NEW YORK, March 29, 2026, 14:06 EDT
XRP opens the week trading close to $1.32, following a sluggish stretch—off nearly 5% across the last seven days and slipping about 1.7% in the latest 24 hours. On Coinbase, XRP’s price moved between $1.32 and $1.35 over the previous day. CoinGecko tracked a broader weekly range, with highs touching $1.43 and lows holding steady at $1.32.
The next big hurdle probably arrives from the U.S. economy, not Ripple. The March payrolls report lands April 3 — but with stock markets closed for Good Friday. Latest Reuters figures, as of Friday, indicate a 55,000 job gain and unemployment at 4.4%. Retail sales data and fresh reads on manufacturing and services are also on deck for next week.
XRP now tracks institutional flows more than in past cycles. U.S.-listed XRP products from Franklin Templeton, Bitwise, and Grayscale allow mainstream investors access through standard brokerage accounts. CME Group lists XRP futures and options; March contracts wrapped up on March 27, and the April batch goes until April 24.
Last week wrapped up with a defensive tilt across macro markets. Brent finished Friday at $112.57 a barrel, U.S. crude closed at $99.64, as skepticism lingered over any Iran ceasefire. The 10-year Treasury yield pushed past 4.4%. Wall Street notched its fifth weekly drop.
“Words alone aren’t cutting it right now,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. He pointed to a lack of “tangible evidence of progress” for markets. For Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, assets look set to remain “headline-driven” over the coming days. Reuters
XRP shed some legal overhang compared to last year. In August, Reuters said the SEC wrapped up its suit against Ripple, upholding a decision that XRP sales on public exchanges aren’t securities. That said, Ripple still faces a $125 million penalty and an order restricting its institutional sales.
Late last week, Ripple announced March 26 that the XRP Ledger is rolling out AI-driven testing, and the upcoming release will focus on fixes and upgrades.
For investors, the risk is clear-cut: with oil holding firm and yields edging up, or if the jobs numbers jolt markets, XRP could keep tracking broader risk sentiment instead of moving on its own story. James Ragan, co-CIO at D.A. Davidson, pointed out that “any positive number would probably be good for the market” after February’s surprise jobs dip. But U.S. equities are set to be shut when payroll data hits. Reuters
Markets aren’t dressing it up: XRP is hovering close to its weekly lows, with crypto action running straight through the holiday. The token faces Friday’s initial macro data readout while sitting in a vulnerable spot.
