Ripple CEO Joins U.S. CFTC as XRP Surges 8%, Leading Bull Market

▲ Ripple CEO Garlinghouse, XRP / ChatGPT-generated image ©

XRP (Ripple) has surged more than 8%, signaling a strong bullish breakout amid news that Ripple’s CEO has joined a major U.S. regulatory advisory committee and as institutional investors expand their exposure.

According to cryptocurrency outlet Bitcoin.com News on February 15 (local time), XRP rose 8.09% over the past 24 hours to trade at $1.52609, hitting an intraday high of $1.54240. After moving sideways in the mid-$1.40 range, the price entered a clear breakout phase, supported firmly by the 14-day and 21-day simple moving averages (SMA) at $1.48840 and $1.47127, respectively.

A key driver of the rally stems from Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse securing a regulatory leadership role. On the 12th, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced his appointment to its 35-member Innovation Advisory Committee, which advises on blockchain and digital asset policy. At a recent community event, Garlinghouse described XRP as the “North Star” of Ripple’s strategy and emphasized that 2026 will be a pivotal year for the cryptocurrency market.

Institutional activity and ecosystem expansion are also fueling the bullish momentum. It was revealed that global investment bank Goldman Sachs holds $152 million worth of a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), underscoring institutional confidence. Additionally, Binance integrated the RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), pushing its market capitalization to $1.5 billion in a short span.

Technical indicators further point to strong upward momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is printing a positive histogram, reflecting sustained bullish strength. However, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) reaching 81.87 and entering clear overbought territory, some analysts suggest that a short-term consolidation may be needed before further gains.

Market experts believe that if XRP maintains support in the $1.47 to $1.48 range formed by short-term moving averages, it could surpass the intraday high of $1.54240 and continue its upward trajectory. On the other hand, if the RSI reverses downward or momentum weakens, there remains the possibility of a temporary pullback toward the middle of the Bollinger Bands before the next directional move is determined.

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