Singapore, Jan 26, 2026, 19:13 SGT — Regular session
- XRP slipped roughly 0.5% to $1.89, mirroring weakness seen in other leading tokens
- DXC and Ripple have teamed up in a banking partnership targeting custody and payments
- Traders are gearing up for the Fed’s rate decision on Jan. 28, eyeing it as the next big macro catalyst
XRP dipped under $1.90 on Monday, with the broader crypto market holding back ahead of the U.S. rate decision this week. The token last traded down 0.5% at $1.89, fluctuating between $1.81 and $1.91 earlier in the session.
The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet Jan. 27-28. Traders are watching closely, seeing the decision as a key signal for risk appetite. Crypto prices tend to react to rate expectations since rising yields can weigh on speculative assets. 1
Safe-haven demand continued to overshadow other asset classes as spot gold soared to a record $5,110.50 an ounce on Monday. That extends a rally that propelled bullion up 64% in 2025, with an additional 18% gain already this year. Investors pointed to geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over U.S. policy as key catalysts. 2
Bitcoin slipped roughly 0.7% to $87,873, while ether dropped 1.4% to $2,896. The main cryptos remain stuck in a risk-off mood.
XRP dropped close to 4% on Sunday following a brief dip of bitcoin below $88,000. Traders kept an eye on whether the $1.88 support level would hold, CoinDesk reported. 3
DXC Technology announced a strategic partnership with Ripple aimed at integrating digital-asset custody and payment solutions into DXC’s Hogan core banking platform, which manages over 300 million deposit accounts and handles more than $5 trillion in deposits. “For digital assets to move into the financial mainstream, institutions need secure custody and seamless payment capabilities,” said Sandeep Bhanote, DXC’s global head and general manager of financial services. Ripple’s Joanie Xie added that the collaboration will introduce “digital asset custody, RLUSD and payments” into core banking systems; RLUSD is Ripple’s stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. 4
XRP is the token linked to Ripple Labs, a company that develops blockchain-based payment solutions. Last year, the U.S. securities regulator dropped its lawsuit against Ripple but kept a $125 million fine and a court injunction related to institutional sales of XRP intact. 5
Custody means holding and managing records for digital assets on behalf of clients. Tokenization involves turning an asset into a blockchain-based token, enabling it to be transferred and settled through that network.
At the moment, the macro environment is driving things. Fed Chair Jerome Powell dismissed the Trump administration’s criticism as a “pretext” aimed at forcing larger rate cuts. Morgan Stanley economist Seth Carpenter noted the Fed’s “reaction function” probably won’t shift “abruptly or materially.” 6
Partnerships alone don’t guarantee a boost in token demand. XRP tends to react more to shifts in leverage and liquidity than to corporate news. A hawkish Fed signal or a surge in real yields might push XRP down toward its recent lows.
The next major event hits Wednesday with the Fed’s policy announcement at 2:00 p.m. ET, followed by a press conference half an hour later. Traders will be tracking the dollar and bond reaction closely, looking to see if crypto picks up once the event risk fades. 7
