New York, Jan 21, 2026, 17:15 EST — Trading after hours
- XRP found its footing following a wild rollercoaster this week, as traders blamed leverage plays and shifting macro headlines.
- Ripple teamed up with DXC Technology to launch a custody and payments solution aimed at the banking sector.
- Thursday brings U.S. inflation data, with the Fed meeting scheduled for next week.
XRP price jumped roughly 4.7% to near $1.98 on Wednesday, recovering a good chunk of Tuesday’s drop after hitting a low of $1.87 earlier in the day. It remains far from its 52-week peak close to $3.66. 1
The bounce is significant since XRP is once again acting like a levered stand-in for risk appetite—sharp moves, little tolerance. In such conditions, headlines tend to pack more punch than usual.
Ripple-related corporate news drew attention during the day. DXC Technology announced a strategic partnership with Ripple aimed at helping banks integrate digital asset custody and payment functions. This initiative connects directly to DXC’s Hogan core banking platform. “For digital assets to move into the financial mainstream, institutions need secure custody and seamless payment capabilities,” said Sandeep Bhanote, DXC’s financial services head, in the company statement. 2
Derivatives action remained strong. XRP futures open interest—the total value of open positions—hovered near $1.2 billion, climbing roughly 2.5% in the past day, data showed. 3
Liquidations crept up, with roughly $4.67 million in XRP positions slammed shut in the last 24 hours. Longs accounted for about $2.99 million of that, according to data from Gate — suggesting some late buyers were caught off guard by the dip. 4
Macro remains in the background, as usual. A Reuters poll showed economists generally expect the Federal Reserve to keep rates steady in upcoming meetings. Nomura’s Jeremy Schwartz added the outlook “suggests the Fed should remain on hold.” 5
The next U.S. inflation figure will carry added significance. The Commerce Department’s PCE price index, which the Fed favors, is set for release Thursday, per the Bureau of Economic Analysis schedule. 6
Bitcoin’s volatility hasn’t done altcoins any favors. SkyBridge founder Anthony Scaramucci told Reuters in Davos that the recent dip is “more of a timing issue than a direction issue,” with bitcoin slipping below $90,000 earlier this week. 7
Ripple has doubled down on the “infrastructure” angle. In a Tuesday post, Ripple President Monica Long said she anticipates “more than half of the world’s top 50 banks” will establish at least one new custody relationship in 2026. 8
The risk for XRP is straightforward: its next big swing might be downward. Should U.S. data push rates higher for an extended period — or if the wider crypto market takes a hit — leverage could shift from boosting gains to intensifying losses, bringing the $1.87 level back into focus fast.
Traders are now focused on Thursday’s PCE inflation report and the Fed’s policy meeting slated for January 27-28. 9
