Karachi, February 24, 2026, 02:36 (PKT) — Regular session
XRP price slid on Tuesday as U.S. tariff uncertainty rippled across risk assets, pushing the token down 2.3% to $1.35. The No. 4 cryptocurrency by market value traded between $1.35 and $1.42 over the past 24 hours, with volume up 164% to about $3.5 billion, CoinMarketCap data showed. Bitcoin fell 4.4% and ether lost 4.1%. (CoinMarketCap)
Global stocks were lower after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 15% tariff on all U.S. imports, in a quick pivot after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier emergency levies. The new duty uses Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a rarely used provision that allows temporary tariffs for up to 150 days. Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, said the shift was “reminding us that uncertainty remains high”. (Reuters)
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said investors and firms need “the rules of the road before you get in the car”, warning that trade fights can freeze investment. Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, said the rapid changes made it “impossible to plan” for many businesses. (Reuters)
Cryptocurrencies have behaved like high-beta risk trades, swinging with equities and rates rather than holding up as a haven. XRP, the token associated with payments firm Ripple, tracked bitcoin lower as traders cut exposure.
Washington is still on the radar for XRP holders. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told Fox Business that he saw an 80% chance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act clears Congress by the end of April, describing a Washington “logjam” that was starting to break, Investing.com reported. (Investing.com Canada)
But tariffs may dominate the tape. Bank of England policymaker Alan Taylor said high U.S. import tariffs looked “here to stay” and the shock could take “many years” to be fully felt. (Reuters)
That sets up an uncomfortable downside for XRP: another burst of macro volatility, or a new legal twist on tariffs, could push traders toward cash and away from smaller coins first. Crypto can bounce hard, but it usually needs a calmer macro backdrop.
Still, some investors are scanning for signs that institutional plumbing keeps expanding around XRP. Exchange-traded products have become one more route for flows, especially when spot markets turn choppy.
Two dates are in focus. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will halt collections of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — an emergency law often shortened to IEEPA — at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday and deactivate the related tariff codes. Grayscale said its Grayscale XRP Trust ETF (GXRP), listed on NYSE Arca, ends its 0% fee waiver on Feb. 24 and will charge 0.35% after that. (Reuters)
