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.

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.

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

The XRP Ledger has entered a new phase of innovation as Ripple integrates to bring together two of the most powerful technology trends shaping the global economy. Long known for its speed, low transaction costs, and enterprise-grade reliability, the Ledger is now expanding beyond payments to data-driven and automated financial applications. By merging AI with decentralized settlement, Ripple is positioning the Ledger to support smarter workflows and more efficient liquidity management.

How Ripple Is Embedding Intelligence Into On-Chain Systems

An analyst known as SMQKE on X has shared a case study of an AI implementation in the cross-border payment, in which Ripple has successfully combined blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of global transactions.  As a leading provider of real-time cross-border payment solutions, Ripple leverages the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain that enables real-time cross-border settlement. 

Related Reading: Surge In XRP Transactions: 1.45 Million Daily Users Could Signal Price Rally Ahead, Says Expert

What sets this integration apart is the use of AI to optimize transaction flows and routing decisions in real time. Ripple AI-powered systems continuously process large volumes of payment data in real time, allowing financial institutions to make dynamic decisions on the most effective payment paths. 

BlackRock is now using Ripple’s RLUSD as collateral, which is extremely bullish for XRP. JackTheRippler revealed that the altcoin is being positioned as the future infrastructure, which is being built with the potential to hit over $10,000 per coin. With the REAL token launching on January 26th, trillions in global capital could flood into the XRP Ledger. According to JackTheRippler, some projections suggest up to $800 billion could flow into the REAL token on XRP Ledger, potentially sparking a powerful supply shock.

Why The Comeback Feels Different This Time

The rise of the phoenix XRP is here. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull highlighted that Caroline Pham isn’t just another name in crypto. Pham played a role in pushing utility regulation into the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), helping shift policy toward real-world use cases. Currently, she is at MoonPlay and posting about the phoenix on X.

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

Years ago, Brad Garlinghouse drew that same phoenix, and it became one of the biggest pieces of XRP lore. While the market chased narratives, Ripple has been building institutional-grade crypto products for years. Meanwhile, the token, RLUSD, and the XRP Ledger are now live operating, and recognized among the most compliant blockchain assets in the crypto world.

This is the same asset that survived the SEC’s biggest regulatory battles in crypto history, and is now on the other side with legal clarity, growing integration, and increasing relevance to government infrastructure in its favor. Xfinancebull concluded that Caroline has helped clear the regulatory path, Brad and Ripple built what actually runs on that path, and they have been aligning all along, which is how the real adoption happens.

A recent statement from an XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer suggests that XRP could be the key to an early retirement shortcut. Unlike steady paychecks or slow-growing investments in traditional assets, cryptocurrencies have the ability to create generational wealth rapidly, due to their penchant for sudden and explosive price moves. Among the thousands of digital assets on the market, the developer highlighted the token as his primary choice for investors seeking substantial returns, even sharing strategies for how the coin can help them retire in a few years. 

XRP Emerges As Shortcut To Early Retirement

A DropCoin XRPL developer, identified as ‘Bird’ on X, announced on Thursday, January 22, that buying and holding XRP at current prices could help investors retire within a few years. The bold claim quickly caught the attention of many in the crypto community, with some asking the developers to elaborate on the strategies involved and the expected timeline for achieving such wealth. 

Related Reading: XRP Price Obliteration Is Not A Matter Of If, New All-Time Highs Are Coming

Not stopping there, Bird claimed that investing in the token could eliminate the need for a job, suggesting that long-term investors may eventually rely on the potential profits from their holdings as a primary source of income. His statements were in response to a post by Watcher.Guru, which the developer directly referenced to support his optimistic long-term outlook. 

In that post, Watcher Guru quoted a statement reportedly made by Binance’s founder ChangPeng Zhao, who also agreed that holding crypto assets over time could make jobs unnecessary and allow investors to retire sooner than planned. The Ledger developer shared a screenshot of Zhao making similar remarks about Artificial Intelligence, suggesting that the Binance founder views both crypto and AI as powerful tools for achieving long-term financial freedom. 

A crypto community member who responded to Bird’s post questioned how long an investor has to hold XRP before retiring early. The developer answered humorously that it could be held indefinitely, adding that some investors could reach early retirement this year, while others may need a few more years. He emphasized that the timeline ultimately depends on how many tokens an investor holds.  

How High The Altcoin Could Rise To Enable Early Retirement

Addressing questions from the crypto community members, Bird shared his outlook on how high he believes XRP’s price could rise, helping investors achieve early retirement. He predicted that within the next few years, the cryptocurrency could rise to $100 and beyond—a significant jump from its current market price of around $1.90. 

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

The Ledger developer suggested that reaching $100 could be a gradual process for the altcoin, forecasting an initial rally to $10 in the First Quarter (Q1) of 2026. Notably, Bird’s remarks reflect a classic buy-the-dip and hold strategy, where investors accumulate during downtrends and patiently wait for the price to rally explosively before taking profits.

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. 

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. 

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.

XRP is attempting to stabilize above the $1.90 level after slipping below the $2.00 mark, a breakdown that has fueled fresh uncertainty across the market. With momentum weakening and volatility picking up, traders are now watching whether this pullback becomes a temporary reset or the start of a deeper downside move.

Analysts remain divided on the outlook, as some argue XRP is entering a bearish continuation phase, while others believe the market is simply clearing leverage before a rebound. Either way, the coming sessions are shaping up to be decisive for short-term direction.

A report from Arab Chain adds an important layer of context by focusing on Binance flow dynamics. According to the report, data from Binance’s XRP platform shows the 30-day correlation between price and CVD (Cumulative Volume Delta) sitting near 0.61, which signals a moderate to strong positive relationship between price action and net volume flows. In simple terms, XRP’s recent moves have not been disconnected from trading activity.

Instead, price changes appear to be relatively supported by actual volume behavior rather than isolated technical noise.

This matters because when price and CVD remain positively linked, the market is often viewed as structurally aligned, suggesting trend confirmation rather than a random bounce. For XRP, this correlation could become a key signal as bulls fight to defend $1.90.

XRP’s CVD Confirmation Score Shows Base-Building, Not Capitulation

Arab Chain explains that while the 30-day price–CVD correlation remains positive, the latest CVD reading is still relatively negative, signaling that accumulated selling pressure has not yet flipped into net buying dominance. This is a critical nuance.

Rather than acting like a simple “buy” or “sell” trigger, the metric functions as a confirmation score, meaning it evaluates whether price action is internally supported by volume flows instead of offering a clean entry signal. In other words, it helps traders judge the quality of the trend and whether market behavior is coherent beneath the surface.

The real value of this framework is its ability to detect divergence early. If XRP’s price attempts to recover while correlation deteriorates, or if CVD stays negative during upside moves, it would suggest hidden weakness and a higher probability that rallies are being sold into. That kind of imbalance often appears before sharp reversals, especially in uncertain conditions where liquidity is thin and momentum-driven positioning dominates.

In the current context, however, the market is sending a more balanced message. The persistence of a positive correlation despite ongoing price weakness implies that XRP may be entering a base-building phase, where selling pressure is being absorbed gradually rather than accelerating into aggressive distribution.

Trend Weakness Keeps Bulls On Defense

XRP is trading near $1.91 on the 3-day chart after failing to reclaim the $2.00 level, keeping the market in a fragile short-term position. The structure shows that XRP topped above $3.50 during the mid-2025 rally, but the move has since unraveled into a steady downtrend defined by lower highs and repeated breakdowns. After the sharp leg lower in October, the price attempted to stabilize, but the recovery lacked follow-through and has gradually faded into a tighter compression zone.

From a trend perspective, XRP remains capped below its major moving averages. The blue average is sloping downward and sits above price near the mid-$2 range, reinforcing a bearish bias and limiting upside attempts. The green average is also flattening and rolling over, confirming that momentum has weakened across multiple timeframes. Meanwhile, XRP is now leaning directly on the red long-term average, which is rising toward the current price and acting as a key support reference around the $1.85–$1.90 region.

Price action over the last several candles suggests a base-building process, but it is still premature to call a reversal. Bulls need to defend this support zone and reclaim $2.00–$2.10 to shift momentum back in their favor. If XRP loses the rising long-term average, downside risk increases toward $1.70 and potentially the mid-$1.50 area, where demand previously stepped in.

Featured image from ChatGPT, 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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

The XRP Ledger has moved one step closer to a major structural upgrade after validators voted in favor of Permissioned Domains. The amendment has now entered its two-week activation window, which is the standard process on the network before new features go live.  The change may sound technical on the surface, but it carries implications for how XRP-based infrastructure could be used by institutions operating under regulatory frameworks.

Validators Vote Yes On Permissioned Domains

According to commentary shared on X by Vincent Van Code, the amendment introducing Permissioned Domains has received enough validator support to pass. Vincent Van Code is a widely followed software engineer in the community. Amendments on the XRP ledger require sustained validator consensus before activation, meaning this approval reflects alignment across a large portion of the network’s validator set. 

Particularly, amendments on the XRP Ledger require over 80% consensus from trusted validators to hold for two consecutive weeks before activating. This process ensures network-wide agreement, preventing forced changes by any single entity. If support drops below the 80% threshold, the amendment is temporarily rejected, and the two-week period restarts.

As it stands, the consensus on permissioned domains is at 85.29%, and the expected time of approval is on February 4, 2026. Once the two-week waiting period concludes, the permissioned domains feature will become active at the protocol level. 

This means developers and institutions will no longer be building applications through off-chain workarounds or private chains. Developers will now be able to start building applications that rely on controlled access rules directly on the public XRP ledger.

How Permissioned Domains Change What Can Be Built On XRPL

According to the XRP Ledger website, permissioned domains are controlled environments within the broader ecosystem of the XRP Ledger blockchain. Anyone can define a permissioned domain in the ledger. That person becomes the owner of that domain and can update its settings or delete it. 

Permissioned Domains introduce a way to create gated environments on the XRP Ledger, where participation is limited to accounts holding specific verifiable credentials. Instead of every address being treated equally by default, certain activities can now be restricted to verified participants only, without altering the open nature of the base ledger. According to Vincent Van Code, this unlocks institutional use cases by restricting access to accounts with specific verifiable credentials. 

This capability opens the door to permissioned decentralized exchanges where regulated trading of tokenized securities, stablecoins, real-world assets, and even FX instruments can occur among compliant counterparties. The same framework also supports controlled lending protocols, restricted liquidity pools, and treasury operations that only approved entities can access.

The vote on permissioned domains plays into a growing trend of institutional entry into the XRP Ledger. While talking at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026, Ripple’s CEO discussed increasing integration of the XRP Ledger technology with global financial infrastructure, including stronger engagement with banking partners and tokenization efforts. 

XRP’s price action over the past several days has been tight and uneasy in a way that tends to make traders impatient. XRP is now drifting sideways just below $2, compressing into a narrower range between $1.9 and $1.96. To some, this looks like weakness. 

To others, it looks like upside pressure is building. One technical analyst believes XRP’s price action is approaching a moment that could redefine the entire structure. That view was shared on X by crypto analyst Archie, who noted that its current consolidation is a precursor to a violent breakout that will send its price into new all-time highs.

Why The Current XRP Structure Matters

According to the technical analysis in question, XRP has been carving out a tightening pattern directly beneath a descending trendline that has acted as resistance since the beginning of the year. XRP printed a higher high of $2.4 in early January, retraced, and then began compressing into a narrow range of lower highs on the 30-minute candlestick chart. 

The chart shows how the token has repeatedly respected the trendline without collapsing below support at $1.9. This, in turn, has created what Archie describes as a coil right under the resistance trendline. Interestingly, this kind of structure tends to resolve quickly once price makes contact with the trendline again. 

Trendline Obliteration And The Push Beyond $2

According to the analyst’s prediction, the next touch of the trendline will not be another rejection. Instead, the next touch will lead to a clean break that sends XRP decisively through $2, which is a little more than a checkpoint. From his perspective, the repeated tests of resistance have weakened it, increasing the probability of a breakout as opposed to another downward rejection.

At the time of writing, the altcoin is trading at $1.91, down by 2.6% in the past 24 hours. However, looking closely at the chart Archie shared gives structure to what to expect once the trendline breaks.

The first level is just above the descending trendline itself, around the $2.00 to $2.05 region. In the context of the chart, a clean move through this level is what flips the structure from compression below resistance into expansion above resistance.

Above that, the next highlighted resistance is just below $2.20. The chart then shows a broader resistance cluster between roughly $2.35 and $2.40. Reaching and breaking above this zone is much more significant, as it would show that the breakout is a genuine trend reversal.

At the top end of the projection, the highest marked region is around $2.60. This zone appears to be the final upside target shown on the chart and would place XRP firmly into price discovery territory relative to recent structure.

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.

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.

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.

Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has explained how Donald Trump’s push to sign the crypto bill into law will boost demand for XRP. This follows White House Crypto Czar David Sack’s prediction about how banks will come into crypto once the CLARITY Act passes.

How Donald Trump’s Crypto Push Will Boost XRP’s Demand

In an X post, X Finance Bull shared a video in which Donald Trump’s crypto adviser, David Sacks, stated that banks will begin to adopt crypto once the crypto bill passes. The pundit noted that this means banks are already positioned, while Ripple has the stack and XRP has the liquidity, and the rails are in place. As such, he believes that the token will be the go-to crypto once these banks enter the crypto industry. 

X Finance Bull further mentioned that institutions that have been waiting over the past few years will return and announce their buys and use of XRP once Donald Trump signs the CLARITY Act into law. The pundit added that this moment resets who is early and that he never needed hype to hold the altcoin. “Research and study were always enough,” he said. 

X Finance Bull also questioned why market participants were panic-selling if banks are going all in once Donald Trump signs the crypto bill into law. The pundit’s statements come just as Ripple partnered with DXC to integrate the token and RLUSD into DXC’s Hogan core banking platform. 

The banking platform powers more than 300 million deposit accounts and over $5 trillion in deposits globally. As such, this is a major step in XRP’s adoption, as the partnership will integrate Ripple’s payment technology into large-scale banking environments.

Trump’s Tariff Move Will Also Boost The Altcoin

In another X post, X Finance Bull claimed that Donald Trump’s move with tariffs will also boost XRP’s demand.  He shared a video of how the U.S. president said that $18 trillion is flowing into the U.S. economy thanks to these tariffs. The pundit asserted that such money flows put pressure on banks, payroll systems, FX rails, and settlement speed. 

X Finance Bull further noted that this creates nonstop cross-border payments and liquidity needs, and this is where Ripple and XRP come in. He explained that while old rails leak money, Ripple and the altcoin were built to stop that. The pundit also alluded to Ripple executives meeting with Donald Trump and to the token being mentioned as part of the digital asset stockpile. He added that the CLARITY Act is next and that when rules lock in, the U.S. capital will need U.S. rails. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.92, down almost 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

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.”

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.

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.

As the crypto market faces uncertainty and continues in a consolidation phase, market expert Sam Daodu has issued a report examining the potential for XRP, Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) to emerge as frontrunners if a new altcoin season arises in 2026. 

XRP, ETH, And SOL Price Forecasts

Daodu began his analysis by pointing out that Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance is currently hovering around 59%, alongside an Altcoin Season Index reading of 55. These indicators suggest that 2026 could herald a substantial rotation towards altcoins, mirroring significant shifts experienced during cycles in 2016-2017 and 2020-2021.

The expert outlines several bullish scenarios for each. For XRP, he envisions a potential surge past the $6-$8 range if exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows maintain a monthly average exceeding $400 million and RippleNet continues to expand its influence in global banking. 

ETH, on the other hand, could see itself climbing toward $12,000-$18,000 if Layer 2 (L2) adoption unlocks broader usage and ETF inflows rebound. 

Daodu highlights that active addresses are at cycle highs, indicating organic demand that may translate to higher prices once institutional sentiment shifts positively.

For SOL, the outlook is similarly optimistic. Solana might rocket to the range of $500-$800 if its transaction finality of 150 milliseconds and low fees attract a new wave of applications. Additionally, the rise in ETF filings could lead to significant capital inflows.

Potential Risks Ahead 

In more stable scenarios, Daodu suggests that XRP might consolidate between $2.50-$3.50 if institutional adoption progresses steadily without dramatic catalysts. 

He also speculates that Ethereum could trade within the range of $5,000-$9,000, benefiting from consistent demand driven by staking yields and decentralized finance (DeFi) growth.

Meanwhile, Solana might trend between $200-$350, assuming that developer growth and retail adoption continue at their current pace without major breakthroughs. 

However, Daodu cautions that XRP could fall below $1.50 if demand for ETFs wanes or if regulatory uncertainties arise. Similarly, ETH could fall below $2,500 if scalability issues arise or if regulatory challenges become more pronounced. SOL could drop below $100 if outages persist or if it faces increased competition from other Layer 1 platforms.

What AI Models Anticipate

AI predictions provide additional insight into the expected performance of these altcoins. For XRP, forecasts vary significantly, with ChatGPT estimating a range of $0.80-$3.00, while Grok presents a more bullish outlook with a target of $1.50-$6.00. 

Ethereum’s AI predictions show a range of $3,000-$9,000 from ChatGPT, while Gemini anticipates a high of $7,000-$18,000 through increased tokenization. 

Lastly, Solana’s predictions range from $120-$350 from ChatGPT to a more optimistic $300-$800 from Gemini, depending on the growth of consumer applications.

XRP was trading at $1.93 at the time of writing, down 2% in the previous 24 hours. ETH traded at roughly $2,952, while SOL traded at $128, both experiencing comparable declines during the same time period. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com  

XRP is testing demand below the $2 mark as the crypto market struggles to find stability amid rising uncertainty. After weeks of choppy price action and failed recovery attempts, traders are watching whether buyers can defend this zone or if another wave of selling pressure will push XRP into a deeper pullback. The broader market environment remains fragile, and risk appetite has weakened, keeping volatility elevated across major altcoins.

XRP is currently trading around 47% below its last all-time high from July 2025, highlighting how far the price has retraced since peak bullish momentum. However, this move is not necessarily abnormal. After an exceptional rally of more than 600% since November 2024, the market has naturally shifted into a phase of distribution and correction, as early buyers take profits and late entrants are forced to de-risk. This type of cooldown is often needed to reset positioning and rebuild a healthier structure for the next trend.

The current range suggests XRP is transitioning into a more balanced market where demand and supply are attempting to re-align. If buyers continue to step in near key support levels, the correction could evolve into a longer consolidation phase.

Negative Funding Rates Hint At A Potential XRP Reversal

Darkfost argues that what stands out in the current XRP setup is the timing of the bearish consensus. Instead of forming near the top, bearish positioning intensified only after XRP had already suffered a drawdown of more than 50%. Suggesting traders may be leaning short late in the correction cycle. On Binance, funding rates have remained mostly negative since December, reflecting a market dominated by leveraged short exposure rather than confident dip-buying.

Historically, markets tend to punish late consensus. While a buildup of shorts can add near-term selling pressure and keep price capped during weak conditions, it also creates latent buying pressure through forced covering. If XRP starts to reclaim key levels, short liquidations and rapid position unwinds can accelerate upside moves. Turning bearish positioning into fuel for a rebound.

Darkfost notes that this pattern has already appeared twice since 2024. During the August–September 2024 period, and again throughout the April 2025 correction, funding rates flipped negative for a sustained stretch before price stabilized and pushed higher. In both cases, the reversal was accompanied by improving sentiment and a return of funding rates toward neutral and then positive territory.

With funding still tilted bearish and positioning crowded to one side, the current context suggests XRP may be approaching another inflection point. If demand re-enters the market, the imbalance in shorts could support a sharp recovery.

XRP Consolidates Below $2 As Bears Lose Momentum

XRP’s 3-day chart shows the downside momentum has clearly slowed from the attempt to stabilize the price after an extended corrective phase. XRP currently trades near $1.94, holding above a local support zone that formed after the sharp sell-off in Q4 2025. While sellers remain active, the downside momentum has clearly slowed compared to the aggressive breakdown that pushed the market from the $2.60–$2.80 region into the current demand area.

From a trend perspective, XRP is still capped by declining moving averages. The shorter-term curve is sloping downward and acting as dynamic resistance near the $2.10–$2.30 range. Each rebound attempt has struggled to reclaim these levels. Reinforcing that the market remains in a broader downtrend despite the recent bounce.

However, the current price structure suggests sellers are losing control, as the market has stopped printing lower lows and is shifting into a tight consolidation range.

If XRP reclaims $2, it could open the door for a stronger recovery move toward the $2.30–$2.50 zone. On the downside, losing the $1.85 floor would likely trigger renewed selling pressure and extend the correction.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

XRP is trading above $1.90 after several weeks of pressure that pushed the token below the $2 psychological level. The pullback comes amid a broader crypto market downturn that has erased roughly $200 billion in total market capitalization since early January.

Related Reading: Dogecoin (DOGE) Rebound Looks Fragile With Multiple Hurdles Ahead

For XRP, the decline has been accompanied by a sharp deterioration in retail sentiment, even as some on-chain analysts and ecosystem participants argue that the current range carries longer-term significance.

While price action remains fragile, the debate around XRP has shifted from short-term momentum to questions of positioning, ownership structure, and adoption-driven fundamentals.

XRP Validator Highlights Accumulation Window Below $2

Crypto investor and XRPL validator 24HRSCRYPTO argues that XRP’s price below $2 represents a narrowing window for accumulation rather than a reflection of weakening fundamentals.

The commentary focuses on affordability and timing, noting that earlier market participants were able to build large positions with relatively modest capital, a dynamic that becomes harder as prices rise.

On-ledger data shows that more than 500,000 XRP Ledger accounts already hold over 10,000 XRP. Since these figures represent accounts rather than individuals, actual concentration may be higher.

According to the validator, this suggests that sizeable XRP holdings are becoming structurally harder to achieve for new entrants, especially if prices move higher.

The analysis also highlights cash flow constraints. Using fixed monthly investment scenarios, 24HRSCRYPTO explains that rising prices mathematically reduce the number of XRP units investors can accumulate over time. From this perspective, scarcity is not framed as sentiment-driven, but as a function of price appreciation.

Retail Sentiment Hits “Extreme Fear” Territory

Data from Santiment shows that XRP retail sentiment has slipped into “extreme fear” for the third time this year. The ratio of positive to negative sentiment dropped below 1.873 on January 20 and has continued to weaken. Historically, similar sentiment lows have coincided with short-term price rebounds, although outcomes have varied.

XRP has already staged a modest recovery, rising from around $1.89 to near $1.95. However, analysts caution that fearful sentiment alone does not guarantee sustained upside, especially in a market shaped by geopolitical uncertainty and declining risk appetite.

Technical Pressure Meets Ecosystem Developments

From a technical standpoint, XRP’s monthly candle has turned bearish, with strong selling noted near the $2.70–$3.00 zone. Analysts point to $1.90 as a key pivot, warning that a monthly close below this level could open the door to deeper supports near $1.60.

Related Reading: Chainlink Drops To $12.50, But Largest Whales Are Accumulating

Similarly, developments within the Ripple ecosystem continue to unfold. The recent Binance listing of RLUSD has expanded liquidity and access to Ripple’s stablecoin infrastructure, while executives maintain that 2026 could mark a shift toward broader institutional use of blockchain-based payments.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart on Tradingview

Market cap arguments always dominate debates around XRP’s long-term price potential, especially when double-digit and triple-digit targets are mentioned. Critics point to the altcoin’s large circulating supply and compare its implied valuation to banks and major corporations, using that comparison as a reason to dismiss higher price scenarios. 

However, a few analysts also contend that this framework misunderstands what the token is designed to do. According to one such expert, the problem is not the math itself, but the model being used to interpret it.

Why Bank Market Cap Comparisons Miss The Point

Crypto analyst Crypto Luke recently pushed back against the idea that XRP should be valued using the same logic applied to banks and financial institutions. The idea is that banks process enormous volumes of money every day, often in the trillions, but they do not hold that money on their balance sheets. The market capitalizations of banks are based on earnings, risk exposure, regulatory burdens, and operational efficiency, not the total value that flows through their systems.

Comparing XRP to financial institutions such as BNY Mellon mixes two very different concepts. Banks act as intermediaries that move other people’s money and earn fees along the way. The altcoin, on the other hand, is not a company but a liquidity bridge. It is designed to be the asset that actually settles value. Therefore, using equity-style market cap comparisons to judge a settlement asset like XRP leads to conclusions that are incomplete.

What This Means For XRP Price Debates

As noted by the expert, the design question isn’t how much volume moves; it’s how much capital must exist to support that movement without pre-funding.

It is important to note that the claim that market cap theory doesn’t apply to XRP is not a denial of basic math. Price multiplied by supply will always equal market capitalization. However, what Crypto Luke and others are challenging is the assumption that its market cap must be interpreted the same way as that of a bank or a traditional company. 

Related Reading: XRP Price At $10 Too Low? Pundit Says That’s For Retail, Reveals Institutional Targets

Another analyst, Pantoja, dismissed the idea that market cap is a hindrance for the altcoin to reach $1,000. The analyst noted that long-term XRP valuation will hinge on the real-world adoption of its underlying technology. Speaking of adoption, the adoption is talking about the token and the XRP Ledger being used by banks for cross-border settlements.

At the time of writing, XRP has a circulating supply of 60.7 billion XRP tokens. If the cryptocurrency were to reach a double-digit price, such as $10, based on the current supply, the implied market capitalization would be about $607 billion. That sounds extreme at first glance, but it is not automatically impossible. For context, Bitcoin’s market cap is about $1.79 trillion, so this is possible for a cryptocurrency.

This perspective weakens blanket statements that the token cannot reach certain price levels simply because the implied valuation looks large when placed next to corporate balance sheets. At the same time, it does not automatically validate extreme price targets. One crypto analyst, Mason Versluis, noted $10 is a much more realistic price target than $10,000 predictions.

According to a recent technical analysis by market expert Egrag Crypto, XRP has formed a “Super Guppy Compression” against Bitcoin, signaling the potential for a major structural shift. The analyst has revealed what could come next for the XRP/BTC pair following this development, indicating a higher probability of a bullish breakout within the next few months. 

XRP Bitcoin Pair Forms Super Guppy Compression

In his X post, Egrag Crypto provided a detailed breakdown of the XRP/BTC price structure and the recent patterns emerging within its chart. He suggested that the trading pair recently entered a transition phase after a multi-year decline, with price action tightening as the market moved through a period of compression. 

Egrag Crypto revealed that XRP/BTC has completed a Super Guppy Compression pattern, which shows full ribbon compression across both short- and long-term Moving Averages (MA). According to the analyst, this compression signals an upcoming volatility expansion, indicates exhausted selling pressure, and highlights a clear transition phase in the market. 

Color dynamics within the Guppy system on the chart also suggest a shift in market behavior. Egrag Crypto notes that the short-term Moving Averages, or “ribbons” as he calls them, are turning green, signaling early bullish momentum. At the same time, long-term ribbons remain red but are flattening, indicating that the downward trend on XRP/BTC is easing. These developments also show that the market has exited its bearish phase; however, a clear uptrend has yet to emerge, leaving the trading pair in a base-building stage.

From a price-structure perspective, Egrag Crypto notes that XRP/BTC is forming a bullish rectangular pattern. The analyst revealed that the trading pair had repeatedly bounced off support while facing rejection at resistance, indicating that supply is being absorbed rather than aggressively sold off. According to him, this behavior aligns with textbook reaccumulation patterns observed after extended downtrends, signaling a potential upward move ahead. 

Egrag Crypto has shared key targets for where he believes XRP/BTC could go next, depending on its current market structure. He noted that the structure matters more than the underlying emotion, suggesting that although the market may seem quiet, it is actively positioning for a decisive move. 

Analyst Sets Bullish And Bearish Targets For XRP/BTC

Continuing his analysis, Egrag Crypto predicted that over the next three to six months, the XRP/BTC price has a 60-70% chance of a bullish breakout. He added that there is also a 30-40% possibility of an extended consolidation, but only if the market structure breaks—a scenario he considers unlikely. 

Looking at the chart, the analyst has identified two key upside targets and one downside scenario. If XRP/BTC crosses the red resistance line at approximately $0.0000338, Egrag Crypto predicts an initial surge to a “conservative” target of $0.000091, followed by a rise to a “normal” target of $0.00014. Conversely, if a structure break occurs, XRP/BTC could plunge from $0.0000193 to $0.00000668.

The idea of a cryptocurrency like XRP competing directly with global banks once sounded unrealistic, but that line is starting to blur. Ripple, the payments technology company behind XRP, has spent recent months pushing deeper into payments, liquidity, custody, and treasury infrastructure with acquisitions. 

This has seen the role of XRP changing from a settlement token into something that increasingly mirrors core banking functions. The question is no longer whether Ripple can coexist with global banks, but what changes if it begins competing head-on with them.

A Strategic Challenge For Banks

Recent acquisitions and commentary across the global financial landscape have seen conversations about XRP’s role as a cross-border settlement token change into what might happen if Ripple starts competing with banks. Ripple has completed several high-profile acquisitions in recent months that extend its reach into treasury services, trading infrastructure, stablecoin rails, and custody, and each of these deals speaks to a broader strategy. 

One of the most consequential moves was Ripple’s purchase of Hidden Road in April 2025. Hidden Road is a global prime broker that clears trillions annually and serves more than 300 institutional clients. With Hidden Road, which now operates as Ripple Prime, Ripple is now in charge of a multi-asset clearing, prime brokerage, and financing business. 

Another significant acquisition was that of GTreasury, a treasury management platform bought for about $1 billion in October 2025. Ripple also agreed to acquire Rail, a stablecoin payments platform, for around $200 million in August 2025. Integrating Rail’s stablecoin-focused technology strengthens Ripple’s broader payments ecosystem and helps better position its stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD).

That acquisition sits alongside other strategic deals completed in recent months, such as the purchases of Palisade and, most recently, Sydney-based fintech firm Solvexia on January 6, 2026 by GTreasury.

Can Ripple Start Competing With Major Banks?

Ripple has always been clear about its stance of competing with SWIFT as the leading global messaging network for financial institutions across the globe. Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, noted that the company plans to capture up to 14% of SWIFT’s current cross-border volume within the next five years. 

Ripple’s partnerships with over 300 banks and financial institutions around the world already show how its blockchain rails are being used to speed cross-border settlement and manage liquidity efficiently. Many partners use RippleNet’s messaging for faster transfers, and those that use XRP often do so to tap into liquidity corridors that eliminate the need for massive prefunded accounts on both ends of a transaction.

Vincent Van Code, a popular crypto commentator on X, noted that Ripple is now encroaching on banks’ multi-trillion-dollar treasury, remittance, and custody revenue streams, areas that have historically been protected by legacy infrastructure. Ripple was held back for years by external constraints, but those barriers are now giving way and all the strategic pieces are beginning to fall into place.

Most banks are working on outdated systems and will soon be forced to rebuild their infrastructure from the ground up, a process that could cost between $3 billion and $4 billion per institution just to remain competitive.

XRP is increasingly being positioned as the core infrastructure for moving massive amounts of value across global financial networks. As trillions of dollars move daily across borders, platforms, and asset classes, the limitations of legacy systems are becoming impossible to ignore. Its core value lies in its ability to function as a neutral, high-speed bridge between disparate financial systems.

Is XRP Becoming A Standard Layer For Value Transfer?

XRP is building the rails for trillions, and the shift is already happening. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull reported a video on X where Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse revealed at Davos 2026 that the payment firm has been working directly with banks around the world to connect tokenization and DeFi through the XRP Ledger, thereby turning it into a bridge between traditional finance and on-chain markets.

The number alone shows how fast the tokenized asset is moving. In just one year, the volume has grown from $19 trillion to $33 trillion, which is a 75% increase. According to Xfinancebull, most people still have no idea how big this will get. 

This is the shift; the rails are being laid right now, and XRP Ledger is one of the few networks that are ready to handle it. When institutional money starts moving at scale, it won’t care about the narratives or favorite altcoins. Instead, it will flow to where the infrastructure already exists, which is bullish for XRP.

Why Respecting Channel Levels Signals A Healthy Market Structure

The XRP market capitalization structure still looks constructive. An analyst known as Bird has highlighted that on the higher-time frame chart, XRP has been moving inside a clear descending accumulation channel for the past six months, and price has respected the top, mid-range, and bottom of that channel almost perfectly, which is exactly what should play out during a healthy accumulation phase.

Related Reading: XRP Maintains Bullish Bias Above $1.30 Despite Recent Rejection

Recently, the price pushed into the upper half of the channel, and then pulled back this week to retest the mid-range support. If this level continues to hold, the structure suggests that the altcoin is set up for another push higher, in Bird’s opinion. However, what makes this setup more interesting is how well it lines up with what’s happening across the broader market. 

The Russel 2000 is sitting at all-time highs, metals are starting to look like they are topping, Bitcoin dominance is beginning to feel heavy, Brad Garlinghouse speaks at Davos today, and the recent wave of community riddles has dropped this week. Bird concluded that when multiple signals start lining up like this, it usually means the market is preparing for a larger move. From the chart perspective, Bird remains bullish on the XRP setup.

Rumors about XRP suddenly becoming useless and less relevant appear to be spreading across the crypto market following the introduction of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. Crypto market analyst XFinanceBull recently took to X to debunk these claims, stating that, rather than being a potential threat, RLUSD was created to complement XRP’s functionality and use cases on the ledger.

Why Ripple’s RLUSD Poses No Danger To XRP 

In his post, XFinanceBull revealed that many in the crypto community now see XRP as less useful because of RLUSD. These concerns carry weight given the growing dissatisfaction over XRP’s price struggles. Furthermore, with a stablecoin in place, the perception is that XRP’s use cases could deteriorate, especially given RLUSD’s greater stability. 

Addressing these growing concerns, XFinanceBull emphasized that XRP and RLUSD serve different purposes within the ecosystem. His commentary aims to correct the misconception that RLUSD was introduced to replace XRP. The analyst referenced statements from Ripple’s former Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, who, in a video, clearly explained the distinct roles of XRP and RLUSD, highlighting how the stablecoin benefits the altcoin rather than threatens it. 

According to XFinanceBull, Schwartz stated that RLUSD attracts large, credible flows to the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and this capital provides structural benefits to XRP. The analyst declared that RLUSD does not replace XRP, but instead amplifies its functionality. He added that as liquidity grows through the stablecoin, more payment routes are created, leading to increased XRP burns. 

XFinanceBull also noted that every stablecoin trade within the Ripple ecosystem indirectly drives demand for XRP as a bridge asset. He concluded that the world will eventually realize that utility is not defined by a whitepaper alone, but by real transaction flows. He added that although the XRP price may be declining, its rails are still being built.  

How RLUSD Benefits XRP

In the video shared by XFinanceBull, Schwartz stated that RLUSD is designed to benefit XRP. He explained that RLUSD strengthens XRP by introducing more credible assets onto the XRP Ledger, thereby expanding the network’s use cases and creating more opportunities for developers. 

The former Ripple CTO also revealed that adding trusted assets, such as RLUSD, increases trading activity on XRPL’s DEX. According to him, higher trading volume generates both direct and indirect benefits for the decentralized network and its native token, XRP. 

A key advantage of the XRPL DEX is its auto-bridging feature, which uses XRP to facilitate trades between different assets. Schwartz said that this mechanism allows XRP to act as an intermediary, helping users find the most efficient trading routes. He added that RLUSD and XRP are designed to complement each other, given their different roles within the ecosystem. While the stablecoin offers price stability, the altcoin functions as a bridge currency within Ripple’s payment products. This means that as RLUSD usage grows, demand for XRP is reinforced.