NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 13:30 ET — Regular session
- XRP up about 1% near $1.88 after dipping to $1.84
- Traders eye Fed minutes at 2 p.m. ET for clues on 2026 rate path
- Bitcoin and ether firmer as thin year-end liquidity keeps moves choppy
XRP rose about 1% on Tuesday to $1.88, hovering near the day’s high after slipping to $1.84 earlier in the session. Bitcoin gained about 0.8% and ether added roughly 1.3%.
The steadier tone in the XRP price today comes as markets brace for the Federal Reserve’s December meeting minutes, due at 2 p.m. ET, which could reset expectations for U.S. rates into 2026. “The market doesn’t have a lot to work with right here,” Joseph Trevisani, a senior analyst at FX Street in New York, said. Reuters
The minutes from the Fed’s Dec. 9-10 meeting are expected to detail internal divisions after policymakers cut short-term rates for a third time this year to a 3.50%-3.75% range, with three dissenting votes, Reuters reported. Shifts in the rate outlook often spill into cryptocurrencies because lower rates can make speculative assets more attractive than cash and bonds.
Broader markets were muted in New York trade, with U.S. stocks edging lower and benchmark Treasury yields firmer in what Reuters described as a light-volume, year-end session. The risk backdrop matters for digital tokens that tend to move with broader swings in appetite for higher-risk assets.
In early U.S. hours, Investing.com reported that bitcoin slipped and that sustained outflows from U.S.-listed spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds — funds that hold bitcoin and trade like stocks — weighed on sentiment. It said XRP fell about 1.6% to around $1.86 at the time, tracking the broader move before stabilizing later.
XRP’s rebound left it pinned near the top of a tight range, with traders cautious about chasing moves in the final stretch of the year. Thin liquidity can amplify intraday swings in a market that trades 24/7.
The day’s low near $1.84 now serves as the nearest “support” level — a chart zone where buyers have recently stepped in. If XRP breaks below that level, chart watchers typically look to the next round-number area near $1.80.
On the upside, $1.90 is the next widely watched hurdle, in part because round numbers often attract trader attention. A sustained push through that level would suggest momentum is improving after recent choppy trade.
XRP is the token associated with Ripple Labs and is used in some payment and settlement products. The coin can move on company headlines, but it often takes its cue from the broader crypto tape led by bitcoin and ether.
Macro signals are doing most of the driving as 2025 closes, with traders watching how the Fed frames inflation risks and signs of softer economic momentum. The minutes will also be read for how officials view the pace of cuts after the unusually split vote.
For now, XRP’s move looks more like consolidation than a break in either direction. The next decisive test may come after the Fed release, when traders gauge whether the policy signal supports a year-end risk bid or a more defensive posture into January.
