Several experts in the financial and cryptocurrency fields have issued various outlooks on where XRP might trade by the end of 2026.
With the asset seemingly having priced in the impact of several catalysts, such as the positive ruling in the Ripple and Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) case, XRP’s price has mainly been influenced by broader sector trends.
Notably, the token has struggled to break past $3 for much of the year, mostly trading below the $2 mark. As of press time, XRP was changing hands at $1.41, having dropped almost 1% over the past 24 hours. However, on a weekly basis, losses are more pronounced, with the token down over 6%.
XRP bullish outlook
Among the major institutions to issue an outlook on XRP is Standard Chartered. The bank’s Geoffrey Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Assets Research, initially projected a price of $8 by the end of 2026 in an April 2025 research note.
That bullish outlook was based on expected ETF inflows of $4 to $8 billion, further regulatory clarity following the SEC case resolution, and expanding use of XRP in cross-border payments and tokenization.
The target implied more than 300% upside from levels at the time and formed part of a longer-term roadmap that projected XRP reaching $5.50 by the end of 2025, $12.50 by 2028, and $28 by 2030.
In mid-February 2026, however, Kendrick revised the 2026 target sharply lower by 65% to $2.80. The bank cited weaker risk appetite across crypto markets, persistent pressure from ETF outflows during certain periods, higher-for-longer interest rates, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
Despite the downgrade, Standard Chartered retained its longer-term optimism, keeping its 2028 and 2030 targets intact.
XRP cautious outlook
On the other hand, Jonatan Randen, Senior Market Analyst at PrimeXBT, stated on March 5, 2026, that XRP could reach approximately $3 by the end of the year in a recovery scenario where broader crypto market sentiment improves and risk appetite returns, representing over 100% upside from current prices.
In a more pessimistic scenario, with sustained selling pressure and failure to establish a market bottom, he warned that XRP could retest 2024 lows near $0.65.
Overall, as with all cryptocurrencies, these forward-looking views carry no guarantees, as XRP investments involve substantial volatility and risk of loss.
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