokenized assets supported through the Depository Trust Company (DTC) would provide the “same entitlements, investor protections and ownership rights” as conventional custody arrangements.  DTCC further emphasized that the service is built on DTC’s existing resilience and accountability, noting that DTC already custodies assets worth more than $114 trillion. In remarks accompanying the announcement, Brian Steele, DTCC Managing Director and President for Clearing & Securities Services, said the goal is to provide “systemic scale where deep liquidity already lives.”  Steele also framed the effort as a way to develop the service “in lockstep” with both current industry needs and expected future requirements—while the market collectively builds what DTCC calls “a digital ecosystem.” How The DTCC Plans To Bridge TradFi And DeFi DTCC’s digital assets leadership also tied the initiative to broader infrastructure goals. Nadine Chakar, DTCC Managing Director and Global Head of Digital Assets, said tokenization is a “critical step” toward building digital infrastructure for the future.  She added that DTCC aims to stay at the forefront of innovation by supporting a scalable, interoperable, and risk-managed Web3 environment, one that uses digital ledger technology to deliver real value to the broader industry. DTCC said the firms involved in the Industry Working Group represent a wide cross-section of roles, including custodians, asset managers, brokers, trading venues, application providers, and back-office service providers.  The participating firms include Anchorage Digital, Bank of America, BitGo Bank, BlackRock, and Ripple Prime, as well as over 50 other firms from the traditional finance (TradFi) sector and the crypto industry.  Related Reading: XRP Setup Nobody’s Watching Points To Fast Move Higher, Crypto Analyst Says DTCC President and CEO Frank La Salla described the project as a step toward bridging TradFi and decentralized finance (DeFi) through structured, ongoing dialogue.  La Salla said DTCC continues to convene a broad group of industry leaders to support digital assets adoption and innovation, and that the organization sees its tokenization vision as coming to fruition through both launching the service and “successfully bridging TradFi and DeFi.”  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com