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In more than a decade, XRP has never once traded higher than $3.84.
For XRP to double in value this year, a major paradigm shift needs to happen.
Ripple spent nearly $2.5 billion on blockchain acquisitions last year, and these could help spur a dramatic uptake in institutional adoption for XRP.
At a bargain price of just $2, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) continues to tantalize crypto investors with the prospect of stratospheric upside potential. Unfortunately, in more than a decade, XRP has never traded higher than a price of $3.84.
But 2026 is the year XRP finally breaks out. I'm predicting that XRP will hit a price of $4 this year, and here's why.
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In 2026, crypto traders and analysts have dramatically scaled down their future price targets for XRP. One year ago, it was common to find price targets north of $10 for XRP, including a $12.50 price target from Standard Chartered. But this year, the consensus price target for XRP, according to CoinCodex, is a rather pedestrian $2.20.
Yep, that's right. Most analysts are expecting XRP to trade sideways for much of the year. Or, if XRP does go on a stratospheric rally sometime during the year, then it will likely fall back to earth after just a few months. That's what happened in 2025, when XRP soared to a multiyear high of $3.65 in July, only to fall back to the $2 mark by year end.
Most likely, it will take a major paradigm shift for XRP to double in value this year. The launch of new spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in November was impressive, but they are unlikely to catapult XRP past the $4 mark.
Image source: Getty Images.
For a major paradigm shift to happen, there needs to be rapid adoption of the XRP blockchain ledger within the financial services world. In other words, XRP needs to become more than just a niche payment technology: It needs to become a key cornerstone for the way large financial institutions move money around the world.
Currently, XRP is primarily used as a bridge currency for making cross-border payments. But plans are afoot to expand the number of use cases for the XRP token. In 2025, Ripple (the company behind the XRP token) spent nearly $2.5 billion on blockchain-related acquisitions, with the goal of rapidly expanding potential uses for XRP beyond just cross-border payments.
If those plans work out, then the price of XRP could rally significantly. Rapid institutional adoption throughout the year would boost the overall investment thesis for XRP. Instead of being viewed as merely a speculative altcoin with an uncertain future, XRP would be viewed as a high-upside fintech play with a clear path to a higher valuation. If I'm right, that might be enough to send XRP to a new all-time high north of $4.
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Dominic Basulto has positions in XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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