Standard Chartered Predicts XRP Will Reach $8 By 2026

XRP price surges above $2.42 as Ripple reached a $50 million final settlement, ending its long-running tussle with the US SEC. Standard Chartered forecasts 400% rally by 2026 amid ETF optimism.

Ripple (XRP) Hits 50-Day Peak amid Ripple Settlement with SEC

Ripple’s native token, XRP, soared to a 50-day high of $2.42 on Friday, marking a key milestone in its prolonged rebound.

The rally followed Ripple Labs’ announcement of a long-awaited $50 million settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), bringing closure to a five-year legal battle.

The bullish news broke just as crypto markets turned risk-on. Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Dogecoin (DOGE) all recorded double-digit weekly gains, but Ripple price outperformed each of them.

Coingecko chart above shows how Friday’s bullish action pushed XRP price above $2.42 for the first time since March 28, 2025.

XRP closed the day around $2.34, up over 6.5% week-over-week and 13.5% in the last 30 days.

This latest price surge extended XRP’s impressive 349.7% gain over the past year, emphasising its resilience amid persistent regulatory headwinds.

Standard Chartered Analyst Predicts XRP Price to Hit $8 by 2026

According to Geoffrey Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, XRP’s upside potential is far from exhausted.

In an April report, Kendrick forecasted that XRP could double to $5.50 by year-end and climb to $8.00 by the close of 2026. He projects even steeper gains to $10.40 by 2027 and $12.25 by 2029 — a potential 428% rise from current prices.

Kendrick attributes XRP’s growth prospects to its central role in the cross-border payment ecosystem.

“XRP is uniquely positioned at the heart of one of the fastest-growing uses for digital assets , facilitation of cross-border and cross-currency payments,” Kendrick Geoff, Standard Chartered Analyst, wrote.

Speaking this week, Kendrick reaffirmed his bullish stance, noting a convergence of factors supporting XRP’s upward trajectory.

These include a recovering macro backdrop, the renewed investor appetite for altcoins, and expectations of more pro-crypto regulatory clarity under President Donald Trump’s administration.

A particularly bullish catalyst could arrive in the form of a spot XRP ETF approval. Standard Chartered anticipates U.S. regulators may greenlight such a product before October 2025, potentially attracting $8 billion in inflows during its first year.

Crypto Betting Patterns Signal Optimism around XRP ETFs

Polymarket data gives a 77% probability of this ETF launch occurring next year, while bettors on another predictions market platform, Kalshi, currently give XRP a 55% chance of outperforming Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies in 2025.

Kendrick also highlighted speculative momentum on platforms like Polymarket, where bullish wagers on digital assets have surged in recent weeks.

Much of the renewed enthusiasm may be tied to speculation that Trump is close to sealing new international trade deals. Although those deals have not yet materialized, the White House’s 90-day tariff pause, set to expire July 8, has added a layer of urgency to the bullish narrative.

For XRP investors, the mix of legal clarity, favorable macro conditions, and high-profile institutional endorsements paints a compelling case.

If Kendrick’s projections hold, XRP could become one of the decade’s most profitable altcoin plays.

XRP Price Forecast Today: $2.60 Retest Likely if Bulls Hold $2.19 Support

XRP is showing signs of a potential bullish continuation, supported by a decisive daily candle close above the mid-Keltner Channel at $2.19 and now threatening a breakout past the $2.41 upper band.

The move is backed by a notable uptick in the Volume Delta, with Thursday’s $22.43 million net buying volume marking the highest in two weeks, validating increased demand interest near the breakout zone.

The daily MACD histogram is now firmly positive, with the MACD line (0.0260) advancing above both its signal line (0.0139) and the zero line (0.0122), which confirms a momentum shift in favor of buyers. The crossover suggests bullish divergence is active and increasing, often an early signal of trend acceleration.

XRP Price action also aligns with broader risk-on sentiment in the broader crypto market, as Bitcoin price forecast today shows similar bullish setups with BTC holding its $63,000 support while forming a MACD crossover of its own. This strengthens the market-wide bullish thesis.

Still, XRP must decisively flip $2.41 into support to confirm the breakout. Failure here could reintroduce a bearish divergence if bulls cannot sustain buying pressure, particularly as the current candlestick shows upper wick rejection.

A rejection and close back below $2.19 would reintroduce downside pressure, placing the lower Keltner Channel at $1.98 as next support.

However, barring a sharp reversal, momentum indicators and rising buy volume suggest XRP could target the March high at $2.60 within the next several sessions, with $2.30 acting as the immediate support.

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ibrahim

Crypto analyst covering derivatives markets, macro trends, technical analysis, and DeFi. His works feature in-depth market insights, price forecasts, and institutional-grade research on digital assets.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.