NEW YORK, March 18, 2026, 15:32 (UTC-04:00)
XRP dropped roughly 5% to about $1.46 on Wednesday, paring some of its earlier gains after the Federal Reserve’s cautious rate guidance put pressure on cryptocurrencies and other risk assets. The token’s price swung between $1.44 and $1.54 during the session.
The move stands out: XRP surged 6.7% Tuesday to about $1.54, CoinGecko data shows, as U.S. regulators released long-anticipated crypto guidance. But that rally evaporated fast, underscoring how token-specific jumps can get erased by broader macro forces.
The Fed left its key rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, sticking with the outlook for just one 25-basis-point cut this year. The central bank also raised its 2026 inflation forecast to 2.7%, up from 2.4% back in December. Chair Jerome Powell said inflation will get a boost in the near term from higher energy prices. Lindsay Rosner at Goldman Sachs Asset Management called the Fed’s stance “wait-and-see.” Reuters
Selling hit across the board—not limited to XRP. Bitcoin hovered near $71,303, while ether changed hands at about $2,191. The move signaled a broader retreat in digital assets, not something isolated to Ripple.
The SEC’s updated view puts crypto assets like XRP, bitcoin, ether, and Solana in the digital commodities category, so long as their value depends on an operational network and market dynamics—not the “essential managerial efforts of others.” SEC Chair Paul Atkins described this as providing market players “a clear understanding” regarding the agency’s approach to crypto assets under federal securities laws. SEC
Ripple pushed its expansion narrative on Tuesday, announcing plans to ramp up operations in Brazil and seek a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license from the country’s central bank. “Latin America has always been a priority market for Ripple,” President Monica Long said. Ripple
XRP held onto its spot as the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market value after Wednesday’s drop, sitting at roughly $89.2 billion market capitalization and logging a 24-hour trading volume close to $3.0 billion, CoinMarketCap data shows.
Still, it’s not clear the rally will keep running. Citi strategist Alex Saunders flagged that “the window of opportunity for U.S. legislation this year is narrowing,” hinting that sweeping regulatory moves could prove elusive. Congress remains gridlocked, so Wednesday’s sharp retreat might not be a one-off. Reuters
