XRP Plunged 43% Since July: Can It Still Soar to $5 in 2026?
XRP's price just took a nosedive—down a staggering 43% from its July peak. The digital asset's chart looks more like a cliff face than a growth trajectory. Yet, whispers of a $5 target by year's end are cutting through the bearish noise. What gives?
The Bull Case: Catalysts Waiting in the Wings
Forget the recent slump. Proponents point to pending regulatory clarity and broader institutional adoption as the twin engines for a potential moonshot. A major legal resolution or a key exchange relisting could send shockwaves through the market, bypassing current pessimism in a heartbeat. The network's utility for cross-border settlements remains its not-so-secret weapon.
The Skeptic's Ledger: Gravity Versus Greed
Let's be real—a 43% drop isn't a 'healthy correction'; it's a capital destruction event that would make any traditional finance analyst reach for the antacid. Hitting $5 from here isn't a hop; it's a galactic leap requiring a near-perfect storm of positive news and manic buying. It’s the classic crypto promise: astronomical gains are always just around the corner, conveniently after a brutal sell-off.
So, $5 in 2026? It's less a prediction and more a high-stakes bet on a narrative shift. In crypto, the line between visionary and bagholder is often drawn in hindsight.
$5 Could Be A Reality For XRP in 2026
XRP’s price fell to around $1.80 in December 2025. However, the asset experienced a bullish reversal earlier this month, before facing another correction. According to CoinGecko’s XRP data, while XRP has rallied 8% and 1.1% in the 14-day and monthly charts, the asset is down 1.6% in the last 24 hours and 3.8% over the previous week. Moreover, the asset’s price has dipped by 19% since January 2025.
Despite it current trend, many experts anticipate XRP to have a bullish year in 2026. CNBC called the asset the hottest crypto trade of 2026. The asset also saw the launch of several ETFs late last year. Increased ETF inflows could push XRP’s price to the $5 mark in 2026.
According to Telegaon analysts, XRP will hit a new all-time high this year. The platform anticipates the asset to trade at a potential maximum price of $5.18 in 2026. Hitting $5.18 from current price levels will entail a rally of about 152.68%. This means that your investment will more than double if XRP hits the $5.18 target.
However, the crypto market is still far from recovered. Macroeconomic uncertainties remain strong and investors are still taking a risk-off approach. Gold hit a new all-time high, breaching the $4,600 mark for the first time in its history. The development could be a signal that investors are staying away from crypto for the time being. XRP may not see a rally until the current trend changes.
