New York, Jan 27, 2026, 10:25 EST — Regular session
- XRP dipped roughly 1.7% to near $1.88, hovering close to last week’s lows as traders held back before the U.S. Fed meeting.
- Ripple grabbed attention with fresh deals: new bank projects in Saudi Arabia and a longer custody partnership in Turkey. Yet, broader macro trends kept steering the market moves.
- After a turbulent run in risk assets, markets are now focused on the Fed’s rate trajectory for 2026.
XRP dipped on Tuesday, hovering around $1.88 following an early session that saw it fluctuate between about $1.87 and $1.94. Volume remained robust, with roughly $2.4 billion traded in the last 24 hours.
The significance lay more in when the move happened than in its magnitude. On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve kicked off its two-day policy meeting, with investors watching closely for any changes in tone regarding inflation and potential rate cuts down the line.
Crypto traders are tuning into these signals closely, as looser policy usually boosts liquidity and risk appetite, whereas tighter moves tend to crimp leverage. On the other hand, bond investors have started positioning themselves for a halt in the Fed’s current rate-cutting streak, according to Reuters.
Bitcoin dipped roughly 1%, hovering near $87,600, while ether edged down about 0.5% to close to $2,917, leaving the wider crypto market on edge.
Ripple’s presence in the region drew fresh attention after Jeel, the technology unit of Riyad Bank, inked an MoU with the blockchain company. The agreement targets exploring use cases like cross-border payments, custody, and tokenisation, according to a statement from Jeel. CEO George Harrak described the initiative as laying “foundations to evaluate scalable use cases.” FinTech Futures
Traders found it tough to fully embrace the narrative as the Fed remained central. “Macro uncertainty continued to cap risk appetite,” Vikram Subburaj, CEO at Giottus, noted in market commentary featured by The Economic Times. The Economic Times
Ripple has renewed its custody partnership with Turkish lender Garanti BBVA, ensuring XRP remains one of the assets covered under the deal, The Paypers reported.
The legal cloud over XRP in the U.S. isn’t as dominant as before. The SEC wrapped up its lawsuit against Ripple last year, with the company facing a $125 million fine, Reuters reported in August.
The downside is clear: should the Fed resist loosening policy or if risk assets falter approaching month-end, altcoins could sharply tumble as leverage unwinds and money shifts back into yield-bearing assets.
Wednesday’s Fed decision and Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference are now the biggest focus for traders looking for clues on crypto’s next move.
