Analyst predicts XRP’s price could hit $5 by 2026 – Details

XRP’s price is ending December under pressure, stuck between weak price action and growing institutional interest. At the time of writing, the altcoin seemed to be hovering near the $1.86-level after a small 0.35% dip. This, in addition to a monthly decline of 15%.For most retail traders, XRP might seem tired and directionless. However, underneath this slow movement, a major volatility event might be building.The trigger could be a historic $7.1 trillion global options expiry, the largest ever, which could shake up the entire crypto market.Analyst predicts XRP’s future price actionAccording to analyst Zach Rector,this event could force large players to unwind positions, potentially breaking the prevailing bearish trend. He believes the current sideways movement might be the final chance for traders to prepare before volatility surges.As per his analysis, XRP’s weak performance isn’t due to a lack of interest, but because of heavy derivatives pressure.Rector further warned that a quick dip to $1.60–$1.70 might happen to clear out over-leveraged traders. However, any drop will be temporary, he added.Ripple CTO David Schwartz also claimed that the real measure of XRP’s health is utility.He said,” $XRP IS A TOP FIVE DIGITAL ASSET BY MARKET CAP… ABOUT $109B DEEP GLOBAL LIQUIDITY FOR REAL FINANCIAL ACTIVITY. THAT DEPTH MATTERS.”The role of XRP ETFsMeanwhile, institutional interest in Ripple [XRP] is growing fast.U.S ETFs brought in $1.4 trillion in 2025, and XRP stood out with record-breaking volume sand strong inflows. Even during weeks when Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs saw outflows.This suggested that institutions may be quietly separating XRP from the rest of the market.Santiment data has also been showing negative social media chatter at unusually high levels, something that has often signaled upcoming rebounds in the past.“XRP is seeing far more negative social media commentary than average. Historically, this setup leads to price rises. When retail has doubts about a coin’s ability to rise, the rise becomes significantly more likely.”Alas, institutions see things differently. Since launching on 13 November, the five Spot XRP ETFs have seen nonstop demand. In fact, according to SoSoValue, they’ve pulled in $1.14 billion in inflows and now hold $1.25 billion in assets.This steady buying is absorbing the sell pressure from retail traders, suggesting that the ongoing drop is more of a shakeout than a real collapse.Therefore, as 2026 approaches, the real question is how long the market can ignore the gap between XRP’s low price and its growing adoption.Final ThoughtsXRP’s recent stagnation isn’t a sign of weakness but the result of heavy derivatives pressure artificially suppressing price action.Institutional ETF inflows remain one of the strongest bullish signals.