XRP Price Update: Standard Chartered Cuts 2026 Target by 65%

How Market Pressure and Outflows Reshaped the XRP Price Outlook

The XRP Price is back under the spotlight after Standard Chartered made a sharp revision to its year-end outlook. The bank cut its 2026 XRP Price target by 65%, lowering it from $8 to $2.8. The downgrade has added fresh uncertainty to XRP’s outlook, especially as investors weigh short-term weakness against longer-term adoption narratives.  

Source: X Official

Importantly, the cut was not limited to XRPs. In early-Feb, Standard Chartered reduced targets for many major coins. Bitcoin’s 2026 target was trimmed to $100,000, Ethereum’s to $4,000, and Solana’s to $135. 

The move underscores growing caution among institutions as the broader crypto markets struggle through a difficult start to 2026, which dipped around 15% since the year started. 

Market Effect On XRP Price Journey: Support StandChart’s Reserved View 

The coin carried strong momentum into 2025 after hitting a $3.65 peak in July amid regulatory clarity and growing ETF optimism. Into early 2026, the token traded near $1.80-$2.00, briefly spiking toward $2.40 before broader market weakness set in. 

Since then the token continuously struggles to reach the $2 mark, and at the time of writing, it trades near $1.48, up 1.17% in 24 hours, even as it remains down nearly 28% monthly and over 45% year-on-year.

Source: CoinMarketCap Data

Despite this, the XRP ETF has shown strong resilience even after noting around $500 in outflows since January. The ETFs currently manage over $1.14 billion in total AUM, with seven active funds and a positive weekly net flow of +3.5 million coins. 

Major Reason Behind XRP Price Move

Standard Chartered cited multiple reasons behind the downgrade, which also included the $500 million outflow of the ETFs along with: 

Macro and Market Pressure: Broad crypto selloff in early 2026 amid inflation worries and tighter liquidity. Because of that risk assets, including XRPs, experienced heavier outflows.

Geopolitical Tensions: One of the major reasons behind the large liquidation of the markets is the rising war situations and sanctions among major economies, mainly including the United States under President Trump’s intense policies. 

Delays in Regulations: The much awaited–CLARITY Act, expected to bring clarity in crypto management, continuously facing delays as major banks and crypto platforms remain divided over its stablecoin yield provisions. 

Derivatives and Short-Term Selling: Perpetual futures traders dominate near-term price action. Data shows $13.5M in long liquidations, a $245.7M drop in open interest, and negative funding rates, all bearish near term.

Macroeconomic pressure also played a major role. Ongoing inflation concerns, tighter financial conditions, and global deleveraging have dampened risk appetite. As a result, optimistic crypto forecasts made during late 2025, when regulatory sentiment was improving, are now being reassessed.

What Comes Next For XRP Price Target

Despite near-term pressure, not all signals are bearish. Long-term utility remains a key theme. Japan continues to integrate XRPL into its regulated fintech ecosystem, backed by SBI Holdings, which owns over 9% of Ripple Labs.

At the same time, quiet accumulation has been reported in South Korea, where large players have added hundreds of millions of XRPs during periods of fear, often a sign of strategic positioning.

In simple terms, XRP’s next move depends on balance. If derivatives pressure fades and ETF flows stabilize, the foundation for a stronger recovery could form. If macro stress deepens, however, volatility may persist.

Note: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.