NEW YORK, Jan 26, 2026, 11:19 EST — Regular session
- XRP rose about 2% in the past 24 hours, steadying near $1.90
- Traders cited a cautious risk backdrop ahead of the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting
- Focus turns to Wednesday’s policy statement and Chair Jerome Powell’s news conference
XRP rose on Monday, clawing back early losses as traders braced for a U.S. Federal Reserve decision that could steer risk appetite into month-end. The token was last up about 2% on the day at roughly $1.92.
Moves in smaller cryptocurrencies have tightened around big macro dates, with investors wary of sharp swings in the dollar and U.S. yields. This week’s Fed meeting has been overshadowed by questions around central bank independence and political pressure, a theme that has seeped into broader markets.
In currencies, the yen pushed to a more than two-month high as markets watched for possible intervention signals, adding to a jumpy backdrop for global risk trades.
On a daily basis, XRP has churned around the mid-$1.80s to low-$1.90s range, after ending the prior session near $1.83, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Bitcoin steadied around $87,000 after a weekend dip, while investors kept one eye on gold’s surge to fresh records — a mix that has left crypto trading more like a high-beta risk asset than a hedge.
U.S. equities were firmer ahead of big tech earnings and the Fed decision, while gold’s rally has pulled some money toward defensive corners of the market. That split tape has been a headwind for tokens that need risk-on flows to extend gains.
For XRP, the longer-running overhang has been regulation. The SEC ended its lawsuit against Ripple Labs in August, leaving a $125 million fine intact and an injunction tied to institutional sales — an outcome traders still cite when they talk about U.S. demand.
At the same time, traditional-market wrappers have broadened access. Franklin Templeton’s XRP ETF, which tracks XRP’s price before fees, lists on NYSE Arca and launched late last year, according to the firm’s product page.
The next hard catalyst is the Fed: the policy decision lands on Wednesday, Jan. 28, followed by a press conference, the central bank’s calendar showed.
The risk is straightforward. Any hawkish surprise, or a renewed jump in yields and the dollar, could hit leveraged crypto positions quickly, pushing XRP back toward recent support levels.
Traders will also be watching whether volatility stays contained into the Fed statement or starts to leak earlier, as positioning shifts ahead of Wednesday’s decision.
For now, XRP’s direction looks tied to the same question hanging over most risk assets: whether the Fed’s message on Jan. 28 reads as steady patience — or the start of a tougher stretch for liquidity.
