Wall Street: “XRP Is Already a Done Deal”… Maintains Bullish Outlook Despite Sharp Drop

▲ Ripple (XRP) ©

Despite XRP (Ripple) plunging to as low as $1.40 after breaking above $3, Wall Street is still declaring that “the game is over.”

According to crypto-focused outlet Watcher.Guru on February 19 (local time), XRP surged above $3 in 2025 before correcting to around $1.40. However, a medium- to long-term bullish scenario is being rebuilt on the back of institutional capital inflows and improved regulatory clarity. The market continues to ask, “Why did it drop so sharply?”, “Can it reclaim $3?”, and “How high could it go in 2026?”

The most aggressive forecast comes from Geoffrey Kendrick of Standard Chartered Bank, who set a 2026 price target of $8—representing an upside of approximately 315% from current levels. He pointed to regulatory clarity and the approval effect of a spot XRP ETF as key drivers. According to SoSoValue, the combined net assets of five U.S.-based spot XRP ETFs stand at $1.06 billion, accounting for 1.17% of XRP’s total market capitalization. Recently, while spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have experienced outflows, spot XRP ETFs have recorded net inflows, showing a differentiated trend.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated on his social media account on January 21 that “progress must not be blocked in the pursuit of perfection,” emphasizing the need for clear market structure reforms. He has also mentioned that within the next five years, the XRP blockchain could absorb 14% of SWIFT’s transaction volume. Analysts suggest that if this projection materializes, it could significantly alter XRP’s price structure.

The sharp decline following the $3.65 peak has been attributed to broad risk-off sentiment, rapid profit-taking, and the altcoin season index remaining deep in Bitcoin season territory. Many analysts interpret the current movement not as a structural collapse but as a phase of “correction and consolidation,” maintaining that the broader bullish structure remains intact.

Ultimately, the key variable is time. Some on Wall Street believe XRP has already entered the phase of institutional adoption, meaning the direction is set, with only the pace and timing of gains in question. Whether XRP can break above $3 again is increasingly seen as dependent not on short-term sentiment but on institutional fund flows and the stability of the regulatory environment.

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