A sharp shift in outlook from one of the world’s largest global banks has created doubts for the near-term trajectory of XRP. Analysts at Standard Chartered have reduced their 2026 year-end price target for XRP to $2.80, cutting the previous $8 forecast by roughly 65% after the recent crypto market downturn and persistent institutional outflows.
“We expect further declines near-term and we lower our forecasts across the asset class,” Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research said as reported by DL News.
Market Headwinds Prompt Major Forecast Reset
According to Kendrick, recent market conditions forced analysts to reassess expectations across the crypto sector. Continued selling pressure in spot Bitcoin ETFs and reduced institutional exposure have contributed to a cooling environment, dragging down major cryptocurrencies including XRP.
While XRP had started the year strongly with early gains supported by regulatory developments and ETF-related interest, the market reversal in February erased much of that momentum. The token remains lower than recent highs.
Standard Chartered also lowered price expectations for other major cryptocurrencies, trimming forecasts for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana as part of a wider reassessment tied to macroeconomic risks and declining capital inflows.
XRP’s Long-Term Narrative Still Intact
Despite the reduced target, the bank’s analysts did not abandon their long-term constructive view on XRP’s role in the evolving digital asset ecosystem. The note shared to investors said that XRP could still benefit from the expansion of stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and blockchain-based settlement infrastructure, sectors expected to grow steadily over the next several years.
These developments, analysts say, could allow XRP to maintain growth in line with other major blockchain settlement assets, particularly as financial institutions experiment with blockchain-powered payment systems and cross-border liquidity solutions.
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