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XRP Price Forecast: What Could Happen to XRP in 2026?
XRP has remained under sustained pressure for several consecutive weeks, with multiple recovery attempts failing to trigger a decisive breakout. As 2025 comes to a close, the altcoin continues to trade within a broader downtrend, ending the year with underwhelming performance compared to market expectations.
Weak spot demand and cautious sentiment among retail investors have limited XRP’s upside potential. However, strong and consistent interest from institutional investors has emerged as a key stabilizing force, preventing deeper sell-offs despite ongoing selling pressure.
XRP: A Preferred Asset Among Institutional Investors
Throughout 2025, institutional investors have played a critical role in supporting XRP. According to data from CoinShares, XRP recorded inflows of approximately $70 million in the final week ending December 27, pushing total monthly inflows to $424 million. This steady capital allocation occurred despite declining prices, signaling long-term conviction rather than short-term speculation.
Notably, XRP outperformed several major digital assets during the same period. Bitcoin saw net outflows of $25 million, while Ethereum experienced significantly larger outflows totaling $241 million. On an annual basis, XRP attracted $3.3 billion in total inflows, reinforcing its position as one of the most institutionally favored altcoins, even amid regulatory uncertainty.
XRP ETFs Reinforce Institutional Confidence
Institutional support has extended beyond traditional investment vehicles into newly launched XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Since their debut, XRP ETFs have not recorded a single day of net outflows, with only one session closing flat. This level of consistency is rare and highlights persistent institutional demand.
Speaking to BeInCrypto, Ray Youssef, CEO of crypto platform NoOnes, emphasized that institutions are executing long-term, strategic accumulation plans.
“The accumulation of XRP in early December was a calculated move ahead of ETF-related developments. Similar to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF cycles, institutions tend to position themselves well before prices fully reflect new structural catalysts.”
Youssef added that XRP is increasingly viewed as a high-beta asset with asymmetric upside potential. Despite weak price action, many traders consider current levels attractive for positioning ahead of broader ETF-driven adoption.
Long-Term Holders: Growing Uncertainty and Hidden Risks
Long-term holders (LTHs) play a pivotal role in maintaining market stability, particularly heading into 2026. However, on-chain data throughout 2025 shows alternating phases of accumulation and distribution among this group, reflecting uncertainty about XRP’s medium-term outlook.
By Q4 2025, distribution activity began to dominate, suggesting that confidence among long-term holders has weakened. If this trend persists into 2026, XRP could face extended consolidation or deeper corrective moves. Historically, sustained LTH distribution often precedes prolonged accumulation phases or notable price declines.
XRP Price Outlook for Early 2026: Caution Remains Key
At the time of writing, XRP is trading near $1.87, down approximately 38% in Q4 2025 and 9.7% year-to-date. December failed to deliver meaningful bullish momentum, reinforcing negative sentiment as the year ends.
Looking ahead, 2026 may unfold differently. According to Youssef, January and possibly the entire first quarter of 2026 could remain relatively subdued.
“Unless a clear macro catalyst emerges, XRP is likely to consolidate between $2.00 and $2.50 during January and Q1 2026. Markets are still digesting global trade tensions, liquidity tightening, and risk-off positioning.”
The key upside objective remains a sustained break above $3.00, which would be required to re-establish a broader bullish trend and reopen the path toward the all-time high near $3.66.
On the downside, failure to hold support at $1.79 could expose XRP to further declines toward the $1.50 region, invalidating neutral-to-bullish scenarios and reinforcing bearish structure.
Seasonality Adds Another Layer of Complexity
Seasonal trends offer limited optimism. Historically, January has delivered an average return of around +3% for XRP over the past 12 years. However, the median return stands at -7.8%, highlighting inconsistent performance.
Youssef also noted that XRP underperformed in December due to broader market weakness, shrinking liquidity, heightened risk aversion, and spillover effects from the correction in AI-related assets. The crypto market experienced one of its weakest Q4 performances in nearly seven years.
Final Thoughts
While institutional interest and ETF adoption provide structural support for XRP, price action heading into early 2026 remains fragile. Without a decisive shift in market sentiment or macroeconomic conditions, XRP may continue to face volatility and consolidation before clearer trends emerge later in the year.
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