XRP, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, surged 3% today as the new year rally kicks off. Latest market data shows Ripple’s XRP at $1.88, nearing the crucial $2 threshold that could signal a major breakout in 2026. Despite the short-term uptrend, XRP’s overall market trend remains bearish, with an extended monthly decline of $15.24%. As of January 1 and 2, there has been no big surge at the start of 2026 yet, and the XRP market trend looks sideways to moderately bearish in the short term.

XRP’s price bounce reflects new year rally participation, and the digital asset is one of the highly rated ones in the market. However, reaching $100 in 2026 is highly speculative and unlikely, because the market trend projects a more realistic range of $3.50 to $20 by the end of this year. Despite sluggish market conditions, demand for US XRP-spot ETFs held steady, reaching nearly $500 million in December alone. The U.S. lawmakers have officially set a January 15 markup for the newly imposed Market Structure Bill. Based on the factors like legislative progress with the enhanced ETF momentum, XRP will push above the $3 psychological level soon.  

XRP Current Market Scenario

According to the current XRP market data, the XRP price today is $1.88, trading closer to the $2 psychological level. The new year rally is making a difference in the XRP rally, because the digital asset is around 3% higher over the past 24 hours. XRP Ledger’s native cryptocurrency is trading with a 24-hour trading volume of $ 2.05B Market cap of $ 114.02B, and a market dominance of 3.79%. XRP’s market sentiment remains bearish, and it has been trading below its 50-Day SMA ($ 2.05) and 200-Day Simple Moving Average ($ 2.48) for a long period of time. Along with the extended bearish trend, XRP has traded 13/30 (43%) days in green with a market volatility of 5.04%. XRP’s fear and greed index signals 20, which is extreme fear in the market, meaning that traders and investors are cautious. 

XRP Price Forecast: Expert Views & Opinions

XRP has long faced criticism over its long-term potential, yet early 2026 sessions suggest the asset is gaining momentum. Veteran trader and crypto investor usernamed @investorie shared his thoughts on XRP and explained his long-term admiration for the virtual asset. 

“Stop crying and pay attention.” @Steph_iscrypto

XRP is still below its descending trendline on the daily chart.
Yes, structure is not bullish yet.
But here’s what people are missing

• MACD is forming higher lows
• RSI is forming higher lows
• Price is compressing, not… https://t.co/s9wmql2Lg7

— Investor (@investorie) January 2, 2026

He urged traders to stop crying and pay attention. XRP was still below its descending trendline on the daily chart. He acknowledged that the structure was not bullish yet, but stated that what people were missing was that MACD was forming higher lows, RSI was forming higher lows, and price was compressing, not accelerating downward. He mentioned that that was classic momentum divergence. He noted that this did not mean a reversal was confirmed and that it meant selling pressure was weakening under the surface. He pointed out that markets did not bottom when sentiment felt good, but rather when prices stopped responding to fear. 

His post shows traders are still valuing XRP and rating it highly as they enter into the new year with a fresh mindset. He concluded his X post by stating that for XRP, the game only changed on a daily close above the trendline (around $2.05–$2.10). Until then, that was accumulation, not hype, and not moon talk. He advised to ignore emotions, watch structure, and watch momentum. 

XRP Price Prediction Today: Will XRP Skyrocket Today & Hit $2?

Currently, XRP is slowly regaining its previous market momentum and is on the verge of outperforming prominent cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, SOL, etc. Today, XRP is consolidating between $1.82–$1.87. Based on the recent market data, crossing above the $2 psychological level could be challenging and difficult even with enhanced spot XRP ETF inflows and short-term resurrection.       

Here is the XRP price prediction for the next seven days.

Date	Min Price	Avg Price	Max Price
Jan 2, 2026	$1.82	$1.84	$1.86
Jan 3, 2026	$1.81	$1.83	$1.85
Jan 4, 2026	$1.81	$1.83	$1.85
Jan 5, 2026	$1.83	$1.85	$1.87
Jan 6, 2026	$1.86	$1.88	$1.90
Jan 7, 2026	$1.86	$1.88	$1.90
Jan 8, 2026	$1.85	$1.87	$1.89
Jan 9, 2026	$1.84	$1.86	$1.88

Disclaimer: XRP price prediction is speculative and subject to change based on the changing market scenario. 

According to the XRP short-term price prediction, the digital asset is expected to trade at an average maximum price of  1.88 in the next seven days.  

XRP Outlook: Will XRP Hit $100 in 2026?

For XRP, 2026 could mark a major comeback, as the resolution of its long-standing SEC battle and newfound regulatory clarity are set to boost performance and ignite a bullish rally. Based on the recent data and XRP’s historic trend, Ripple’s native cryptocurrency will not hit $100 in 2026.  A $100 price demands substantial growth and a total market value above Bitcoin’s, which is highly unlikely at the moment. Industry experts believe that for that kind of growth, XRP might need to become something like a global reserve or settlement currency that is widely used at a massive scale.