XRP is trading around $2.03 today (Saturday, December 13, 2025), slipping slightly on the day as traders weigh a wave of Ripple-ecosystem headlines against a still-jittery broader crypto market. [1]
Even with fresh, market-moving developments—Ripple’s conditional approval to launch a U.S. national trust bank, ongoing spot XRP ETF inflows, and a new push to bring XRP into DeFi across other chains—price action remains stuck in a tight “prove it” zone around the psychological $2.00 level. [2]
XRP price today: the latest snapshot (Dec. 13, 2025)
As of today’s session, XRP is showing muted movement rather than a breakout:
- Price: ~$2.03 [3]
- 24h change: about -0.5%
- Today’s range (high/low): roughly $2.05 / $1.98
- Market cap: about $123B, ranking #4 among cryptocurrencies [4]
- 24h trading volume: roughly $2.7B (varies by data provider) [5]
The bigger picture: XRP is still range-bound, and traders are treating $2.00 as the line that decides whether this becomes a slow grind higher—or a deeper pullback. [6]
Why isn’t XRP exploding on bullish headlines?
If you’re scanning the news flow, it’s fair to ask why XRP isn’t already sprinting higher. The short answer: macro pressure + technical overhead + mixed demand signals.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are also softer, keeping a lid on “risk-on” altcoin momentum. Meanwhile, market commentary this week has pointed to uncertainty around the rate-cut path and broader risk-asset volatility as a headwind for crypto prices. [7]
But XRP also has its own internal tug-of-war: strong institutional “access” narratives (ETFs, regulated custody, bank charter) versus signs that network activity and retail participation have cooled compared with earlier peaks. [8]
Today’s biggest XRP news: Ripple wins conditional approval for a U.S. national trust bank
The headline dominating XRP-related discussion today is Ripple’s regulatory step toward becoming more bank-like in the U.S.
On December 12, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted preliminary/conditional approval for several crypto firms—including Ripple and Circle—to establish national trust banks. [9]
Key takeaways for XRP holders:
- A national trust bank charter typically supports activities like custody and asset management and can help firms settle payments faster, but it does not allow the bank to accept deposits or make loans (no traditional checking/savings model). [10]
- These approvals are conditional—companies still need to meet the regulator’s requirements before they can fully operate. [11]
- The Wall Street Journal reported applicants have 18 months to line up capital, infrastructure, and clear final checks. [12]
Why the market cares: a trust bank pathway can strengthen the “regulated rails” story around Ripple’s stablecoin and custody ambitions—an angle that can indirectly support XRP sentiment even if XRP itself isn’t the product being chartered. [13]
XRP ETFs: flows keep coming, but price stays compressed
A major 2025 theme has been the institutionalization of crypto exposure via ETFs, and XRP is now part of that storyline.
The latest ETF developments (as of Dec. 13, 2025)
- FXStreet reported ~$16M in daily inflows recently and cited cumulative inflows approaching $1B. [14]
- FXEmpire noted a long inflow streak and put total net inflows since launch at roughly $974.5M. [15]
New products and filings matter, too
In the past few weeks, the spot ETF lineup has expanded:
- Bitwise announced its Bitwise XRP ETF began trading on November 20, 2025, under the ticker XRP. [16]
- 21Shares launched its 21Shares XRP ETF (TOXR), with the firm listing an inception date of December 11, 2025. [17]
- The SEC issued a Notice of Effectiveness for the 21Shares XRP ETF registration statement (S‑1) dated December 10, 2025. [18]
- A Cboe document in the SEC filing trail indicates the exchange certified approval for listing/registration upon official notice of issuance. [19]
Zooming out, this ETF wave became much easier to execute after the SEC approved new listing rules in 2025 designed to shorten and simplify spot crypto ETP approvals, according to Reuters. [20]
So why isn’t XRP ripping higher if ETFs are soaking up supply? Analysts point to selling pressure elsewhere (spot profit-taking, derivatives positioning, and macro risk-off) as reasons price can stay stuck even when flows are positive. [21]
Ecosystem catalyst: Hex Trust launches wrapped XRP (wXRP) to bring XRP into DeFi across chains
One of the most concrete “utility expansion” headlines this week is wXRP.
On December 12, 2025, regulated custodian Hex Trust announced it will issue and custody wrapped XRP (wXRP), a 1:1-backed representation of XRP designed for DeFi activity and cross-chain utility. [22]
The details that stood out to traders:
- 1:1 backing: each wXRP corresponds to one native XRP held in segregated custody. [23]
- Mint/redeem mechanics: wXRP can be minted when XRP is deposited and burned on redemption. [24]
- Launch liquidity: Hex Trust said wXRP would launch with over $100M in Total Value Locked to support liquidity “from day one.” [25]
- Chain coverage: Hex Trust said wXRP expands to supported blockchains including Solana, Optimism, Ethereum, HyperEVM, with more planned. [26]
- RLUSD pairing: Hex Trust explicitly highlighted trading/liquidity pairing between wXRP and RLUSD on chains where RLUSD is available. [27]
This matters because XRP has historically been perceived as more “payments-first” than “DeFi-first.” Wrapped representations can change how (and where) liquidity moves—especially if market makers and DeFi venues adopt the asset meaningfully.
And RLUSD itself is now large enough to be part of the conversation: CoinMarketCap currently shows RLUSD market cap around $1.0B. [28]
Regulatory overhang: the SEC–Ripple case is no longer the daily driver it once was
A key piece of background (still relevant to investor psychology) is that the long-running SEC–Ripple litigation is no longer the same looming, unresolved catalyst it used to be.
The SEC’s litigation release from August 7, 2025 says the SEC and Ripple filed a joint stipulation to dismiss appeals, resolving the civil enforcement action, while leaving in place a final judgment that included a civil penalty and an injunction. [29]
That doesn’t mean XRP can’t react to future enforcement or policy shifts—but it helps explain why much of the market’s XRP debate has moved on to institutional access (ETFs) and regulated infrastructure (custody, stablecoins, charters) rather than courtroom cliffhangers.
XRP technical analysis today: key levels traders are watching
Across multiple market notes from December 12–13, the same message repeats: $2.00 is the fulcrum.
Support zones
- $2.00: the headline psychological level that bulls are defending. [30]
- If $2.00 fails, analysts frequently point to the high-$1.90s and the $1.82 area as notable downside references in recent commentary. [31]
Resistance zones
- $2.06–$2.17: FXStreet highlighted XRP trading below multiple EMAs on shorter timeframes, which can cap rebounds. [32]
- ~$2.20–$2.22: often cited as a “ceiling” area where prior rallies have stalled. [33]
Demand signals under the hood
FXStreet flagged two important “temperature checks”:
- Network activity cooling: a decline in active addresses compared with November peaks. [34]
- Derivatives participation reduced: open interest stabilizing around $3.72B, far below earlier highs cited in the report. [35]
That combination often produces exactly what XRP is doing now: tight range trading, where price refuses to trend until either macro sentiment flips or a major catalyst forces repositioning.
XRP forecasts for Dec. 13, 2025: what analysts and models expect next
Forecasts diverge sharply depending on whether you’re looking at market structure/flows or network/technical momentum.
1) “Flow-led grind higher” scenario
A flow-focused view argues that sustained ETF inflows plus incremental regulatory wins (like the trust bank charter process) can support a move higher—provided $2.00 holds.
FXEmpire’s analysis explicitly frames the near-term discussion around whether inflows can keep defending $2 and eventually push XRP toward $2.35–$2.50, with $3 as a longer-term marker if conditions align. [36]
2) “Range first, breakout later” scenario
FXStreet’s framing is more cautious: XRP is stable above $2.00, but momentum is subdued, on-chain activity is weaker, and price remains under key moving averages—suggesting consolidation could persist until a stronger catalyst arrives. [37]
3) Short-term model forecasts: modest drift around $2
Model-driven forecast sites are broadly clustering around small moves rather than dramatic upside for the immediate next few days. For example, Changelly’s daily forecast list shows $2.03 for Dec. 13 and around $2.00 for Dec. 14 (not a prediction guarantee—just an indicative model output). [38]
4) Futures market check
CME’s listed XRP futures were also trading near spot levels (for example, the Dec 2025 contract around $2.00 in posted quotes), reinforcing the idea that—right now—the market is pricing XRP more like a range trade than a trend. [39]
The outlook: what could move XRP next week?
If you’re watching XRP into mid-December, these are the catalysts most likely to matter:
- OCC follow-through and timelines: conditional approval is step one; final approvals and operational readiness are step two. [40]
- Daily ETF flow persistence: the market is treating the “near-$1B inflow” milestone as a psychological marker—especially if flows accelerate or reverse. [41]
- wXRP real adoption (not just headlines): the difference between “announcement” and “impact” will show up in liquidity, usage, and whether XRP-related DeFi markets deepen on major chains. [42]
- Macro and risk sentiment: when Bitcoin is volatile or drifting lower, XRP often struggles to sustain breakouts—even on good XRP-specific news. [43]
Bottom line
XRP price today sits near $2.03, and the market is clearly torn: the fundamentals keep stacking up (trust bank charter progress, ETF access expanding, DeFi integration via wXRP), but price is still acting like a cautious, macro-driven range trade. [44]
For now, the story of Dec. 13, 2025 is simple: XRP is holding the line at $2, and the next major move likely depends on whether institutional demand (ETFs) and regulated infrastructure headlines can overpower weak momentum signals and broader market uncertainty. [45]
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile, and prices can change rapidly.
References
1. www.coindesk.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.coindesk.com, 4. coinmarketcap.com, 5. coinmarketcap.com, 6. www.fxstreet.com, 7. www.barrons.com, 8. www.fxstreet.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.wsj.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.fxstreet.com, 15. www.fxempire.com, 16. bitwiseinvestments.com, 17. www.21shares.com, 18. www.sec.gov, 19. www.sec.gov, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.fxstreet.com, 22. www.hextrust.com, 23. www.hextrust.com, 24. www.hextrust.com, 25. www.hextrust.com, 26. www.hextrust.com, 27. www.hextrust.com, 28. coinmarketcap.com, 29. www.sec.gov, 30. www.fxstreet.com, 31. www.fxstreet.com, 32. www.fxstreet.com, 33. www.ig.com, 34. www.fxstreet.com, 35. www.fxstreet.com, 36. www.fxempire.com, 37. www.fxstreet.com, 38. changelly.com, 39. www.cmegroup.com, 40. www.reuters.com, 41. www.fxstreet.com, 42. www.hextrust.com, 43. www.barrons.com, 44. www.reuters.com, 45. www.fxempire.com
