XRP price is under heavy pressure. After a sharp correction pushed it far below its 2025 highs, the token is struggling to build a convincing bounce. It briefly rebounded from a 15-month low near $1.16, but momentum remains weak.
Now the bigger hit is coming from institutions.
Standard Chartered has cut its XRP price target by 65% as a major shift in tone. The bank’s digital assets team moved from aggressive multi dollar projections to a far more conservative outlook, reflecting broader caution across large cap crypto.
Standard Chartered slashes 2026 targets as "ETF Fatigue" sets in!
The bank’s digital asset lead, Geoffrey Kendrick, warns of a "final capitulation" phase before the recovery. Here’s the breakdown:
? 2026 Targets Revised:
XRP: $2.80 (was $8.00)
BTC: $100K (was $150K)
ETH:… pic.twitter.com/F42KMogkFm— ????XRP (@BankXRP) February 16, 2026
Why the Revision Matters
The scale of the downgrade is what stands out.
Geoffrey Kendrick had previously projected XRP could reach $8.00 by the end of 2026, based on regulatory clarity and strong institutional adoption. Now that the target has been cut to $2.80. That is a major reset in expectations and shifts the long term risk reward profile.
Kendrick pointed to tough recent price action and warned of further near term declines across digital assets.
(Source: SoSoValue)
The downgrade lines up with weaker data. XRP ETF assets have fallen sharply from their early January peak, showing capital is pulling back. When a major bank slashes its target while inflows are shrinking, it signals that institutional appetite is cooling.
XRP Price Analysis: Key Support, Resistance, and Market Structure
The chart is not helping the bulls, either. After the drop to $1.16, XRP is stuck in a weak consolidation range. That $1.16 level is now the line that matters. A weekly close below it would likely break the broader structure that started forming in late 2024.
(Source: XRPUSD / TradingView)
The 50 week moving average is now acting as resistance, blocking bounce attempts. Overhead, $1.50 to $1.60 has flipped into a supply zone. What used to be support is now where sellers step in.
Structurally, it is a pattern of lower highs and lower lows. Unless XRP reclaims $1.80 with strong volume, downside pressure dominates, and deeper retracements stay on the table.
