XRP is down about 25 percent so far in 2026 and is continuing to trade sideways without forming a clear trend amid fallout from the U.S.-Iran war. On April 1, blockchain outlet BeInCrypto reported that since the conflict began on Feb. 28, XRP has been stuck in a $1.32 to $1.60 range.

XRP slid to as low as $1.16 in early February before rebounding to briefly regain $1.60 in mid-March. It then fell back to the $1.40 range. After the conflict, it spent a long time in the $1.35 to $1.45 band, and the market overall remained a sideways one marked only by high volatility.

XRP’s price elasticity was also relatively weak compared with major assets over the same period. Over the past 30 days, the S&P 500 fell 4.9 percent, but bitcoin rose 8.3 percent and ethereum climbed 14.4 percent. Hyperliquid gained 48 percent, showing a stronger trend. Some also interpret this as demand flowing into the cryptocurrency market, which can trade 24 hours, to bet on oil-price volatility even over weekends when traditional markets are closed, turning it into a venue for price discovery. XRP’s gain over the past 30 days, by contrast, was 1.8 percent.

War-related issues are also continuing to drive greater volatility in cryptocurrency prices. After U.S. President Donald Trump made remarks suggesting a de-escalation of the conflict, bitcoin rose briefly from $68,500 to $71,500. In the short term, there is a view that major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, ethereum and XRP could react sensitively to news related to the Iran war.

As for the price outlook, data from crypto prediction platform CoinCodex were cited. It suggests the possibility of a local peak of $1.68 in June 2026 and $2.21 in October. It said it was unlikely to come close to the all-time high (ATH) of $3.92 within the next year.

Ripple’s institutional expansion was also cited as a variable. Ripple is running a cross-border trade finance experiment in Singapore using its stablecoin RLUSD. Working with tech firm Unloq, it joined the BLOOM initiative backed by Singapore’s central bank, designing a setup in which funds are disbursed immediately once conditions such as shipping verification are met, and payments are settled in RLUSD on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Evernorth Holdings is pursuing a SPAC merger listing and has promoted institutional services such as custody, compliance and security alongside an XRP reserve.

With Ripple seeking to secure an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), expanding services in Brazil and planning to apply for a virtual asset service provider (VASP) licence, attention is focused on whether these moves can translate into momentum for XRP gains.