Crypto analyst ChartNerd has raised the possibility of the XRP price recording another 30% surge from its current level. This comes even as the altcoin risks erasing its year-to-date (YTD) gains due to the recent crypto market crash. 

How The XRP Price Could Rally To $2.70

In an X post, ChartNerd stated that a potential XRP price rally to $2.70 is a possibility in the near term if the altcoin can hold the Fib support targets and mark a higher low. He highlighted three Fib support levels, including the 0.5 at $2, 0.618 at $1.99, and 0.786 at $1.89. He noted that the $2.70 was the base of the descending triangle, around the area where XRP broke down from following the October 10 crypto crash last year. 

ChartNerd also explained that the XRP price was currently in a falling wedge breakout pattern and that this typically leads to rallies as high as where the coin had broken down. As such, in this case, XRP could reach the descending triangle resistance at $2.70. The crypto analyst had also highlighted bullish fundamentals that could drive the rally toward this target. This includes Ripple’s alleged ties to South Korea’s tokenized infrastructure and projected major expansion for XRP. 

However, it is worth mentioning that the XRP price is also at risk of a further decline amid the latest crypto market crash, led by Bitcoin. BTC has dropped to as low as $92,000 in the last 24 hours, forcing XRP to crash below the psychological $2 level. This crash has occurred on the back of the latest Trump tariffs on some European nations over the U.S. proposed takeover of Greenland. The EU is weighing retaliatory tariffs, which could escalate this into another full-blown trade war. 

The Crash Could Be A “Blessing In Disguise”

In another X post, ChartNerd suggested that the recent XRP price crash could be a blessing in disguise. This came as the analyst alluded to the $1.80 liquidity pocket on the monthly heatmap. He noted that this latest drawdown has swept the altcoin into that exact sell-side liquidity, a move which ChartNerd described as a clarity response. 

ChartNerd also suggested that the XRP price is likely a minor setback rather than a major retracement. He noted that although altcoins are taking hefty hits, Bitcoin hasn’t lost any key structure and that all he sees is “opportunity” until the trendline is invalidated. As such, XRP could see a bounce if BTC successfully defends this trendline. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.96, down over 4% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

The year 2026 is turning out to be a promising and exciting one, especially for Ripple, as the leading payment firm continues to carry out strategic moves to bolster operations in the crypto and financial sectors. One of the most recent moves making waves in the space is the investment to support LMAX and strengthen market infrastructure.

LMAX Gains Major Boost With Ripple Investment

A recent report discloses that Ripple has taken yet another significant step in its institutional expansion by investing to support LMAX’s worldwide business strategy. With the aim of reinforcing its commitment to building a robust, enterprise-grade market infrastructure, the firm has invested over $150 million to support this strategy.

Ripple’s move underscores its focus on strengthening the railroads that link digital assets with traditional finance, expanding access to regulated trading platforms, and deepening liquidity. Such a move marks the persistent efforts of the company in transforming global trading models.

According to market expert and trader Pumpius on X, this is a far bigger move than a simple strategic investment from the payment firm. Instead, it is a strategic integration move aimed at hardwiring the adjacency of XRP to institutional price discovery and execution infrastructure.

The expert highlighted that LMAX operates high-performance, low-latency venues for FX, metals, and digital assets, which are being used by banks, funds, and professional liquidity providers. This creates a period where size is traded under stringent regulatory standards, and risk is controlled.

By supporting LMAX’s global expansion, Pumpius stated that Ripple is making sure XRP is positioned within venues that institutions already trust for hedging funds, market making, and balance sheet management. This seems to be a better move in comparison to relying on fragmented retail liquidity.

Interestingly, this bolsters Ripple’s end-to-end stack across settlement, liquidity provisioning, custody, and execution. While it may seem complex, this is vital since tokenized deposits, compliant stablecoins, and on-chain settlement are shifting into production.

However, Pumpius added that the outcome is deeper liquidity, tighter spreads, and routine XRP usage within regulated market infrastructure, long before the wider market notices the underlying shift.

XRP Charting Path To New All-Time High?

XRP is regaining bullish traction as market structure points to a historical trend that preceded a massive wave up to previous highs. From a weekly timeframe chart shared by ChartNerd, XRP is forming a pivotal Golden Cross pattern, which could shape its next trajectory.

It is worth noting that the last time this pattern appeared on the weekly Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), the altcoin rallied to new all-time highs. With the same structure unfolding, a similar price trend is expected to occur.

Currently, the MACD is in oversold territory, and the Golden Cross formation is expected to form in the upcoming weeks. Given that the market structure is protecting a 400-day defense zone, expansion seems likely.

XRP is trading at around $2.06 on January 13, 2026, leaving its price action a full step below the zone that capped its last rally that ended with a high of $3.65 in July 2025. 

However, predictions that point to XRP reclaiming that peak and then pushing into new highs above $3.8, have been on the front page of bank research notes and trader-led chart projections. Notably, various technical analyses have suggested that XRP is programmed to return back into the upper-$3s and into new price territories this year.

Standard Chartered’s XRP Target Clears $3.8

XRP’s all-time high price now looks out of reach, especially considering the cryptocurrency is now struggling to leave $2 behind. At the time of writing, XRP has dropped by about 44% from its July 2025 peak of $3.65, but institutional buys from Spot XRP ETFs are still giving glimmers of hope.

One of the most recently notable institutional-style projections from XRP comes from Standard Chartered’s digital assets research, which lays out a multi-year path that sees XRP breaking well above the $3.8 threshold. 

According to analysts at the bank, XRP is slated to reach as high as $8 by the end of 2026, a level that comfortably eclipses the previous peak and implies roughly 300% upside from current levels if certain conditions hold. 

Interestingly, this outlook came from Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research. The prediction was made based on an outlook of continued institutional adoption and strong inflows into XRP-based spot ETFs.

Technical Outlooks As Ripple Heads Into A Consequential 2026

Recent technical commentary from multiple analysts has converged on a bullish bias for XRP. For instance, XRP analyst EGRAG CRYPTO pointed out a developing breakout retest structure on the monthly candlestick timeframe. According to the analyst, historical probabilities favor upside as long as XRP holds above the $1.60 to $1.40 range on higher timeframes, with long-term channel projections placing the XRP price as high as $22.

For a shorter-term perspective, Crypto Feras described XRP’s recent break above $2 as a bullish reversal signal. His analysis points to $2.67 and $3.01 as the next resistance levels, areas that could open the path toward a full retest of the prior peak near $3.8 if cleared. Adding to this, ChartNerd noted that XRP’s long-term upside fractal structure is still valid despite the recent XRP price correction. 

Related Reading: Analyst Updates XRP Price Prediction: Why $16 Is Still On The Table

These price projections are being viewed more favorably against the backdrop of Ripple’s momentum heading into the year. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently pointed to strong progress in 2025 with examples of major acquisitions of Ripple Prime and GTreasury and a growing global licensing footprint. 

Now that Ripple is positioning itself for what its leadership has described as a consequential 2026, the combination of technical outlooks and company fundamentals has strengthened the narrative that XRP could be approaching a move to new all-time highs.

In a world where financial systems are becoming fragile, XRP stands out as the intersection of a financial infrastructure designed for instant global value transfer, speed, reliability, and global accessibility. XRP’s ability to move value instantly across borders, with minimal cost and without reliance on fragile banking systems, positions it as both a long-term wealth tool and a potential life-saving instrument.

XRP should be considered as part of life-saving plans. An analyst known as Bird on X has pointed out that most people keep their money in the bank, earning around 4-6% a year, and feel comfortable with it, but they rarely factor in the impact of inflation. Over time, the purchasing power of currencies like the US dollar and the British pound has been quietly eroded to the point where your money can grow on paper while losing value in the real world.

XRP’s Role In The Next Phase Of Global Payments

Although savings accounts are safe, many people are actually standing still or falling massively behind without even realizing it, which is why XRP comes in as a long-term life-saving strategy. XRP has spent years held back by legal uncertainty, and during that time, the technology continued to mature. Currently, there’s clarity, and what was being built has become visible.

Related Reading: XRP Ledger May Get A Tokenized Gold Upgrade, Web3 Founder Reveals

Real-world usage is arriving in cross-border payments, institutions are engaging, stablecoins like RLUSD are being introduced, and real-world assets are being tokenized on the chain. As the utility is increasing, capital is flowing into the ecosystem. More usage creates more demand, and sustained demand is what drives long-term value growth. According to Bird, XRP is to be trusted more than fiat, which is why it is a long-term savings vehicle rather than a short-term trade. 

XRP can be reserved for self-custody, stored on a cold wallet, removing reliance on banks altogether. Instead of earning a few percentages while fighting inflation, you’re holding a digital asset positioned at the centre of growing global financial infrastructure, which is more likely to increase in value over time. In comparison, it is unclear whether inflation will ever pause to make cash worth more.

The analyst views this scenario as a long-term wealth investment and believes that XRP will become one of the most utilised digital assets in the world. Thus, building a savings position now could prove to be one of the smartest financial decisions someone could make over the long run.

A Bridge Between Old Money And New Rails

ChartNerd noted that Ripple is not built to be a traditional crypto company that aims to destroy the old money. Instead, Ripple acts as the bridge between the old and new financial worlds, and this will be a more successful long-term strategy. 

A sustainable financial change will emerge gradually, not through a knee-jerk move or total disruption in just one cycle. XRP is clearly the long-game asset, while 2025 was the most productive year for Ripple, nothing is priced in yet.