XRP Slides to $1.45 as Standard Chartered Cuts Price Target by 65%, Warns of More Crypto Downside

XRP dropped over 2% to $1.45 on February 17 as Standard Chartered slashed its year-end price target by 65%. The British investment bank now expects XRP to reach $2.80 by the end of 2026, down from its previous forecast of $8.

The Ripple-linked token currently holds a market cap of approximately $88.62 billion. Despite the daily decline, XRP still reflects a 2.68% gain over the past week.

Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, delivered a stark warning in a Thursday note to investors. He described recent digital asset price action as “challenging, to say the least.”

Kendrick stated in the note, according to DL News, “We expect further declines near-term and we lower our forecasts across the asset class.”

XRP Slides as Standard Chartered Cuts Year-End Target by 65%

The broader cryptocurrency market has endured its most severe downturn since early 2022. Bitcoin plunged 28% over the past month, briefly touching $60,000 before staging a partial recovery.

XRP briefly crashed to $1.16 during the selloff, marking its lowest price in 15 months. The token now trades 59% below its July 2025 all-time high of approximately $3.50.

Standard Chartered revised forecasts across all major cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin’s year-end target dropped from $150,000 to $100,000. Ethereum fell from $7,000 to $4,000, while Solana was cut from $250 to $135.

“We see XRP keeping pace with ETH. Both are likely to benefit from the further development of stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets,” Kendrick noted.

XRP ETF Inflows Plummet 40% After Record January Peak

XRP began 2026 with significant momentum, rallying 25% in the first week of January. Exchange-traded fund inflows and favorable regulatory developments fueled optimism among investors.

On January 5, XRP ETF assets under management reached a record $1.6 billion, according to SoSoValue data. That figure has since plummeted to just over $1 billion, representing a 40% decline as of February 13.

The sharp reversal marks a dramatic shift for the $90 billion cryptocurrency. XRP remains down approximately 28% over the past month despite recent stabilization efforts.

XRP Recovery Hopes Hinge on Clarity Act Progress

Market participants now look toward the Clarity Act as a potential catalyst for recovery. The comprehensive crypto market bill is currently advancing through the US Senate.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Thursday that passage of the Clarity Act would help the crypto market recover. Katherine Dowling, president of Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company, according to DL News that XRP stands to gain the most from successful passage.

However, progress on the legislation stalled last month. Banking executives and crypto industry leaders disagreed on key provisions within the bill, delaying its advancement.

XRP Price Tests Key Support as Bearish Structure Holds

XRP’s daily chart reveals a sustained bearish structure since the July 2025 peak at $3.50. The token has posted consistent lower highs and lower lows, failing to reclaim any significant retracement level.

Bollinger Bands show price trading below the 20-day moving average at $1.4958. The lower band at $1.2307 provided recent support, with price now testing the middle band from below.

Key support levels cluster at $1.30-$1.35, representing recent consolidation. A break below $1.20 would open downside toward the psychological $1.00 barrier.

Resistance stands at $1.49-$1.50, aligned with the 20-day SMA. The 23.6% Fibonacci retracement at $1.74 represents the first meaningful recovery target. Price has failed to reclaim even this basic retracement level.

MACD recently crossed above its signal line, generating a bullish crossover. However, this occurred below the zero line, reducing its reliability. The histogram shows momentum transitioning from red to green.

The overall outlook remains bearish. XRP must reclaim and hold above $1.50 to signal any trend shift. Failure at current levels suggests a retest of $1.20 or lower. Recovery beyond $2.00 would be required to invalidate the bearish structure.