New York, Feb 16, 2026, 12:13 EST — The market has closed.
XRP slipped roughly 2% to $1.49 on Monday, after an earlier dip to $1.45, as a wider downturn rattled top tokens. Bitcoin dropped close to 1.9%, while ether lost around 1.7%, according to the data.
With U.S. markets closed for Presidents Day and China shuttered for Lunar New Year, liquidity was thin and price action got choppy. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee, speaking Friday, said rates “could go down” but pointed to persistent services inflation. Traders are betting the Fed stands pat on March 18. Reuters
Macro forces continue to dominate. Fresh Labor Department figures show U.S. consumer prices climbed 2.4% year-on-year in January, and rose 0.4% from the month before. With those numbers, rate-cut hopes haven’t faded — a dynamic that usually favors risk assets, at least for now.
Another bank weighed in. Standard Chartered slashed its XRP target for end-2026, dropping the forecast to $2.80 from $8, according to a note to clients cited by DL News. Digital-assets research chief Geoffrey Kendrick didn’t mince words: “Recent price action for digital assets has been challenging, to say the least.” He also flagged the likelihood of “further declines near-term.” DL News
The fate of XRP is still tied to regulatory winds. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Feb. 13, urged Congress to back the Clarity Act, arguing it would offer “great comfort to the market” as crypto swings through a period of volatility. Reuters
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 is now before Congress. Lawmakers in the House approved the bill (H.R.3633), which was then sent over to the Senate, legislative records show. The text and history are posted on Congress.gov.
Ripple’s influence in Washington has grown. On Feb. 12, the CFTC named Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse to its Innovation Advisory Committee. Chairman Michael S. Selig said the group’s efforts should lead to “clear rules of the road.” Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The long-running SEC lawsuit that used to drive XRP’s narrative is now history. Back in August 2025, according to Reuters, the regulator dropped its case against Ripple but left a $125 million penalty on the books.
ETF mechanics are also back in focus. Grayscale said it’s waiving fees on its XRP Trust ETF (GXRP) up to Feb. 24, after which the expense ratio jumps to 0.35%. That tweak could sway some flows at the edges, since ETFs—essentially funds trading like stocks—often see money move on even small cost shifts.
The risk scenario isn’t hard to map out: U.S. data picks up speed or inflation stays stubborn—yields climb, crypto takes another hit. And should the Clarity Act stall, the market’s “regulation is coming” trade faces a reality check.
Friday brings the next calendar event. On Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will drop its advance read on fourth-quarter 2025 GDP—a number with the muscle to shift rate bets and, by extension, stir crypto risk sentiment.
