XRP, one of the altcoins that benefited the most from Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, reached levels as high as $3.6 during the summer months.
XRP, which subsequently saw a significant downtrend, fell as low as $1.50 during the major October crash and is now trading around $1.87.
Following the sharp declines, expectations for XRP to rise have diminished, while Standard Chartered reiterated its 2026 target for XRP.
According to Coindesk, Standard Chartered predicts that the price of XRP will reach $8 by the end of 2026. This represents an increase of approximately 330% from current levels.
The big bank says XRP could make significant gains as the regulatory hurdles that existed for much of the previous cycle are no longer in place.
Geoff Kendrick, head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, said greater regulatory clarity in the United States makes it easier for institutions to take risks and gives Ripple and the XRP ecosystem room to grow without constant risk of lawsuits.
Kendirck said his bullish forecast included regulatory clarity as well as approval of exchange-traded XRP spot ETFs.
From a technical perspective, the $1.85 level appears to be a critical support level to watch for XRP. Analysts also point to an important event to watch in the near future for XRP: the opening of a billion XRP escrow account in January, which could trigger sharp price swings.
*This does not constitute investment advice.