XRP’s sitting at $2.45 and 33% off its July high. Down another 15% this month, it looks like roadkill on the charts. So what’s an honest XRP price prediction, now that the coin has been stagnant almost all year?

But peel back the wreckage, and deep-pocketed institutions are quietly loading up ahead of the spot XRP ETF launch. The market looks dead, but the vultures circling might actually be buyers.

Here’s what’s next for XRP and an honest 2026 price prediction:

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Why is XRP Dumping? SEC Delays Stall Momentum

Market Cap

The latest dip for XRP stems from SEC delays tied to the recent US government shutdown, pausing decisions on XRP’s spot ETF applications.

Several funds have already triggered the 20-day automatic approval window under Section 8(a), and unless regulators object, ETFs could start trading before the month’s end.

That potential shift could unleash major institutional inflows. XRP already meets the regulated-futures requirement, and its futures volume has steadily climbed on Binance, Bybit, and CME derivatives platforms, according to CoinGecko.

“Stable regulatory footing will open XRP to the same liquidity supercycle Bitcoin experienced post-ETF,” said analyst David Brickell of London Crypto Club.

XRP Price Prediction?  Ripple’s Billion-Dollar Expansion into TradiFi

Behind XRP’s fundamentals is Ripple Labs, now one of crypto’s largest companies with a $40 Bn valuation. At its Swell 2025 conference in New York, CEO Brad Garlinghouse told CNBC the firm is evolving into a blockchain-enabled financial powerhouse:

“The assets we’ve been buying are on the traditional finance side so we can bring crypto-enabled solutions to that world,” Garlinghouse said.

(Source: TradingView)

Ripple spent nearly $4 Bn in 2025, acquiring prime broker Hidden Road for $1.3 Bn and GTreasury for over $1 Bn. Moreover, the company rolled out Ripple Prime,  its shiny new institutional OTC desk, and pulled in another $500 Mn in funding to fuel expansion.

XRP now commands a $140 Bn market cap, holding the number five spot, according to CoinGecko. Glassnode data shows the whales are circling too, with long-term holders having boosted their stacks by 8% since August, while deep-pocketed wallets added roughly $600 million worth of tokens.

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XRP Price Prediction? The Path to $5

(Source: Polymarket)

If ETFs receive the green light this month, analysts expect XRP to surge past $5 as US institutions finally enter the market. This $5 setup could easily 2x the asset, as we saw with Bitcoin; we could see $10 XRP in 2026.

Ripple’s Wall Street charm, paired with Trump’s pro-crypto tilt, has turned what looked like exhaustion into a setup.

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Key Takeaways

  • XRP’s sitting at $2.45 and 33% off its July high. Down another 15% this month, it looks like roadkill on the charts.
  • If ETFs get the green light this month, analysts expect XRP to rip past $5 as US institutions finally wade in.

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Isaiah Mccall
Isaiah Mccall
99BTC Japan Correspondent

Isaiah McCall is an ultramarathon runner and Japan Correspondent for 99Bitcoins. He started at USAToday in 2019 and now has a Medium blog following of 30k+ and millions of views. Follow him at @AfroReporter Read More

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