New York, Jan 28, 2026, 06:27 EST — Premarket
- XRP rose about 2% in the past 24 hours, trading in a tight range just under $2.
- Ripple signed an MoU with Riyad Bank innovation arm Jeel to test blockchain use cases in a Saudi regulatory sandbox.
- Traders are watching the Federal Reserve’s rate decision later Wednesday for the next push in risk appetite.
XRP edged higher on Wednesday morning, up 2.09% in the past 24 hours at $1.92, after trading between $1.87 and $1.93. Volume over the same period was about $2.33 billion, data showed.
The timing matters. Traders are heading into the U.S. central bank’s first policy decision of 2026, due at 2:00 p.m. EST, followed by a press conference at 2:30 p.m.
Most economists expect rates to stay put, but the market is jumpy about what Chair Jerome Powell says about the path from here and how long a pause might last.
Against that backdrop, Ripple has put fresh headlines into the market. The company said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Jeel, the innovation and technology arm of Riyad Bank, to explore blockchain applications including cross-border payments inside Jeel’s sandbox. “This partnership with Ripple reflects our strategy of using the Jeel Sandbox to responsibly explore next-generation financial infrastructure,” Jeel CEO George Harrak said, while Ripple’s Reece Merrick pointed to “significant efficiencies” in cross-border payments. Zawya
Separately, GTreasury said it was rolling out “Ripple Treasury, Powered by GTreasury,” pitching a single platform for traditional and digital treasury operations. It flagged pain points such as multi-day settlement delays and overseas pre-funding, and said it will host a webinar on Jan. 28 at 10:30 a.m. CT to lay out the product. gtreasury.com
Price action has stayed contained. XRP has been unable to hold above $2 for long, a round-number level that often acts like a tripwire for short-term traders.
The lower end of the past day’s range — around $1.87 — is also in focus as “support,” trader shorthand for a level where buyers have tended to step in.
The risk is straightforward: if the Fed leans hawkish, or markets read Powell as shutting the door on near-term easing, crypto can give back gains quickly, especially in thin liquidity when stops start to bite.
Beyond the Fed, traders have also circled Feb. 11, when Ripple said XRP Community Day will kick off with a fireside chat featuring CEO Brad Garlinghouse.
