Meta Crypto1

No, XRP is not dead far from it. As of late January 2026, the token associated with Ripple continues to show signs of life, institutional interest, and ongoing development, even amid price volatility and occasional bearish sentiment in crypto communities.The narrative that "XRP is dead" often resurfaces during dips, fueled by frustration from retail holders after sharp corrections. XRP hit a new all $$time high around $3.65 in July 2025 following the long-awaited resolution of its SEC case, but it has since dropped roughly 47 50% to trade in the $1.88–$1.92 range recently. This pullback has led some online voices to declare it finished, especially with competition from newer chains and Ripple's own stablecoin (Ripple USD) potentially reducing XRP's role as a mandatory bridge asset in payments.However, market data paints a different picture. Daily trading volumes still exceed $2 billion in many reports, and XRP ETFs have attracted significant institutional inflows over $1 billion in assets under management in some estimates, with recent weeks seeing continued buying even as retail sentiment flips between euphoria and despair. On-chain metrics are particularly telling: the number of "millionaire" wallets (holding at least 1 million XRP) rose by 42 this month to over 2,000, marking the first increase since late 2025. This suggests accumulating conviction among large holders despite short term price pressure.Ripple's ecosystem keeps evolving. Recent developments include major acquisitions (like GTreasury for treasury management solutions), expansion into the UK with regulatory approvals, and new products like Ripple Treasury for liquidity and payments. The XRPL ledger continues upgrades, with discussions around wrapped XRP, DeFi features, and tokenization. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has stayed bullish, forecasting continued positive momentum and new crypto market highs in 2026 without ruling out XRP's involvement.Price predictions for 2026 vary widely, reflecting the uncertainty:
Conservative views (e.g., some AI models like Claude) see gradual gains to $2.15 short-term or $2.50 $3.00 by year-end.Bullish analysts target $3 $4 or higher, with outliers like Standard Chartered mentioning $8 based on supply dynamics (ETFs locking up tokens, Flare Network commitments).Bearish takes warn of further drops to $1 or below if adoption stalls or macro conditions worsen.
Structural challenges exist XRP isn't mandatory in Ripple's payment network, and competition from stablecoins or other protocols could cap explosive growth. Yet institutional flows, ETF infrastructure, and real-world payment corridors provide a foundation many altcoins lack.In short, XRP isn't "dead"; it's in a consolidation phase after a major 2025 run-up, with fundamentals intact and catalysts (regulatory clarity like the CLARITY Act progress, more ETF demand, enterprise integrations) that could drive renewed rallies. Crypto is volatile sentiment swings wildly, but dismissing XRP entirely ignores the data showing persistent interest and development.Whether it moons to new highs or grinds sideways depends on broader market trends, adoption traction, and execution by Ripple. For now, the obituary is premature. The XRP Army might be frustrated, but the token's story is still being written in 2026.
$XRP