NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2026, 16:44 ET — After-hours trade.
- Standard Chartered has slashed its XRP price target for end-2026, dropping it to $2.80 from the previous $8, according to TheStreet.
- Crypto traders have their eyes on U.S. inflation figures and any fresh cues from the Fed to drive the next move.
- XRP stayed close to $1.49, barely moving in the last 24 hours. Trading volume landed at roughly $2.40 billion.
XRP hovered around $1.50 on Tuesday as Standard Chartered lowered its price target for the token through the end of 2026—an abrupt shift in sentiment for some corners of crypto. Geoffrey Kendrick, who leads digital assets research at the bank, described recent moves as “challenging” and told TheStreet he sees “further declines near-term.” TheStreet
Why it matters now: XRP is back to behaving like a rate-sensitive trade, tracking the broader swings in risk appetite as investors rethink where U.S. interest rates are heading. Smaller, jumpier tokens usually feel the impact of those shifts first.
There’s a timing snag, too. When major U.S. data drops—think Fed minutes or inflation numbers—liquidity often dries up in riskier spots, XRP included, even if there’s nothing actually going on with “XRP-specific” news. Traders tend to trim their positions before these high-profile events hit.
CoinMarketCap data put XRP at $1.49, roughly 0.5% higher in the last 24 hours, with trading volume for the period coming in near $2.40 billion.
XRP hovered near $1.48 on Investing.com’s feed, moving between about $1.43 and $1.49 during the session. That comes after closing close to $1.49 earlier.
Kendrick’s call to lower his target basically quantified what traders have been grumbling about all week: buyers sell into pops, and the market’s carrying excess weight. The updated $2.80 target does leave some room above current prices, but his note stressed that another dip may come before any move higher.
Macro cues are calling the shots. Chicago Fed chief Austan Goolsbee floated the idea of “several more” rate cuts in 2026—if inflation moves back to 2%. Goolsbee emphasized that policymakers want proof in the numbers before making any moves. Reuters
XRP’s quiet stretch could snap in a hurry if inflation prints higher or risk assets start to falter. When that happens, traders tend to rush for the exits in less liquid markets, with leveraged positions getting flushed out and short-term swings sometimes overshooting.
The pace doesn’t let up. Wednesday brings the Fed’s January meeting minutes, a key read for traders. After that, eyes turn to Friday and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s favored inflation yardstick, set for Feb. 20.
