TLDR
- XRP is currently priced at $2.08, showing a 13.7% increase from last week’s low of $1.93
- Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road aims to integrate XRP into traditional finance
- Coinbase received CFTC approval to launch XRP futures contracts through its derivatives arm
- XRP active addresses surged by 67.5% between April 19-20, ahead of the futures launch
- Some analysts believe holding 1,000 XRP could yield significant returns in the long term
XRP has been holding steady at the $2.08 level, showing resilience after climbing 13.7% from last week’s low of $1.93. The price action has formed what traders call a bull flag pattern, which typically signals more upside potential in the near future.
Technical analysis shows current support at $2.08, with traders eyeing potential breakout targets at $2.28 and $2.35, aligning with Fibonacci extension levels. However, before these targets can be reached, the bulls need to overcome a key resistance level at $2.15.
Ripple’s business developments appear to be supporting positive sentiment around XRP. The company recently completed a $1.25 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road, a major player in institutional finance that clears over $10 billion in daily transactions.
The strategic goal behind this acquisition is to integrate the XRP Ledger into traditional finance systems. This integration could potentially reduce settlement times from the current 24 hours to just 3-5 seconds, positioning XRP as a serious contender for institutional-grade settlement solutions.
Ripple’s Growing Ecosystem
Further enhancing XRP’s utility is Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, which is fully backed by USD deposits and cash equivalents. Since its launch in December, RLUSD has achieved a market cap of $244 million and is now being incorporated into Hidden Road’s collateral services.
This expansion deepens Ripple’s reach into cross-border payments by bridging digital assets with traditional finance. The development could potentially drive increased demand for XRP as the backbone of fast and efficient settlement solutions.
From a technical perspective, XRP is currently trading in a range between support at $2.04 and resistance at $2.15. The price briefly tested the 50-period Exponential Moving Average but couldn’t maintain position above it, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator has turned bearish, suggesting some hesitation in the market.
Despite these short-term indicators, the long-term trendline remains intact. A breakout above the $2.15 resistance level could put higher targets of $2.18 and $2.24 in play. Until such a breakout occurs, XRP appears to be consolidating within a tight range, waiting for volume to determine the next direction.
Coinbase Launches XRP Futures
Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, has received regulatory approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch XRP futures contracts through its derivatives arm.
The exchange confirmed on April 21 that the product is now live, offering CFTC-regulated futures for XRP. This approval suggests a timely endorsement by the CFTC and could potentially open the door to broader crypto derivatives activity in the US.
The timing aligns with the CFTC’s recent moves to ease entry into the crypto derivatives sector by rolling back several regulatory hurdles that had previously deterred both traditional and crypto-native firms. These changes simplify registration requirements and lower operational barriers for launching crypto derivatives products.
On-chain data reveals a sharp uptick in network activity ahead of the futures launch. XRP active addresses surged by 67.5% between April 19 and 20, climbing from 27,352 to 40,366, suggesting growing engagement from both retail and institutional participants.
Long-term Price Outlook
Despite the positive developments, XRP has faced price struggles in recent months. The cryptocurrency experienced a 29% collapse in February 2025, marking its largest monthly decline since June 2021. The bearish trend continued into March despite the asset managing to trim losses to just 2.56%.
April has introduced another challenging period, with XRP down 0.26% this month. If XRP records another monthly decline in April, this would represent its first three consecutive monthly red candles since the 2022 market downturn.
However, some market analysts view this period as a buying opportunity. Edoardo Farina, a vocal XRP community figure, has suggested that holding just 1,000 XRP could potentially lead to life-changing returns in the future.
Data from Santiment confirms that many XRP investors, including both retail and whale addresses, have been accumulating tokens since the downtrend began in February. Addresses holding between 1,000 to 100,000 XRP and those with 1 million to 100 million XRP had a combined balance of 21.23 billion tokens as of February 1. These wallets now hold 22.86 billion XRP, indicating they have acquired 1.63 billion tokens worth over $3.2 billion during this period.
For XRP to deliver the substantial returns suggested by some analysts, its price would need to rise dramatically from current levels. Some projections suggest that XRP could reach $100 between 2035 and 2040, which would represent a 4,900% increase from the current $2.08 price.
In the short term, traders are watching the key $2.15 resistance level closely. A successful break above this level with strong volume could confirm the bullish flag pattern and potentially trigger the next leg up in XRP’s price movement.
