After Clashing With the SEC, Ripple Finds Relief With the CFTC—Will XRP Break Short-Term Resistance and Surpass $2?

▲ Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple, XRP, Cryptocurrency Regulation, Virtual Assets/ChatGPT-Generated Image ©

As Ripple’s leadership suddenly joins a U.S. regulatory advisory committee, judicial risks that had weighed on the company for years are shifting toward a phase of dialogue and cooperation. Amid this symbolic change, strong buying inflows into XRP (Ripple) have driven a sharp price surge, with market attention now focused on whether it can reclaim the $2 level in the coming weeks.

According to investment media outlet FXLeaders on February 16 (local time), shortly after news broke that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse had been appointed to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Innovation Advisory Committee, XRP jumped more than 10% to reach the $1.67 level. Although it was a strong rally accompanied by high trading volume, short-term profit-taking quickly emerged in the $1.70 to $1.80 resistance zone, and the price is currently consolidating below $1.50.

This appointment marks a significant turning point for the Ripple ecosystem, which had long suffered from ongoing legal disputes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Market participants are welcoming the move, noting that Ripple will now directly discuss tokenization and blockchain policy with the CFTC, which oversees derivatives and market structure. They view XRP as having been elevated from a position of regulatory confrontation to that of a partner in shaping institutional policy.

The technical structure of the price trend also provides positive signals. During the broader crypto market correction in late January, XRP successfully rebounded after confirming support in the $1.10 to $1.15 range near its key long-term defense line, the 200-week simple moving average. Analysts suggest that if this support remains firm, XRP could absorb supply in the $1.70 to $1.80 range and extend its upside toward $2.00 and potentially as high as $3.00.

Gradual inflows of institutional capital and expanding real-world use cases are providing solid downside resilience. Approximately $1.5 billion in assets are currently managed through XRP spot ETFs, accounting for 1.2% of its total market capitalization and steadily reducing circulating supply. In addition, efforts to secure an e-money license in Europe and increasing adoption of the XRP Ledger for cross-border payment infrastructure are building a foundation of tangible demand that goes beyond speculative interest.

In the short term, volatility remains inevitable depending on overall crypto market sentiment. However, cooperation with regulators and expansion through institutional channels suggest far stronger fundamentals than in past bull market cycles. The current back-and-forth price consolidation is interpreted not as a simple correction, but as a process of building a solid foundation for XRP’s structural evolution into a legitimate and mainstream payment asset.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and no responsibility is taken for any investment losses incurred based on it. The content should be interpreted solely for informational purposes.*