NEW YORK — As of 1:31 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, XRP (Ripple) is trading around $1.84, down roughly 1.6% from the prior reference close, after moving between about $1.83 and $1.88 intraday.
Even though crypto trades 24/7, today’s XRP price action is unfolding against a distinctly “post-holiday Wall Street” backdrop: U.S. equities are open and hovering near record highs, but trading conditions are thin and price moves can become headline-driven. Reuters notes the S&P 500 is within about 1% of 7,000 as the year ends, while AP reported indexes were largely flat to slightly lower in quiet post-Christmas trading. [1]
Below is a breakdown of what’s moving XRP right now, the biggest XRP news catalysts investors are tracking, and what to watch as the market heads toward the next sessions at year-end.
XRP price check: where XRP stands right now
Multiple major price trackers are clustering around the same level midday in New York:
- Price: about $1.84 [2]
- 24-hour volume: roughly $2.4B (varies by venue/aggregator) [3]
- Market cap: roughly $112B (approx., varies with price and methodology) [4]
- Market positioning: CoinMarketCap currently ranks XRP among the largest cryptoassets by market cap (rankings can shift daily). [5]
Broadly, XRP is trading in the same direction as the larger crypto complex today: Bitcoin and Ethereum are also modestly lower on the day, reinforcing a “risk assets pausing” tone rather than an XRP-only event.
The current stock market backdrop: “Santa Claus rally” meets thin liquidity
While XRP doesn’t close, macro liquidity still matters, and today’s U.S. session is a classic example of why.
- U.S. markets are open today (NYSE/Nasdaq normal day after Christmas trading), after an early close on Christmas Eve earlier this week. [6]
- Midday, U.S. equities are near record levels but drifting without major economic releases—conditions that can amplify the impact of any sudden headline (crypto or otherwise). [7]
- The “Santa Claus rally” window is in play, a seasonal period that market watchers track for sentiment—though analysts caution it’s not destiny. [8]
For a real-time snapshot of the tape, proxy equity ETFs show the market’s “mostly sideways” posture at the time of writing:
- SPY: about 689.75, slightly lower on the day
- QQQ: about 623.99, roughly flat/slightly higher
This matters for XRP because, in thin markets, crypto can sometimes react more sharply to changes in risk appetite—especially as institutional access expands via regulated products.
Key XRP news and catalysts driving current market attention
1) Ripple gets a major U.S. regulatory signal: OCC conditionally approves Ripple National Trust Bank
One of the most consequential XRP-adjacent headlines in December is Ripple’s progress with U.S. banking regulation.
On Dec. 12, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced conditional approvals for five national trust bank charter applications, explicitly including Ripple National Trust Bank. The agency framed the decision as pro-competition—Comptroller Jonathan V. Gould said, “New entrants into the federal banking sector are good for consumers…” [9]
In the OCC decision letter on Ripple’s proposed trust bank, the regulator describes a plan centered on:
- fiduciary and trust-company activities,
- reserve management services tied to Ripple’s USD stablecoin RLUSD (issued by a Ripple subsidiary regulated by NYDFS),
- and crypto custody services for institutional customers. [10]
Reuters also highlighted the trust-bank approvals as part of broader policy momentum integrating crypto firms into the U.S. financial system. [11]
Why it matters for XRP price: Markets often treat “regulated rails” as a long-term bullish ingredient for adoption narratives—even when the near-term token price stays range-bound.
2) XRP spot ETFs: institutional access expands, with multiple issuers now live
A second major theme is the continued buildout of spot XRP ETFs and XRP-linked exchange products.
- 21Shares announced the launch of its 21Shares XRP ETF (ticker: TOXR) in a Dec. 11 press release, positioning it as a way for investors to gain XRP exposure through traditional brokerage channels. [12]
- Grayscale XRP Trust ETF (GXRP) shows assets under management around $226M as of Dec. 24, 2025, and discloses fund mechanics including XRP held in trust and custodial details. [13]
A structural tailwind behind this wave: the SEC has moved toward generic listing standards for commodity-based crypto ETPs, streamlining the path for more crypto ETFs beyond Bitcoin and Ether (subject to eligibility rules such as regulated futures market history). [14]
Why it matters for XRP price today: ETFs can support demand over time, but the market can still “sell the news” in the short run—especially if traders are focused on technical resistance levels (more on that below).
3) Ripple funding and capital markets activity keep the “institutional” narrative alive
Ripple also remains active on the corporate side. Reuters reported that Ripple raised $500 million in a funding round that valued the firm at $40 billion, with proceeds aimed at expanding products and institutional relationships (including custody and stablecoin-related initiatives). [15]
Separately, Reuters reported on Ripple-backed Evernorth pursuing a U.S. listing intended to build what it described as a major XRP treasury strategy (a structure that echoes “crypto treasury” plays seen elsewhere in the market). [16]
Why it matters: These developments don’t mechanically move XRP price tick-for-tick, but they can influence sentiment about long-term network relevance and institutional participation.
4) Supply watch: Ripple’s monthly escrow unlock remains a recurring headline into January 2026
Traders are also looking ahead to the calendar.
Ripple has long operated a predictable XRP escrow mechanism. An official XRP Ledger explainer says the structure releases up to 1 billion XRP per month, with unused XRP typically placed into new escrow contracts later. [17]
Regulatory filings for XRP ETF products have also described this monthly pattern, noting that Ripple has historically returned a majority of the monthly unlock back into escrow. [18]
Several market outlets are flagging the next scheduled unlock at the start of January 2026, which some traders treat as a “known event risk”—even if prior unlocks have often been partially re-escrowed. [19]
Practical takeaway: Escrow releases are rarely a surprise, but in thin liquidity conditions (like year-end), even well-telegraphed supply events can influence positioning and volatility.
Technical and trading view: the levels many analysts are watching
A common theme across recent technical commentary is that $2.00 has become a psychological and technical pivot.
- Some technical analysts argue XRP lost the $2 support and is now dealing with $2 as resistance, while buyers have shown up near the $1.80–$1.85 area. [20]
- Short-term market commentary frequently highlights that low volume (typical for holiday week trading) can reduce follow-through even when buyers defend support. [21]
This helps explain why XRP can have big narratives (ETFs, bank-charter momentum) while still spending days moving within a relatively tight band.
XRP forecasts and price predictions: what analysts are saying (and what to do with them)
Forecasts for XRP remain wide—and investors should treat them as scenarios, not promises.
- Commentary citing Standard Chartered digital asset research head Geoffrey Kendrick has circulated projections that XRP could reach higher levels into 2026, based on assumptions like increasing regulatory clarity and broader institutional access (including ETFs). [22]
- Other projections are more probabilistic: one recent Monte Carlo-style analysis published by 247WallSt suggested a wide distribution of outcomes for late 2026, with much of the modeled range clustered between low-single-digit prices and occasional higher-tail outcomes. [23]
How to read forecasts intelligently:
- Identify the assumptions (ETF inflows, regulatory clarity, adoption).
- Separate time horizon (weeks vs. years).
- Watch whether price action confirms the story (breakouts, volume, trend changes).
What investors should watch into the close and before the next U.S. session
Because it’s 1:31 p.m. ET in New York and U.S. stocks are still trading, this isn’t a “markets are closed” setup—but there are still practical, session-based considerations:
Watch the 4:00 p.m. ET equity close—crypto won’t stop trading
Grayscale itself notes that ETF trading generally occurs during normal hours (typically 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET). After that, crypto continues trading globally, which can create gap risk between crypto spot markets and ETF pricing into the next business day. [24]
Thin liquidity cuts both ways
Post-holiday sessions are often low-volume. AP described today as quiet, and Reuters emphasized the year-end positioning environment. In crypto, thin order books can mean sharper moves if a large trade or headline hits. [25]
Macro calendar still matters next week
Reuters flagged that investors are watching the Federal Reserve’s policy messaging, including upcoming communications and broader rate expectations heading into 2026. Even if XRP has its own catalysts, macro rates and liquidity can influence risk appetite. [26]
XRP-specific near-term checklist
- $2.00: can XRP reclaim it with conviction (and volume), or does it keep rejecting? [27]
- ETF headlines: product launches and AUM growth can support demand narratives—even if price lags initially. [28]
- Escrow headlines into Jan. 1: watch how markets position around the scheduled monthly unlock and any re-escrow disclosures. [29]
- Regulatory plumbing: the OCC trust-bank pathway is still conditional; the market may reprice as approvals move from preliminary to final stages. [30]
Bottom line
XRP is trading near $1.84 in New York midday, caught between range-bound technical levels and a growing list of institutional and regulatory catalysts—from spot XRP ETFs and reported ETF growth milestones to Ripple’s progress toward a federally supervised trust-bank structure. [31]
Meanwhile, Wall Street’s thin post-Christmas session—with equities near record highs—creates a market environment where sentiment can swing quickly on headlines, even if the underlying narrative remains long-term. [32]
This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Crypto assets, including XRP, can be highly volatile and carry significant risk.
References
1. www.reuters.com, 2. coinmarketcap.com, 3. coinmarketcap.com, 4. coinmarketcap.com, 5. coinmarketcap.com, 6. www.nyse.com, 7. apnews.com, 8. www.marketwatch.com, 9. occ.gov, 10. www.occ.gov, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.nasdaq.com, 13. etfs.grayscale.com, 14. www.investopedia.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. xrpl.org, 18. www.sec.gov, 19. finbold.com, 20. cryptopotato.com, 21. cryptopotato.com, 22. www.nasdaq.com, 23. 247wallst.com, 24. etfs.grayscale.com, 25. apnews.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. cryptopotato.com, 28. www.nasdaq.com, 29. xrpl.org, 30. occ.gov, 31. www.nasdaq.com, 32. apnews.com
