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XRP is showing signs of a potential bullish turnaround after recently hitting a Golden Pocket. Analysts say this Golden Pocket could trigger a strong relief bounce in the XRP price, potentially propelling it toward $2.50. At the same time, they predict that a price drop to new lows remains possible if the market does not unfold as expected.   In an X post on Monday, crypto market analyst CasiTrades announced that XRP has hit a Golden Pocket, bringing attention to an upcoming W4 relief bounce that could fuel a rally to $2.5. Sharing a detailed Elliot Wave chart, she noted that XRP experienced an expected flush into the Golden Pocket around the 0.618 Fibonacci level near $1.93. At the same time, the cryptocurrency aligned well with the 1.618 Extension for Wave 3, which CasiTrades describes as a textbook move.  XRP Golden Pocket Signals Rally To $2.5 According to the analyst, this sets the stage for a full Wave 4 relief to begin. She pointed out that the first resistance to watch is the 0.382 Fibonacci Retracement level at $1.78, which also coincides with a previous support breakdown and could serve as a backtest of resistance.  Related Reading: XRP To $11, And Then $70: The Next Impulse Wave To Watch Out For CasiTrades noted that XRP experienced a very shallow Wave 2, only retracing to the 0.382 Fibonacci level in the Elliott Wave chart structure. She explained that modest Wave 2 corrections often signal a deeper Wave 4 retracement, indicating the XRP price could experience a stronger pullback during the next corrective phase before potentially resuming its upward trend.  Based on this pattern, the analyst stated that Wave 4 could push XRP higher, potentially reaching the $1.93 level from its current price of around $1.60. She added that the cryptocurrency could climb further to $2.03, which corresponds to the macro 0.5 retracement level. CasiTrades emphasized that XRP would need to reclaim the $2.03 level and hold it as support before a sustained upward move could begin. This highlights $2.03 as a key turning point that could trigger XRP’s next breakout phase above $2.50.  The analyst further explained that holding $2.03 as support would eliminate the need for another corrective wave down toward $1.55 or lower. She added that maintaining this level could also prevent  Wave 5 from failing.  What Happens If Support Fails In her Elliott Wave analysis, CasiTrades admitted that “nothing is confirmed yet,” keeping her bullish outlook for XRP speculative. She noted that XRP’s recent drop to new lows created a Bullish Divergence, but the market could still revisit lows. Related Reading: XRP Price Could Surge Another 30% If This Trend Is Confirmed CasiTrades said that XRP’s bullish scenario will only be confirmed once it breaks through the key resistance level. The accompanying chart highlights the potential downside of support failing, projecting a roughly 8% decline from $1.60 to $1.47.   Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP’s recent price rebound has come at an unusual moment. The token is slowly recovering from levels last seen nearly two years ago, even as fresh controversy arises around resurfaced Jeffrey Epstein emails and renewed scrutiny of early XRP-related experiments such as Mojaloop. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Crash Spells Trouble For Strategy: 10-Month Low Stings Below Average Purchase Price For many traders, the timing raises a simple question, Why is XRP finding buyers now, despite headlines that could have weighed on sentiment? The answer appears to lie less in historical debates and more in present-day market structure, regulation, and real-world use cases that are beginning to show measurable traction. XRP's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview Epstein Emails and Mojaloop Reignite Old Debates Recently released emails linked to Jeffrey Epstein have drawn attention to how early crypto insiders viewed XRP and similar payment networks. Parity involving figures from Bitcoin-centric firms suggested that supporting projects like XRP or Stellar was seen as politically and strategically risky within early crypto circles. Separate leaked discussions from the Mojaloop Foundation compared XRP-based models with Stellar, highlighting push payments and real-time settlement, while also pointing to integration and adoption challenges. Industry figures, including Ripple’s chief technology officer David Schwartz, have stressed that these documents show opinion and proximity, not involvement or control. The emails largely reinforce what was already known, XRP’s design and goals put it at odds with Bitcoin-aligned investors in its early years, slowing adoption despite technical promise. While the renewed attention has stirred online speculation, it has not introduced evidence of misconduct or direct operational ties. XRP Price Rebound Driven by Market and Regulatory Signals Despite the chatters, XRP recently bounced from around $1.50, its lowest level in almost two years, as the broader crypto market staged a modest recovery. Bitcoin and Ethereum also moved higher, helping lift sentiment across major tokens. XRP has since traded near $1.60, even after falling more than 15% over the past month. Beyond market beta, regulatory developments have played a role. Ripple’s approval for a full Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg allows it to operate across the European Union and expand its regulated payment services. In parallel, a partnership with DXC Technology is integrating XRP into banking systems for settlement and payments, reinforcing its utility narrative at a time when investors are looking for assets with tangible use cases. Real-World Activity Offers Counterweight to Controversy Another factor supporting sentiment is growing activity on the XRP Ledger beyond payments. In the UAE, more than $280 million worth of polished diamonds have been tokenized using Ripple-backed custody infrastructure and the XRPL. While the project remains in a controlled phase pending regulatory approvals, it highlights how the network is being used for real-world asset experiments rather than speculation alone. Related Reading: Bitcoin Net Taker Volume Sees Third-Largest Bearish Spike In 2 Years Taken together, XRP’s bounce appears to be driven less by the dismissal of historical concerns and more by current fundamentals. Regulatory progress, institutional-facing partnerships, and broader market stabilization have, for now, outweighed renewed debate over old emails and early adoption struggles. Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart on Tradingview

The XRP price might be trading in a bearish mood, but exchange-held supply behind the scenes points to a trend that could matter for price direction in the months ahead. A recent report from 21Shares shows that exchange reserves have dropped to a seven-year low of 1.7 billion XRP. The report shows how tightening liquidity, ETF demand, and investor behavior are quietly lining up for a possible repricing for XRP in 2026. Falling XRP Exchange Supply Meets ETF Demand According to 21Shares, three pillars will shape XRP’s price action in 2026: regulatory clarity, substantial investor demand through spot ETFs, and real-world adoption of XRPL. As noted in a report by the Switzerland-based financial services company, exchange reserves are at roughly 1.7 billion XRP, their lowest level in over seven years. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Crash To $76,000: Why This Analyst Is Warning Against Buying This number coincides with an institutional demand in XRP ETFs, which is intersecting with a community that is increasingly adopting the outlook of holding. This narrowing of readily tradable supply is a catalyst for nonlinear repricing if sustained through the year. According to 21Shares, this is creating a supply-shock mechanism that mirrors the GameStop revolution on Reddit. ETF products in the US have attracted over $1.3 billion in their first month with a record streak of consecutive inflows regardless of market conditions and outflows from other crypto ETFs. That persistent demand indicates, in the report’s view, a transition from speculative trading to structural capital allocation. This demand is still strong, although the cumulative total net inflow of these ETFs has since dropped to $1.18 billion at the time of writing. The report also looked at the path set by Bitcoin spot ETFs as an analog, where nearly $38 billion of net inflows helped double Bitcoin’s price from $40,000 to $100,000 in under a year. Keeping this precedent in mind, XRP’s much smaller market capitalization at ETF launch, roughly one-eighth of Bitcoin’s, means that its inflows are going to exert a proportionally larger impact on price discovery. According to 21Shares, capital velocity on XRP could be higher, which is expected to amplify the reflexive price feedback loop if inflows continue. XRP ETF Assets. Source: 21shares XRP Price Outlook For 2026 The 21Shares report envisioned 2026 as a year where XRP’s valuation will be impacted by a combination of regulatory access, sustained ETF flows, and significant RWA volume on the XRP Ledger. In terms of pricing, it lays out a scenario range for 2026 that centers on a base case peak of $2.45 (assigned 50% probability), a bull case peak of $2.69 (30%), and a bear case peak of $1.60. Related Reading: Why Gold & Silver’s All-Time Highs Are Very Bullish For Bitcoin And Altcoins The base case assumes regulatory stability supports steady ETF inflows and gradual improvement in real-world utility, while the bull case leans on institutional-scale tokenization and tighter liquid supply creating a stronger repricing effect. The bear case, on the other hand, is tied to stagnant adoption and capital rotation away from XRP. Right now, XRP is trading around this bear case, and bulls are struggling to hold above $1.6. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

An XRP analyst is pushing back against the growing sense of boredom surrounding XRP’s price action, with the outlook that people are misreading what is actually happening on the higher timeframes.  Taking to the social media platform X, an analyst known as XRP QUEEN said traders are overlooking a typical setup that has always preceded some of XRP’s most notable rallies. Her view is based on XRP’s weekly price structure and a comparison with how previous long consolidation phases eventually resolved. Why XRP $1.50 To $3 Range Matters More Than It Looks A look at the weekly candlestick timeframe chart shows that XRP’s price action over multiple months has been largely confined between support at $1.5 and resistance just above $3. Interestingly, according to the analysis from XRP Queen, XRP’s price action being pinned between roughly $1.50 and $3 is not a sign of weakness but a repeat of earlier accumulation zones.  Related Reading: Pundit Says XRP Price Is Not A ‘Crypto’ Question, But A Systemically Important Liquidity Asset The chart shows how the token has previously spent long stretches moving sideways for hundreds of days, highlighted on the chart as 200-day, 800-day, and even 1,000-day consolidation phases. In each case, price compression eventually gave way to a vertical move higher, labeled as MOON on the chart. The key point being made is that these flat, frustrating periods tend to drain interest and attention from the market. That drop in engagement, according to the analyst, has always aligned with smart accumulation. The longer the range holds, the more pressure builds beneath the surface. $2.72 And The Projection Of A Teleport Move A notable level on the chart is the $2.72 zone, which is sitting around the 0.786 Fibonacci extension level projected from XRP price lows in 2018. Breaking and holding above $2.72 would be important to how XRP rallies to new all-time highs. As noted by XRP Queen, if $2.72 holds, then the next outlook is looking at $9-$15. Related Reading: Pundit Explains Why The XRP Price Hitting $100 Isn’t Delusional Once XRP leaves this range, it teleports. No pullbacks and no second chances. The projection on the chart shows Fibonacci extensions stretching far above the current price. These extensions include 0.786 at $2.71, the 1.0 extension around $3.40, followed by 1.618 at $5.47, 2.818 at $8.78, and the most extreme 4.764 extension around $15.89, all pointing to price targets to be broken once the current range is broken. However, the altcoin is currently trading far below the $2.72 level needed to confirm the price teleportation to interesting highs. At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.60, meaning the price would need to climb by about 69% just to retest $2.72. Until that happens, XRP is in consolidation mode, and it is unclear how long it will keep trading sideways in the current range. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

The XRP price recently entered a volatile contraction phase after a sharp drawdown from multi-month highs, leaving traders questioning whether the recent crash represents a distribution top or a structurally valid buying opportunity. With price confined to a clearly defined range and macro pressures still in play, actionable short-term trading requires disciplined structure analysis, risk management, and clarity on key levels rather than guesswork. Trading XRP Price After The Crash: Structure, Levels, And Range Execution During the most recent price cycle, XRP fell sharply from early-January 2026 highs near $2.39, breaking below the $2.00 level and printing lows in the $1.58–$1.60 region. That move flushed excess leverage and forced short-term positioning out of the market, creating conditions for consolidation. For traders, this transition is critical because it shifts the playbook from trend-following strategies to range-based execution. Related Reading: Why Gold & Silver’s All-Time Highs Are Very Bullish For Bitcoin And Altcoins Recent short-term commentary from market analyst Luke Suther helps frame this phase by emphasizing structure over prediction. His technical read aligns with the chart now showing a compressed range, with higher-timeframe resistance still anchored around $1.95–$2.00 while the visible local supply zone sits closer to $1.67–$1.70. On the downside, repeated defenses in the $1.58–$1.60 region highlight where demand continues to stabilize price despite broader uncertainty. Trading XRP in this environment requires respecting those boundaries. Long exposure becomes favorable near the lower end of the structure, where consistent reactions indicate that sellers are failing to accelerate momentum. Entries should remain confirmation-based, supported by observable demand, with tight invalidation below support to maintain risk control.  On the upside, moves into resistance, both the local supply zone and the broader $2.00 region, serve as tactical exit or risk-reduction areas rather than breakout signals. XRP has repeatedly failed to sustain progress through these ceilings, highlighting weak upside conviction. Until price reclaims resistance with meaningful volume, short-term strategies continue to favor mean reversion over trend continuation. Managing XRP Trades Around Catalysts And Volatility Risk Because XRP is in compression, Suther believes that external catalysts carry outsized influence. Short-term traders must actively factor these into execution and sizing. Ongoing Epstein-related developments risk undermining institutional confidence, which can pressure broader crypto markets through Bitcoin correlation. Elevated US fiscal risk, including shutdown concerns, increases volatility and makes false breakouts more likely. Any progress or commentary around the CLARITY Act is particularly relevant for XRP and can rapidly shift sentiment, while geopolitical tensions involving Iran remain a wildcard for risk assets. Related Reading: Dogecoin Price Could Continue To Decline If This Doesn’t Happen; Analyst In practical terms, this means reducing leverage, tightening stops, and avoiding oversized positions ahead of high-risk news windows. Catalyst-driven moves should trigger reassessment, not emotional reaction. A confirmed break above resistance with sustained volume would shift the short-term bias toward continuation, while a loss of the $1.50 support zone would invalidate the current range and reopen downside risk. Until structure resolves, the most effective way to trade XRP after the crash is disciplined range execution, strict risk control, and patience.  Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

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 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

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

Ex-Ripple CTO David “JoelKatz” Schwartz pushed back on viral XRP price calls, arguing that today’s market price is already a referendum on how much credible capital actually believes in a near-term path to $100. His comments also spilled into a broader discussion about XRPL economics and scaling tradeoffs that, in his view, get lost in the hype cycle. Can XRP Reach $100? Schwartz was responding to an X user urging him to tell “xrp supporters” that XRP “can’t and won’t go to 50-100$,” warning that “So many people get poor with investing in xrp.” Schwartz declined to make an absolute claim, but framed the debate in probabilistic terms, pointing to his own history of being surprised by crypto’s upside. Related Reading: 21Shares Drops 3 XRP Price Predictions For 2026: What’s The Upside? “I don’t feel comfortable saying something like that,” Schwartz wrote. “While I don’t think it’s likely, I didn’t think it was likely that XRP would ever hit $0.25. I started selling XRP at $0.10 because it seemed insane. I remember when bitcoin hitting $100 seemed like an impossible dream.” Rather than debating narratives, Schwartz offered a market-math thought experiment: if rational investors truly believed there was a meaningful chance of XRP reaching $100 within a few years, the current price would not sit far below double digits for long. “If many rational people believed that there was a 10% chance that XRP hit $100 within a few years, they definitely wouldn’t sell very much today at much less than $10,” he said. “Those with that belief would quickly buy up most of the XRP, because they’d value it more highly than those without that belief, and soon the supply of XRP well below $10 would dry up.” Schwartz then drew his conclusion from the gap between the hypothetical and the tape. “That the current trading price is well below $10 shows that there aren’t very many people who really think it has a 10% chance of hitting $100 within a few years with enough confidence to put their money where their mouth is,” he wrote, adding: “So anyone who says otherwise is not telling the truth.” He emphasized that readers can “do that same math” with different odds, time frames, and target prices. In a final note, Schwartz argued his baseline assumption is that crypto markets are “rational most of the time,” with major bull runs typically catalyzed by “unpredictable external changes,” rather than widely telegraphed certainties. Related Reading: XRP Risk-Adjusted Returns Signal Consolidation Rather Than Trend Formation – Details In a separate reply, Schwartz revisited an older famous X post by himself where he said that XRP “can’t be cheap.” Asked what he meant by this, he answered: “It means that a low price for XRP actually makes it more expensive to use for payments and exchanges.” The implication is mechanical: if XRP’s price is lower, more units are required to represent the same value in flight, potentially impacting how the asset is used across payment and exchange flows. Scaling The XRP Ledger Schwartz also addressed concerns about XRPL throughput after a user questioned whether “1500 per second (theoretical) is sufficient,” asking about ways to increase on-chain transactions per second. Schwartz said higher TPS is possible, but warned that most approaches shift costs onto node operators. “There are ways, but I don’t think you really want to,” he wrote. “Almost any way you do it imposes costs on everyone who runs a node. They have to receive more transactions, process and store more transactions, and relay more transactions to others.” He argued that decentralization pressure shows up when node costs rise without a matching benefit, and suggested a different optimization target: “This is why I think it makes more sense to try to increase the value of each transaction rather than trying to increase the number of transactions you can support.” With XRPL fees “so low,” he added, many transactions are “very low in value,” leaving room to “get more useful transactions on XRPL, even crowding out the worthless ones,” before throughput becomes the binding constraint. At press time, XRP traded at $1.76. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

After months of compressed price action, XRP is back in focus after a widely followed crypto trader on X highlighted a significant shift on the weekly chart. The asset is now showing a technical signal that has historically appeared near major turning points, sparking debate over whether this setup can realistically support a move back toward XRP’s prior all-time highs. XRP’s Multi-Year Range Holds As Bullish Momentum Emerges The crypto trader notes that XRP’s current market structure remains anchored to a clearly defined weekly price range that dates back to the 2018 cycle peak. This long-standing zone, stretching roughly from the low-$2 area to the low-$3 region, has functioned as a structural equilibrium for XRP across multiple market phases. Since late 2024, XRP’s price has stayed compressed within this range, repeatedly testing both support and resistance without delivering a decisive breakout or breakdown. Related Reading: What’s Going On With The US Dollar And How Does It Affect Bitcoin, Ethereum Prices? What differentiates the current setup from previous failures is the behavior of momentum. On recent weekly lows, momentum indicators have begun forming higher lows even as price revisits familiar support levels. In practical terms, downside moves are losing strength, signaling that selling pressure is weakening. This bullish divergence suggests distribution is fading, with sellers expending more effort for diminishing downside results. The chart shared by the trader reinforces this view, showing price holding range support while underlying momentum trends higher. From a structural perspective, this consolidation reflects absorption rather than weakness. Short-term participants are gradually replaced by longer-term holders, improving market stability. While a bullish divergence alone does not guarantee a return to all-time highs, it reopens that discussion in a technically credible way. A sustained breakout above the upper boundary of this multi-year range would be the key confirmation. Until that occurs, ATHs remain a conditional outcome—but the divergence signals that the groundwork for such a move may now be forming. Macro Rotation And The Case For A  Delayed Altcoin Catch-Up The broader market context reinforces the significance of the trader’s weekly XRP analysis. Equities continue to reach record highs, metals are losing momentum, and the US dollar is falling—conditions that historically signal capital rotation. Yet, many altcoins, including XRP, remain sidelined in sentiment, largely overlooked after underperforming relative to newer narratives. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Prediction: Analyst Forecasts 72.86% Crash To $30,000 According to the crypto trader, this disconnect is notable: altcoins still trade well above bear-market lows, but cautious positioning creates the potential for asymmetric gains if capital rotates from crowded trades. The bullish divergence on XRP’s weekly chart does not guarantee an immediate rally or automatic return to all-time highs. However, it signals that structural groundwork for a larger move is forming. If XRP can reclaim and break above the upper boundary of its multi-year range with conviction, the case for revisiting previous peaks becomes materially stronger. This setup reflects temporary frustration, not failure. Momentum is building, and while patience is required, the chart suggests the market is positioning correctly for a potential delayed catch-up in the altcoin sector. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

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

A crypto analyst has provided a new update on the XRP price, highlighting its role as a systemically important liquidity asset. According to the pundit, its price dynamics go beyond the typical crypto speculation, emphasizing its value as a foundational financial tool for global liquidity, settlement, and treasury management.  XRP Price Signals Value Beyond Crypto Speculation On January 27, crypto analyst and investor Rob Cunningham shared a new take on the XRP price that challenges conventional crypto thinking. He emphasized that the question of XRP’s value is not primarily about crypto speculation but about balance sheets, liquidity, and risk management. He also argued that understanding the altcoin requires viewing it as a structural tool within the global financial system rather than just a market-traded asset. Related Reading: XRP’s 173-Day Theory: What Happens If This Historical Trend Plays Out Again Cunningham noted that when XRP is treated as plumbing, neutral collateral, and a source of settlement certainty, its price logic will stop looking like Bitcoin’s. He described XRP as a systemically important liquidity asset, meaning its valuation reflects systemic function rather than market hype. This framing positions XRP as an essential infrastructure for liquidity and cross-border settlement.  The crypto pundit also cited a previous commentary from Ripple’s CTO Joel Katz, who reportedly argued that XRP’s price would need to be well above $200 to achieve its intended purpose. According to Katz, this price target is necessary to make the token a cost-effective neutral bridge of liquidity and settlement globally.  Building on this, Cunningham concluded that regulatory clarity could come first for XRP, followed by adoption, and that price would then adjust. The analyst underscored the importance of maintaining patience, noting that the token’s future is inevitable once its functional purpose is fully recognized and integrated into global financial systems.  Price When Driven By Global Liquidity And Settlement In his post, Cunningham referenced an image illustrating XRP’s potential flow, liquidity, and price relationships. The data highlighted the price levels XRP’s price could reach if driven by global liquidity and settlements.  Related Reading: XRP To $11, And Then $70: The Next Impulse Wave To Watch Out For According to the image, if XRP captures just 15% of SWIFT’s annual flow, it would represent $22.5 trillion in yearly liquidity processed through the cryptocurrency. At 25% XRP settlement rate and tight liquidity corridors, the yearly XRP-settled flow would total $5.6 trillion. Notably, the liquidity required to support these flows depends on its velocity, which ranges from 1:6 to 1:12 per year.  Based on an annual flow of $5.6 trillion and a buffer of 2x to 5x, Cunningham estimates the required XRP liquidity would range from $280 billion to $700 billion. This calculation reflects the treasury scale of XRP necessary to absorb and settle global flows effectively.  The price scenarios in the image show a wide range, depending on settlement and treasury reserve assumptions. The base case assumes a price range of $2.50 to $7.50 for XRP, while full ripple effects could push the token to $10 to $200. If XRP were to function as a major reserve currency, the image suggests its price could reach $50 to $100 or higher. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com

21Shares has outlined a three-scenario price outlook for XRP in 2026, arguing that the token is moving from a litigation-defined trade to one increasingly priced on ETF-driven demand and measurable on-ledger adoption. In a Jan. 23 research note, 21Shares’ Matt Mena frames 2026 as a “defining turning point” in which XRP’s valuation becomes “anchored in institutional fundamentals” after the August 2025 settlement that ended the SEC case overhang. The firm says that resolution removed a structural constraint that had limited XRP’s upside “regardless of underlying utility,” allowing the market to reprice to a new all-time high of $3.66 and then consolidate with the former $2.00 ceiling acting as support. XRP Price Predictions For 2026 21Shares describes the post-settlement regime as a tougher environment for the asset: less narrative optionality, more accountability. With the legal cloud cleared, the note argues XRP “can no longer rely on courtroom hype or regulatory uncertainty to drive its valuation or excuse underperformance,” introducing a “sell the news” risk if usage fails to scale and the market re-rates the asset on realized adoption rather than legal relief. Related Reading: XRP’s ‘Golden Ticket’ Might Not Be What You Think, Expert Says The firm’s view is that clarity expands the addressable buyer base and product surface area in the US “US-based institutions. Regulated funds and ETP issuers. Banks and payment companies.” In 21Shares’ telling, those channels were previously constrained by compliance risk, and their re-entry sets up a new phase of price discovery. The second pillar is flows. 21Shares says US spot XRP ETFs have “fundamentally rewritten” XRP’s demand profile, reaching more than $1.3 billion in assets under management in their first month and logging a 55-day streak of consecutive inflows. The note leans heavily on a supply-demand argument, pairing ETF absorption with what it characterizes as unusually sticky retail positioning. “Exchange reserves are at a seven-year low of 1.7 billion XRP. Institutional ETF demand is colliding with a community that refuses to sell.” That collision, the firm argues, is the “primary engine” for a potentially non-linear repricing, while also warning that reflexivity cuts both ways if inflows slow. To ground the reflexivity case, 21Shares points to the first year of US Bitcoin spot ETFs as a template, citing nearly $38 billion in net inflows and a price move from roughly $40,000 to $100,000 inside 12 months. The distinction, in its view, is liquidity overhead: XRP launched its ETF era at a much smaller market cap than Bitcoin did at its debut, implying a larger marginal impact per dollar of net buying, provided those early capture rates persist through 2026. Related Reading: XRP Could Enter New Growth Phase After Clarity Act Decision — Here’s How The third pillar is utility, with 21Shares positioning XRPL as “financial plumbing” for tokenization and stablecoin settlement. The note highlights RLUSD’s growth to more than 37,000 holders and a market cap increase of over 1,800% from $72 million to $1.38 billion in under a year, alongside XRPL DeFi TVL expanding nearly 100x over two years to above $100 million. It also points to the Multi-Purpose Tokens standard as a mechanism for institutions to issue RWAs with embedded metadata and compliance rules. Still, 21Shares flags execution risk: progress is “evolutionary, not explosive,” and XRPL trails rivals on developer and user engagement, with competition for RWA flows cited from Canton, Solana, and other ecosystems. 21Shares’ modeled peak ranges for 2026 put a base case at $2.45 (50% probability), a bull case at $2.69 (30%), and a bear case at $1.60 (implied -16%), with key swing factors being sustained ETF inflows, meaningful tokenization volumes, and RLUSD maintaining institutional traction. At press time, XRP traded at $1.8792. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

A fresh debate in the XRP Ledger (XRPL) community is converging on a specific “golden ticket” thesis: XRP’s breakout utility case won’t come from narratives, but from plumbing: Ripple’s regulated payments stack sourcing liquidity directly from the on-chain XRPL DEX, and Ripple Prime settling institutional flow on-ledger. The XRP Golden Ticket Theory The idea surfaced in an exchange on X after one user, Alex Cobb, a well-known commentator within the XRP community, argued that US market-structure legislation, the CLARITY Act, is “XRPs golden ticket.” Another renowned community member, Krippenreiter, pushed the focus back on product rails rather than policy catalysts: “Personally I think Ripple Payments sourcing liquidity from the onchain XRPL DEX and Ripple Prime settling post trade on the XRP Ledger are XRPs golden tickets.” Personally I think Ripple Payments sourcing liquidity from the onchain XRPL DEX and Ripple Prime settling post trade on the XRP Ledger are XRPs golden tickets. (Long-term view ????) https://t.co/DOkLdsH1oo — Krippenreiter (@krippenreiter) January 27, 2026 Krippenreiter clarified that the phrasing tracks what Ripple has previously messaged about how it intends to use the XRPL in institutional contexts. “The ideal is to do everything on-chain, so yes. Anything happening on-chain settles on XRPL,” they wrote, adding: “I said ‘post-trade settlement’ because that’s what Ripple initially publicly stated for what they plan on using XRPL for.” Related Reading: XRP Funding Rates And Spot Volume Tell An Interesting Story For Price That distinction matters because routing liquidity through a public DEX, especially for regulated entities, creates a different compliance surface than using a ledger as a settlement layer after execution happens elsewhere. In the thread, attorney Bill Morgan framed the gating issue bluntly: “Eventually, once it can source liquidity from the XRPL DEX without risk of regulatory non-compliance.” Others pointed to Permissioned Domains and a permissioned DEX construct as the major blocker for regulated liquidity sourcing, with Krippenreiter describing “credentials,” “permissioned domain,” and “permissioned dex” as the solution set. Morgan noted the implication extends beyond Ripple: if that’s a blocker for Ripple, “it will be a block for any other institution that may wish to use the XRPL DEX.” Notably, the Permissioned Domains amendment is on track to go live next week, XRPScan shows 27 of 34 validator votes (88.24% consensus) and an estimated activation time of Feb. 4, 2026 at 09:57:51 UTC, provided it remains above the required threshold through the enablement window. The same thread pulled Ripple Prime into the picture. Luke Judges (middle management at Ripple) said, “Prime underrated, we need more CEXs to support XRPL inventory. Working on it.” Related Reading: XRP Ledger Congestion Could Burn 1 Billion Coins A Year, Developer Claims Krippenreiter suggested that, beyond exchange inventory, privacy could be the other hard prerequisite for Prime’s deeper XRPL integration, calling it “the blocker” in circulating rumors. That maps onto Ripple’s own public framing: in an October 2 post, Ripple engineering leader J. Ayo Akinyele argued that “finance cannot function without confidentiality, yet blockchains are built on transparency,” and that institutional-grade adoption requires privacy that still supports compliance. Akinyele put the institutional constraint in plain terms: “Without privacy, financial institutions cannot safely use public ledgers for core workflows. Without accountability, regulators cannot sign off. With programmable privacy, we can have both.” The discussion landed just as Ripple and GTreasury rolled out “Ripple Treasury,” positioning it as enterprise treasury infrastructure that blends traditional cash operations with digital-asset rails. At press time, XRP traded at $1.9256. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP may be approaching a pivotal turning point as regulatory uncertainty is moving closer to resolution with the upcoming Clarity Act decision. If the Clarity Act establishes a clearer framework, XRP could unlock fresh capital flows, renewed exchange participation, and broader integration across the financial platforms. This moment could represent the transition from consolidation to a new phase of sustained growth. How Clear Rules Could Reshape XRP Market Perception The passing of the Clarity Art will trigger XRP to go absolutely parabolic. An analyst known as Bird has highlighted on X that the Clarity Art is designed to make the rules of crypto regulation straightforward. It will tell in the market which digital assets will be legally allowed and which are not. As the resolution inches closer, XRP has already been tested in court and was not classified as an illegal security.  Related Reading: What Does XRP Really Do? Expert Explains What It Is Built For Thus, when the rules become clear across the entire crypto market, companies, banks, and investors can finally use and hold XRP without worrying about regulatory backlash. These clear rules mean more trust, more capital, and more use for XRP. Bird’s view is that this is exactly why the court case was meant to happen, because it has positioned XRP to front-run every other digital asset. While retail traders are watching the price, banks and institutions are positioning for it. Crypto analyst LukeSuther pointed out that the XRP price action is being deliberately constrained, not out of bad faith, but out of necessity, because participants can’t migrate global settlement infrastructure into a market that’s still fully volatile and speculative. Before true price discovery can happen, regulation, liquidity corridors, compliance frameworks, and integration with legacy financial systems must be in place. However, if XRP were already operating in a completely open, utility-driven market, LukeSuther argues that it wouldn’t be trading at $2.00. Instead, the price will remain compressed while the institutions load and the rails are being built. Why Infrastructure Matters More Than Market Narrative The founder of Lux Lions NFT and host of the Crypto Blitz YouTube show, RipBullWinkle, stated that what started as a digital asset experiment is now evolving into real capital markets infrastructure. Brad Garlinghouse and Tony Edward break down XRP’s institutional adoption trajectory during an X Spaces discussion. Related Reading: XRP Advances As A Recognized Digital Asset In Regulated Markets — Here’s How According to RipBullWinkle, the conversation wasn’t about price targets. Rather, it was about real-world utility in the cross-border settlements and liquidity infrastructure that traditional finance is quietly integrating into the blockchain-based rails. While the market is busy chasing narratives, foundations are being built in public view. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

The idea of the XRP price reaching $100 is usually dismissed almost instantly based on arguments of market capitalization and circulating supply. On paper, that math suggests a $100 value would imply a market cap valuation of at least $6 trillion, which is a figure many see as unrealistic when compared to today’s crypto market.  Nonetheless, a few XRP enthusiasts are of the notion that such a framework does not apply to XRP. A crypto pundit on X, known as 24HRSCRYPTO, noted that treating XRP like a static store-of-value asset misses the entire point of what the cryptocurrency is designed to do. The Pundit’s Argument: XRP Moves Value, It Doesn’t Store It According to 24HRSCRYPTO, market cap math is misleading when it is used to judge an asset like XRP, which is designed for high-velocity settlement. 24HRSCRYPTO is an XRPL validator and fervent XRP supporter that’s always calling for ultra-bullish price targets for the cryptocurrency. Related Reading: Crypto Traders Share Odds Of XRP Price Rising 40% This Year, Can It Still Rally? In his words, market capitalization assumes an asset stores value, whereas a global liquidity asset moves value. XRP, from this perspective, is not meant to warehouse trillions of dollars but to facilitate the rapid movement of capital across systems, borders, and currencies. Based on this logic, if XRP is used to free trapped capital and settle transactions at scale, the same units of liquidity can be reused repeatedly within a short period of time with huge demand. Price, then, reflects the demand plus the level of trust placed in the system and the volume of economic weight it is clearing, not how much money is sitting still.  Under that framework, static market cap comparisons are a poor proxy for what XRP could be valued at in a fully deployed global settlement role. With this in mind, 24HRSCRYPTO noted that XRP at $100 isn’t delusional; it’s reality.  Why Market Cap Math Dominates The $100 Debate The skepticism around a $100 XRP price comes from straightforward math. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.92 and is about 5,100% away from reaching $100. XRP currently has a circulating supply of 60.85 billion tokens, and multiplying that supply by $100 produces a $6 trillion market cap, which is larger than the current market cap of the entire crypto market.  Related Reading: XRP Funding Rates And Spot Volume Tell An Interesting Story For Price Market cap is treated as a hard ceiling based on this angle. The assumption is that for XRP to trade at $100, trillions of dollars would need to sit idle inside its market cap at the same time. That logic works reasonably well in theory for XRP. However, 24HRSCRYPTO is of the notion that the logic is for crypto assets like Bitcoin, whose primary function is holding value, and the assumption breaks down when applied to a liquidity-focused network asset.  However, this claim does not, in fact, guarantee that XRP can trade at $100 without the cumulative market cap of circulating tokens reflecting such an amount. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP is trading below the $2.00 mark as the market drifts into a phase defined by apathy and uncertainty, with participation thinning and conviction on both sides fading. After a powerful rally earlier in the cycle, price action has cooled significantly, and recent attempts to regain momentum have failed to attract sustained follow-through. The current environment reflects a market that is no longer driven by aggressive speculation but instead is weighed down by caution and a lack of clear directional catalysts. Related Reading: Bitcoin Breaks Below $87K As Political Risk Spikes – Liquidations Reveal The Real Driver Top analyst Darkfost explains that the shift began in the derivatives market. After XRP open interest on Binance surged to a new all-time high of $1.76 billion on July 17, positioning became increasingly crowded. As price stalled and volatility picked up, that leverage started to unwind. The result was a sharp contraction in open interest, which unfolded alongside a major price correction. XRP fell from $3.55 to $1.83, a drawdown of nearly 50%, highlighting how tightly price and leverage were linked during the distribution phase. Declining moving averages compress the price, signaling persistent downside pressure and weak momentum. Most recently, Binance XRP open interest dropped below $500 million, a level that has persisted since the exceptional liquidation event on October 10. This sustained compression signals a market that has largely flushed excess leverage, but has yet to see renewed speculative interest—leaving XRP stuck below $2 and searching for a new equilibrium. Deleveraging Resets Market Structure After Liquidity Flush Overall, XRP open interest has fallen by nearly 60%, signaling a significant destruction of liquidity in the derivatives market, particularly following the October 10 (10/10) liquidation event. This contraction reflects a broad unwinding of leveraged positions rather than a sudden collapse in spot demand. As positions were forced out or closed voluntarily, the derivatives layer thinned substantially, leaving the market far less crowded than during the mid-2025 peak. It is also important to recognize the mechanical effect of price on open interest. As XRP’s price dropped, the notional value of outstanding futures contracts fell alongside it, naturally amplifying the contraction in OI. In other words, part of the drop reflects lower prices reducing leverage in dollar terms, not just traders exiting positions. Still, the scale of the decline points to a genuine reset in speculative activity. Stepping back, these deleveraging phases play a critical role in restoring healthier market conditions. They flush out excess leverage, reduce forced-selling risk, and shift control away from overextended short-term traders. Historically, such phases become visible when XRP open interest on Binance falls below its semi-annual average, as is the case now. Past cycles show that once leverage is rebuilt gradually—and participation returns without excessive crowding—price action often stabilizes first and recovers later. While this does not guarantee an immediate rally, the current cleanup phase reduces downside fragility and lays the groundwork for a more sustainable move if demand re-emerges. Related Reading: US Institutions Step Back From Ethereum: Coinbase Premium Flashes Caution XRP Price Action Details XRP is trading just below the $2.00 psychological level, hovering around $1.89. This is a zone that has repeatedly acted as short-term support over recent months. Declining moving averages compress the price, signaling persistent downside pressure and weak momentum. The 50-period moving average (blue) continues to slope downward and now acts as dynamic resistance near the $2.30–$2.40 region. Above it, the 100-period moving average (green) reinforces this resistance cluster, confirming that medium-term trend control remains with sellers. More importantly, XRP is now leaning on the 200-period moving average (red), which has flattened and is acting as a critical structural support around the $1.85–$1.90 range. Historically, sustained trading near the 200 MA often marks transition zones between continuation and broader trend failure. A clean break below this level would expose risk toward prior demand zones near $1.60–$1.70. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stuck In Bear Mode For 83 Days: Trend Pulse Confirms Structural Weakness Volume remains muted, suggesting market apathy rather than panic selling. This aligns with the broader derivatives deleveraging we’ve already observed, suggesting that the market has largely flushed out speculative pressure. For any meaningful recovery, XRP must reclaim the 50 MA and hold above $2.00. Until then, price action points to consolidation under resistance. The direction hinges on whether long-term support continues to hold or finally gives way. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

For over a decade, Ripple and its executives have been steadily dumping XRP into the open market. Because XRP was fully created at launch, every token sold came from a known and finite supply. By comparing the original allocations from 2012 with current on-chain holdings, it is now possible to calculate how much XRP Ripple and its executives have offloaded so far.  How XRP Was Allocated And Where The Tokens Went XRP was launched in 2012 with a fixed supply of 100 billion XRP, all created at once on the XRP Ledger. There has never been mining, staking, or inflation. Of that total supply, 80 billion XRP were transferred to the company that later became Ripple, while the remaining 20 billion XRP were allocated to founders and early insiders. The core individuals involved at launch were Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto, and David Schwartz. Related Reading: Coinbase Exec Points Out The Big Difference Between Bitcoin And Central Banks More than a decade later, the remaining holdings of Ripple and its executives provide a clear benchmark for calculating how much XRP has been sold. Combined, Ripple and named executives currently control about 41.485 billion XRP. Ripple itself holds approximately 37.685 billion XRP, split between 3.5 billion XRP in wallets that can be accessed directly and 34.185 billion XRP locked in escrow.  Among executives, Chris Larsen, Ripple’s chairman, holds about 2.5 billion XRP across eight wallets, while Arthur Britto controls roughly 1.3 billion XRP spread across seven wallets. David Schwartz, despite being a co-founder, holds a significantly smaller amount, peaking historically at around 26 million XRP, far below the multi-billion-token balances of other insiders. When current holdings are subtracted from the original allocations, the numbers indicate that Ripple and its executives have sold or distributed approximately 58.515 billion XRP since 2012. What Those Sales Mean In Price And Market Terms The scale of these sales often raises concerns about long-term price pressure, but timing is critical. XRP’s earliest recorded market price was approximately $0.00587 in August 2013. Today, it trades near $1.88, reflecting a remarkable increase of roughly 31,756% over that period. These gains unfolded even as billions of XRP entered circulation gradually rather than in sudden waves. In 2017, Ripple implemented an escrow system that locked up 55 billion XRP, allowing up to 1 billion XRP to be released each month. Any unused portion is returned to escrow, effectively limiting unexpected supply shocks. As of 2026, 34.185 billion XRP remain locked under this system. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Prediction: Analyst Forecasts 72.86% Crash To $30,000 Cumulatively, the 58.515 billion XRP sold over 13 years would be valued at approximately $109 billion at today’s prices. These sales occurred alongside ongoing ecosystem development, legal challenges, and multiple market cycles, highlighting that distribution happened in a managed, phased manner. Overall, while Ripple and its executives have distributed a significant portion of their holdings, the careful, escrow-managed approach over more than a decade coincided with sustained price appreciation. This suggests that strategic, phased selling has not undermined XRP’s long-term market growth. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

A panel of XRP-focused commentators is leaning heavily into Davos optics as evidence that BlackRock and Ripple are converging on a shared vision for tokenized finance, even as none of the participants produced direct confirmation of a formal partnership between the two firms. BlackRock, Ripple And XRP After Davos Host Versan Aljarrah opened by pointing to “BlackRock and Brad Garlinghouse at Davos,” asking guest Jake Claver what he took from their presence and the “conclusion they had over there.” Claver’s answer centered on what he said he heard from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink about settlement consolidation. “He mentioned that it would be ideal if everything was on one blockchain or at least settled back to one blockchain,” Claver said. “For Ripple to be in the room and having been in the room for years at this point, it gives me you know a lot of confidence that it is the XRPL […] I feel like BlackRock and Ripple are much more involved than people realize.” Today we’re joined by @beyond_broke to discuss BlackRock’s quiet ties with Ripple, the soft disclosures around XRP, and the future of digitization and tokenization. Excited to have everyone back together for this one.https://t.co/oMHGWqMehB pic.twitter.com/u1s7LyOAhs — Black Swan Capitalist (@VersanAljarrah) January 26, 2026 Aljarrah immediately widened the claim beyond Davos stagecraft, asserting, “it’s quite obvious at this point that Blackrock, JP Morgan, Ripple and all these major banks they have some ties to Ripple [and] XRP,” before returning to the recurring theme that Davos access itself is a filter. Later, he argued that the set of crypto-native executives allowed near institutions like the WEF and BIS was narrowing and that Garlinghouse’s inclusion mattered more than “headline hype.” Related Reading: ‘I’m Very Bullish’: Ripple CEO Forecasts Record Performance For Crypto In 2026 David (Digital Outlook) pushed the discussion toward implementation, but repeatedly brought BlackRock back into the frame as a connective thread in Ripple’s institutional strategy. “When it came out to like, okay, has Ripple really positioned themselves to be like […] the main leader in the space […] with the acquisitions that they’ve made […] custody with Palisade,” he said. “I think they got Metaco and Standard Custody in there […] clearance through Hidden Road, all that. Then […] you see all these other linkages between their partners like what they’re doing with Blackrock. You know, they’ve got some stuff going on there.” A second line of argument was that BlackRock’s eventual entry could be the trigger for an XRP liquidity event. Edo Farina framed it in “order size” terms: “It takes one huge institutional order from a Blackrock a great scale and that’s it,” he said, claiming market pricing can stay muted if institutional positioning happens through OTC arrangements. Related Reading: Ripple Builds XRP ‘Wall Street Kit’: Developer Claims ‘Billions Incoming’ Claver added: “When Blackrock steps in, there will be likely a supply shock that allows XRP to decouple from the rest of the crypto market and Bitcoin,” and tied that idea to a viral episode the panel said briefly moved XRP out of sync with the rest of crypto. “We’ve seen it decoupled once […] when […] the [fake] trust that had been filed in Delaware for Blackrock’s iShares XRP ETF […] hit Twitter,” Claver said. Still, BlackRock’s observable crypto footprint still tilts towards Ethereum and Bitcoin rather than XRP. BlackRock’s flagship US spot exposure is via products tracking bitcoin and ether, IBIT and ETHA, while its tokenization beachhead has also been Ethereum-first: BlackRock’s BUIDL fund debuted on Ethereum via Securitize in March 2024, and only later expanded to additional networks. Also, BlackRock’s own 2026 thematic outlook is explicitly naming Ethereum as the infrastructure layer that “collects the toll” as tokenization scales, with stablecoins treated as an early proxy for tokenization “in action.” BlackRock highlights data indicating “65%+” of tokenized assets sit on Ethereum, an argument for why “one blockchain” speculation often defaults to ETH in institutional circles. At press time, XRP traded at $1.88. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Crypto analyst Cryptoinsight has drawn attention to an “extremely interesting” price action for XRP. He highlighted the altcoin’s funding rates and spot volume, which provided insights into XRP’s recent downtrend, with its drop below the psychological $2 level.  How XRP’s Funding Rates And Spot Volume Explain The Price Action In an X post, Cryptoinsight noted that open interest is rising significantly as funding flips heavily negative and the premium also continues to get more negative. In line with this, he remarked that leveraged players artificially created the move down for XRP. The analyst then pointed to the rise in spot volume, which is also significant.  Related Reading: XRP’s 173-Day Theory: What Happens If This Historical Trend Plays Out Again The rise in the XRP spot volume is said to be happening just as the altcoin sweeps the recent wick into the year-long support at around $1.8, thereby creating a Bullish Divergence on the 4-hour chart. Cryptoinsight warned that the altcoin may have to drop a little further based on the hourly liquidity pools.  However, the analyst is confident that a potential bounce for XRP from these price levels will be “quite violent” when it happens and will trigger a shortsqueeze back to the upside. Crypto analyst Darkfost also recently noted that there are predominantly short positions for XRP at the moment, with the funding rates on Binance mostly negative since December.  The analyst stated that negative funding rates signal a potential reversal for XRP, and that any price rise could trigger several short liquidations, pushing the price much higher. A similar pattern is said to have played out twice for the altcoin since 2024. The first was between August and September 2024, while the second was in April 2025, with the price rebounding after the funding rates turned negative for a while.  A Monthly Close Above $1.91 Is Key In an X post, crypto analyst ChartNerd said that XRP must close above its monthly 20 EMA at $1.91 this month. This came as he warned that, historically, after macro trends, closes below this EMA have signaled further decline. As such, the analyst declared $1.91 a fine line in the sand that market participants should be watching closely.  Related Reading: XRP Price Recovery Is Possible If It Reclaims This Ichimoku Base A “great sign,” according to the analyst, is XRP’s breakout of its 3-week-long falling wedge resistance. With this breakout, the altcoin could be targeting $2.40, where the breakdown began after the falling wedge pattern formed. However, XRP is set to face key resistance between the $2.13 and $2.20 range. Meanwhile, ChartNerd assured that the altcoin’s fractal remains valid, with a rally to $27 still on the horizon.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.90, up over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Vectorstock, chart from Tradingview.com

A new artificial intelligence (AI)–driven outlook for XRP is drawing attention after market analyst Sam Daodu shared projections generated by Claude AI, outlining how the cryptocurrency could perform through the rest of 2026.  The forecast presents three distinct price paths for XRP, each shaped by how key factors such as exchange-traded fund (ETF) demand, regulatory clarity, and network activity evolve. Together, the scenarios provide a broad yet structured view of where the fifth-largest cryptocurrency could be headed. Potential 215% Rally Ahead For XRP According to Daodu, Claude AI uses a baseline XRP price of roughly $2.15 and builds its projections around whether market catalysts strengthen or weaken. The model suggests that ETF inflows, exchange balance trends, and growth on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) will be the primary signals determining whether XRP breaks higher, trades sideways, or slips lower by the end of 2026. Related Reading: Global Liquidity Says Bitcoin Is Extremely Undervalued – Here’s The ‘Real’ Figure In the most optimistic scenario, Claude AI predicts XRP would rise to between $4 and $6, representing a potential 215% increase from its current trading price of $1.90. This bullish outcome depends on ETF inflows accelerating beyond $5 billion while exchange balances continue to decline, indicating reduced sell-side pressure.  Under this scenario, institutional accumulation would increase spot market demand, while clearer regulatory conditions would help improve overall market sentiment.  Claude’s model suggests that once XRP decisively moves above the $3.20 resistance level, tightening liquidity across major trading platforms could magnify even modest buying activity.  By late 2026, long-term holders limiting supply could further thin market depth, allowing prices to rise more quickly. However, this outcome would require unexpected positive catalysts and currently sits above what most AI models are forecasting. Base Case Prediction The base case presents a more measured outlook, with XRP trading between $2.00 and $3.00. In this scenario, ETF inflows remain steady but unspectacular, while adoption grows gradually rather than explosively.  The model suggests XRP would likely maintain support above $2.00, helped by manageable escrow token releases and incremental improvements to the XRPL that support ongoing transaction growth.  Price swings would likely remain contained, with accumulation happening quietly instead of through sharp rallies. By the end of 2026, XRP could settle near the midpoint of this range, reflecting balanced participation from both retail traders and institutional investors.  Bearish Outlook Envisions $1.50 – $1.80 On the downside, Claude AI outlines a bearish scenario in which XRP drifts toward the $1.50 to $1.80 range. This outcome would likely unfold if ETF demand weakens and broader macroeconomic pressures intensify.  A sustained drop below the $2.00 level could then lead to extended consolidation around the $1.60 support zone. While network activity on the XRPL might continue, momentum in price action would fade as market participants wait for clearer catalysts.  Related Reading: Gold Hits Record $5K While Bitcoin Struggles To Keep Pace Ultimately, Claude AI’s forecast points to relative stability around $2.15 in the near term for the cryptocurrency, at least through January, with larger price movements dependent on ETF market inflows exceeding the $5 billion mark.  Daodu further pointed out that Claude’s outlook sits between ChatGPT’s more cautious stance and Grok’s comparatively optimistic projections, offering what he describes as a realistic middle ground rather than an extreme outcome. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

A crypto analyst has identified a recurring chart pattern centered on a 173-day cycle that previously preceded a major price expansion for XRP. Based on this pattern, the expert suggests that XRP may be approaching a similar price rally if the trend plays out as expected.  XRP Historical Pattern Signals Powerful Upside Move A crypto analyst who goes by ‘Bird’ on X has drawn attention to a recurring pattern on XRP’s daily chart. His analysis compares XRP’s current price formation with the pattern that preceded the 2025 breakout, highlighting a nearly identical time cycle and chart structure.  Related Reading: XRP Completes ‘Super Guppy Compression’ Against Bitcoin, Next Target Emerges On the left side of the chart, Bird noted that it took about 173 days for XRP to break after reaching its first major top in 2025. This period is clearly marked by vertical blue lines on the chart and shows price moving within a descending wedge pattern. Notably, each price rally was lower than the previous one, while support levels remained relatively stable. Trading volume during that phase also hovered around $1.8 billion, suggesting that the breakout developed under steady market participation rather than thin liquidity.   On the right side of the chart, which shows XRP’s price action in the current market cycle, Bird points to a similar pattern forming. Since the July 2025 peak, XRP has spent about 173 days moving sideways within a descending wedge. Compared to the past cycle, trading volume has been much lower, averaging around $1 billion. However, the pattern’s shape and timing closely match past trends. Bird notes that XRP has not broken down despite months of severe downward pressure. Instead of falling below key support levels, the price has been squeezed into a tighter range within the same descending wedge pattern. It also held near the $1.94 level as it approached the tip of the wedge. The analyst stated that this move shows the market is not moving sideways at random but is entering a late-stage compression before a larger upward move.  If historical trends hold, Bird has predicted that XRP could surge to between $4 and $4.5. With the cryptocurrency currently trading around $1.87, this would represent a surge of more than 113%.  Analyst Predicts 2017 XRP Price Explosion In 2026 Despite XRP’s recent crash below $1.9, analysts still believe its price could recover and launch a strong rally. A recent analysis by market expert Steph is Crypto reflects this optimistic outlook.  Related Reading: What the Triple-Tap At $1.80 Means For The XRP Price In his post on X, Steph is Crypto predicted that XRP could be on the verge of a price explosion similar to the one in 2017. At the time, the cryptocurrency recorded a powerful rally, jumping from around $0.005 to more than $0.25. If this same trend repeats, the analyst forecasts a breakout from around $2 to above $22.  Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Retail traders are increasingly optimistic about XRP, even though the cryptocurrency’s price is currently struggling to keep up above $1.90. Despite the recent lack of follow-through in price action, different data shows confidence is building beneath the surface.  Data from prediction markets by Robinhood shows traders are actively pricing in the possibility of a sizable upside move for XRP’s price action this year, with odds pointing toward a rally of roughly 40% from current levels. How Prediction Market Pricing Is Reflecting Bullish Expectations Data from prediction markets hosted on Robinhood shows that traders are actively trading contracts tied to XRP reaching specific price levels in 2026. Notably, the data shows that the contract for XRP trading at $2.75 in 2026 is currently quoted with a bid of $0.66 and an ask of $0.73.  Related Reading: XRP Price Obliteration Is Not A Matter Of If, New All-Time Highs Are Coming An ask of $0.73 means that the Robinhood prediction platform believes the likelihood of XRP reaching or exceeding $2.75 is high enough to demand a significant premium. Although this does not represent a guaranteed probability, it suggests that traders offering liquidity see that outcome as more likely than not, placing implied odds in the 73% range based on current pricing. That same optimism is present as price targets move higher, though more measured. The contract tied to XRP crossing $3.00 is priced around 50 cents. This implies the market views that level as a roughly even chance and a 50% scenario that the XRP price breaks above $3 again in 2026. The ask price drops to 44 cents for an XRP price bet of $3.25, which means there is a 44% chance XRP reaches this level. Can XRP Still Rally While Near $1.90? Recent price action has seen XRP now back to trading around support at $1.9. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.88, down by 5% in the past seven days. This decline is part of an extended correction move after XRP’s rally in early January was rejected around $2.41 on January 6.  Related Reading: XRP Price Recovery Is Possible If It Reclaims This Ichimoku Base The entire crypto industry is now back to a mood of fear, according to CoinMarketCap’s Fear & Greed Index. The index shows that the overall market sentiment is currently sitting at a Fear reading of 29. Even so, this risk-off mood has done little to dampen bullish expectations among many XRP investors. Several forecasts published in January continue to point toward a move into new all-time price highs this year. Standard Chartered’s analysts, for example, have projected that XRP could reach $8 in 2026 if sustained ETF inflows and clearer regulation are able to increase institutional interest. Another price outlook echoed the idea that a new all-time high above $5 is possible before the year ends based on the current trend of XRP outflows from crypto exchange reserves. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Software Engineer and founder of various AI start ups Vincent Van Code (@vincent_vancode) argues on X that most XRP burn projections are understated because they assume today’s low transaction fees persist even under heavy network usage. In his framing, sustained congestion on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) could push fees higher via the protocol’s load-scaling mechanics, potentially destroying on the order of one billion XRP annually. XRPL Load Factor Could Turn Fees Into A Major XRP Burn In a thread titled “The ‘Supply Meltdown’ Simulation,” Vincent Van Code claimed “everyone is calculating the XRP burn wrong,” starting with the premise that the commonly cited base fee of 0.00001 XRP only reflects a quiet network. “But what happens if the world actually starts using the XRPL at its 3,400 TPS limit?” he wrote, positioning load-driven fee escalation as the pivotal variable rather than raw throughput alone. Van Code’s simulation walks through multiple fee regimes at the same headline activity rate, emphasizing that burn changes dramatically when the ledger is full and the “Load Factor” increases fees to deter spam. “As the ledger fills up, the Load Factor kicks in to stop spam,” he wrote. “Fees don’t just stay low; they scale exponentially.” Related Reading: XRP To $11, And Then $70: The Next Impulse Wave To Watch Out For He anchored the thread with four scenarios and daily burn estimates, starting with what he called a “standard day” of 1.2 million transactions and roughly 450 XRP burned per day. From there, he modeled “global adoption” at the stated 3,400 TPS ceiling, translating to about 293 million transactions per day at base fee and an estimated 2,937 XRP burned daily. The more aggressive claims come when he holds transaction volume constant at that 293 million-per-day level but lifts the effective fee via congestion. In his “congestion hike” case, he assumes the load-scaled fee rises to 0.001 XRP, implying about 293,760 XRP burned per day. In a “full gridlock” case at 0.01 XRP per transaction, he estimates 2,937,600 XRP burned daily. Related Reading: XRP Price Recovery Is Possible If It Reclaims This Ichimoku Base The thesis leans on a structural feature of XRPL fees: they are not paid out to validators or any sponsoring entity, but removed from circulation. Van Code underscored that distinction directly. “The fees aren’t paid to miners. They aren’t paid to Ripple. They are destroyed forever.” The “Supply Meltdown” Simulation ???? Headline: Everyone is calculating the $XRP burn wrong. ???? The “base fee” (0.00001 XRP) only exists when the network is quiet. But what happens if the world actually starts using the XRPL at its 3,400 TPS limit? The Congestion Math: As the… — Vincent Van Code (@vincent_vancode) January 24, 2026 From that, he draws his headline conclusion: “Under extreme global utility, we aren’t burning a few hundred tokens. We could be wiping 1 BILLION $XRP out of existence every year,” framing network demand—and the congestion it creates—as “the ultimate deflationary engine.” At press time, XRP traded at $1.88. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP has spent most of the past few months trading with lower highs since July 2025, frustrating traders and compressing price action into an increasingly tight range.  However, a technical breakdown shared by crypto analyst ChartNerd argued that what looks like stagnation may actually be the final preparation phase before a historic move. The price structure suggests something far bigger that sends XRP on its most aggressive rally in eight years, but the implications only become clear when the full setup is examined. Related Reading: Bitcoin Influencers Get Spotlight In X’s New ‘Starterpacks’ A 400-Day Rectangular Reaccumulation Still Holding Structure According to technical analysis done by ChartNerd, XRP’s price action has been locked inside a rectangular reaccumulation zone for about 400 days, and this has led to the formation of what looks like a rectangular bull flag on a macro timeframe. The technical chart shows a strong impulsive move from July 2024 to December 2024 acting as the flagpole, right when XRP peaked at the $3.4 price zone back then. This impulsive flagpole has been followed by a long period of sideways trading where XRP’s price has repeatedly respected a clearly defined support around $1.8 and resistance boundaries around $3.6. This type of structure is associated with reaccumulation within the support and resistance zones, especially when it is playing out after a sharp expansion move and holding for this length of time. Each dip into reaccumulation support has been absorbed, preventing any sustained breakdown and keeping the broader pattern intact. ChartNerd noted that the rectangular flag will be valid as long as this support level is defended, and this will activate the expansion journey. XRP Price Chart. Source: @ChartNerdTA on X Macro Breakout Projection Puts XRP Price Target At $23 According to ChartNerd, bearish participants are increasingly pressured by the fact that this fractal is still holding despite repeated attempts to invalidate it. The longer XRP’s price action is trapped inside the rectangle without breaking down, the more likely it becomes that the eventual resolution favors the dominant trend that preceded the consolidation. In this case, that trend was bullish, which strengthens the case for an upside breakout once resistance is cleared. If the rectangular bull flag resolves to the upside as projected, the chart outlines a breakout trajectory that would carry XRP into double-digit territory, with a long-term target region near $23. This price target projection is derived from the height of the flagpole extended from the top of the reaccumulation range. Related Reading: Crypto Meets Private Banking: UBS Weighs New Offering ChartNerd labelled this possible move as one of the most aggressive rallies XRP could see in seven to eight years. At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.92, meaning a move toward the $23 region would represent a gain of over 1,000% from current levels, which is a type of percentage expansion XRP has played out well in the past. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst CryptoBull has highlighted targets that XRP could reach as it eyes double digits. The analyst is confident the altcoin could reach these targets, noting that current price action is mirroring the previous bull run.  XRP Eyes Rally To $11 And Then $70 In an X post, Crypto Bull stated that the next impulse will take XRP to $11 and that the last wave will take the altcoin to $70. This came as he noted that the price pattern is mirroring the previous bull run, with the only difference being time, which he claimed makes sense, as the altcoin needs longer accumulation to reach higher prices.  Related Reading: XRP Completes ‘Super Guppy Compression’ Against Bitcoin, Next Target Emerges The analyst also indicated that it could take a year of accumulation for XRP to reach the $11 price target, meaning the last wave to $70 could take much longer. This prediction comes despite the current decline in the crypto market, with XRP trading below the psychological $2 price level.   Despite the current bearish sentiment, crypto analyst CW has also declared that the XRP rally is about to begin and that the road to $21.5 is just the beginning. He noted that this is the Phase 4 peak while the first goal is for the altcoin to break its current all-time high (ATH).  His accompanying chart showed that XRP could reach this $21 target by year-end. Meanwhile, there is the possibility of the altcoin rallying above $100 in the next Phase 1, which could happen next year. Crypto Pundit X Finance Bull recently highlighted the CLARITY Act and Trump’s tariffs as factors that could boost XRP’s demand and lead to higher prices for the altcoin.  He expects the CLARITY Act to boost XRP’s demand, especially with Trump’s Crypto Czar predicting that more banks will enter into crypto once the bill passes. X Finance Bull predicts that XRP will be the token of choice for these banks based on his belief that Ripple will provide the rails to onboard them.  XRP Breaking Out Of Multi-Year Triangle Crypto analyst XForce revealed in an X post that XRP is breaking out of the largest 6+ year triangle in history, yet people are calling it a fakeout. He added that he is not a permabull or permanbear on the altcoin but that he follows trends and plays macro breakout patterns. His accompanying chart indicated that XRP was on the verge of a move to the upside, with a potential rally above $11.50.  Related Reading: XRP Price Recovery Is Possible If It Reclaims This Ichimoku Base On the lower timeframe, crypto analyst Chart Nerd stated that XRP is currently breaking out of a two-week falling wedge structure. He noted that this is a bullish reversal pattern that could send the altcoin back to $2.40 in the short term, as this is where the wedge formed. He highlighted a key resistance between $2.13 and $2.20, which the altcoin will need to break above to confirm a reversal.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.92, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP has given back all of its early‑year gains, sliding toward the $1.90. Despite the pullback, several on‑chain and market indicators are pointing to a possible breakout from current levels, driven largely by a sharp decline in XRP held on exchanges.  XRP Exchange Balances Slide To 1.5B Market analyst Sam Daodu notes that over the past months, a substantial portion of XRP has steadily moved off centralized trading platforms and into long‑term storage and institutional custody.  On‑chain figures indicate that XRP exchange balances dropped from roughly 4 billion tokens in early 2025 to about 1.5 billion by late December. This 57% decline represents the steepest annual reduction in XRP exchange supply on record. Related Reading: Binance Forms New Company In Greece, Moves Forward With MiCA Licensing Data from CryptoQuant reinforces this trend, showing shrinking XRP reserves on major trading platforms such as Binance, where balances continued to fall into early 2026. At the same time, wallet accumulation has increased, particularly among institutional custody accounts.  Daodu argues that with fewer tokens available on exchanges, buying pressure that previously moved XRP only marginally can now drive gains of 10% to 15% within days.  When combined with approximately $1.37 billion in XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows recorded since November 2025, Daodu believes the conditions favor a potential breakout toward the $4 to $5 range, rather than another rally that stalls below $3. Bullish, Base, And Bearish Scenarios Looking ahead, Daodu outlines three broad price paths for XRP, each tied to how exchange balances and ETF inflows evolve. In a bullish scenario, the altcoin could move into the $4 to $5 range if monthly ETF inflows average $300-$500 million and exchange balances fall below 1.5 billion tokens.  A more neutral outcome would see XRP trading between $2.50 and $3.50. This scenario assumes ETF inflows slow to roughly $50 million to $70 million per week and exchange balances continue to decline at a steadier pace.  Related Reading: Expert Analyzes XRP, Ethereum, And Solana: Predictions For The Next Altcoin Season The bearish case hinges on the possibility that the supply contraction thesis proves overstated. If rapid transfers refill exchange order books, escrow releases increase selling pressure, or ETF demand slows due to tighter macroeconomic conditions, XRP could lose support.  In that scenario, prices may fall below $2.00 and revisit the $1.60 level during periods of risk aversion. Prolonged uncertainty could see XRP trading between $1.50 and $2.00 for much of 2026, according to the analyst.  At the time of writing, the altcoin was trading at $1.94. This represented losses of 4% and 8% over seven and fourteen-day periods, respectively. This positions the fifth-largest cryptocurrency in terms of market cap 46% below the current all-time high of $3.64 reached back in July of last year. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

The XRP price may be preparing for a long-overdue recovery, as a crypto analyst has just highlighted a critical area that could flip the cryptocurrency’s downward momentum into a bullish one. According to the market expert, XRP must reclaim the Ichimoku Base before it can resume its upside to new levels.  XRP Price Recovery To Resume Above Ichimoku Base Market analyst Xaif Crypto took to X this Thursday to deliver a fresh weekly update on XRP as the cryptocurrency enters a pivotal technical area after months of downside pressure. The accompanying chart shows price retreating from a prior peak in late 2024 and sliding back into a clearly marked demand zone in the blue box.  Related Reading: What the Triple-Tap At $1.80 Means For The XRP Price According to the analyst, the recent retreat follows a clear downtrend, with lower highs pushing price back toward a previous consolidation zone. This blue-box area represents the main battleground, as prior trading activity built a base that could act as support if XRP revisits that level.  So far, XRP appears to be stabilizing within this demand zone. Candles on the chart show hesitation and reduced selling pressure. The chart also draws attention to an Ichimoku structure, with XRP attempting to reclaim its Ichimoku Base. According to Xaif Crypto, this base will determine XRP’s next big move. The analyst has suggested that reclaiming this level could signal a potential shift in market sentiment. He disclosed that a strong close above it could favor upside continuation, weakening the ongoing downtrend and giving buyers more room to target upper resistance levels. Conversely, Xaif Crypto predicts that a break below the Ichimoku Base would likely lead to a deeper correction for XRP, as support would be lost and selling could accelerate.  For now, XRP sits at a make-or-break level that could decide whether it recovers from its current slump. Xaif Crypto’s chart has outlined potential targets if the cryptocurrency manages to reclaim and hold above the Ichimoku Base. Currently hovering around $1.95, XRP faces potential bullish targets at $2.09, $2.20, $2.31, and $2.45. The analyst has also highlighted that traders and investors should closely watch the weekly close for confirmation of a sustained recovery.   Analyst Says XRP Is Planning A Major Reversal Despite dropping below $2 earlier this week, analysts remain optimistic about XRP’s price outlook. According to market expert Crypto GVR, XRP could be attempting a major price reversal from the $1-$1.5 range. Based on his chart analysis, the analyst predicts that XRP could decline first from its current price around $1.95 to roughly $1.13 before rebounding sharply to new highs. Related Reading: XRP Price Could Surge Another 30% If This Trend Is Confirmed He has set a bullish target at $3.25. marking the next upside for XRP. If XRP were to crash to $1.13 and then surge to $3.25, this would represent a staggering 187% increase in value.  Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Ripple is laying out a transition in which XRP is no longer positioned primarily as a traded asset, but as infrastructure supporting tokenized finance and institutional settlement. At the World Economic Forum 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse described how this shift is already taking shape through live tokenization activity, regulated integration with banks, and on-chain settlement at scale.  XRP Tokenization Shifts From Theory To Balance-Sheet Reality Garlinghouse used tokenization as the primary context for explaining this transition. He described tokenization as a process that has already moved beyond experimentation and into operational use across financial institutions. To support that claim, he pointed to activity on the XRP Ledger, where tokenized asset volume expanded significantly over the course of a single year, rising from roughly $19 trillion to $33 trillion. Related Reading: Coinbase Exec Points Out The Big Difference Between Bitcoin And Central Banks That level of growth signals institutional commitment rather than exploratory testing. Tokenized assets at this scale imply the involvement of banks, custodians, and regulated entities moving real value. According to Garlinghouse, institutions are now focused on how to integrate tokenized assets into existing balance sheets, liquidity structures, and settlement processes. This shift changes what infrastructure is required. Tokenization at institutional scale demands networks that can process high volumes consistently, provide deterministic settlement, and operate continuously. The XRP Ledger is being positioned within this framework as a system capable of supporting that throughput. The emphasis is not on innovation for its own sake, but on reliability and execution under real financial constraints. As tokenized assets become embedded in core financial operations, the supporting rails stop being optional. They become foundational. That is the context in which XRP is being discussed, not as a standalone asset, but as part of the machinery enabling tokenized finance to function. Connecting Regulated Assets And On-Chain Liquidity Garlinghouse also addressed the structural challenge that emerges as tokenization intersects with decentralized finance. Institutions want access to programmability and liquidity, but they cannot compromise compliance, custody, or trust. He described this tension as the central problem Ripple is working to solve. Related Reading: Is Dogecoin About To Repeat NVIDIA’s Run? Here’s What The Chart Says Rather than positioning itself against traditional finance, Ripple is working directly with global banks to build regulated pathways between tokenized assets and on-chain liquidity. The objective is to allow institutions to interact with decentralized systems without stepping outside regulatory frameworks. Within this design, XRP serves as a settlement and connectivity layer, enabling movement between systems. This approach reframes XRP’s utility. Its value lies in facilitating finality, liquidity access, and interoperability across regulated and on-chain environments. As tokenized assets, decentralized rails, and institutional settlement converge, networks capable of delivering finality at scale become increasingly important. Garlinghouse emphasized that the XRP Ledger already provides this capability, giving it a structural advantage. As a result, XRP is no longer positioned primarily as a tradeable asset; it is being aligned as infrastructure that enables the issuance, movement, and settlement of value within an increasingly tokenized financial system. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Certified Elliott Wave analyst XForceGlobal (@XForceGlobal) told followers on X that “$5+ remains on the horizon,” arguing that the token’s past year of range-bound trading is validating an Elliott Wave “flat” correction that typically resolves with a sharp, final move before a continuation higher. In a 10-minute video shared alongside the post, the analyst framed XRP’s recent price action as the late stage of a flat pattern, an extended period where neither bulls nor bears can force a clean trend. “A flat occurs when the market fails to trend on both sides. They’re basically evenly matched,” he said. “And that’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of balance.” XRP Traders ‘Exhausted’ As Breakout Nears XForceGlobal positioned the structure as a corrective phase within a larger bullish sequence, describing the market as forming a new floor rather than breaking down. “This is where the buyers and sellers enter a Mexican standoff with each other, creating a new price floor,” he said, adding that the sideways feel is the point: “They’re not designed to go anywhere, basically. And the markets naturally alternate between expansion and compression.” Related Reading: Santiment Says XRP Social Sentiment Hits ‘Extreme Fear’: Buy Signal? The analyst emphasized the psychological aspect of prolonged consolidation, arguing that flats tend to “eliminate even the leverage traders through time rather than price” by exhausting both sides. “By the time the flat actually resolves, which is very close, in my opinion, most traders are emotionally already exhausted,” he said. “Positioning has been pretty much neutralized, and the path for continuation, to me, becomes very clear.” In Elliott Wave terms, XForceGlobal described the flat as a three-part A-B-C structure, with waves A and B unfolding as corrective “three-wave” moves and wave C completing as an impulsive “five-wave” move. He argued that this final phase is the moment the market stops drifting and forces a resolution. “Wave C must be impulsive because it represents the resolution of the balance that we have for waves A and B,” he said. “It’s not the continuation of a larger structure to the downside.” He framed impulsiveness as behavioral rather than directional, attributing it to urgency and follow-through once one side “decisively gives up,” clearing out the range that built during the earlier legs. That distinction matters for positioning, because his base case anticipates one more decisive shakeout before a move higher. He said the market is currently in an “expanded flat” configuration where wave B pushed above the prior high, and he expects a break of local structure “once” before the market turns up. He highlighted $1.70 as a prior low that could be undercut as part of the process without invalidating the larger setup, so long as broader support holds. Related Reading: XRP Distribution Phase Continues, But Funding Rates Suggest Shorts Are Overextended XForceGlobal’s post leaned heavily on conviction built over time—“I didn’t spend 2,000+ days accumulating XRP for no reason!”—while also stressing that he has already taken some profit. In the transcript, he said he “personally took some profits around the $2.70 level” and would continue to “sell into strength.” On upside expectations, he called for higher levels “in this current cycle,” tying potential targets to the duration of the consolidation. “The longer that we distribute here, the higher the targets are going to be,” he said, adding that “a minimum of a $6 range all the way up to even the $14 range is my personal target.” He also flagged conditions that would change the trade management. If the market shows “red flags” and breaks further structure than he expects, he suggested that is where risk management should take priority. For XRP traders, the practical takeaway from his framework is timing and path, not direction: a final, forceful leg lower could still be consistent with a bullish continuation thesis while a deeper structural breakdown would challenge it. At press time, XRP traded at $1.91. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com