XRP is having its strongest week in nearly two years, and the reasons behind it say as much about the bond market as they do about crypto.
It’s a sharp reversal for a token that spent much of the summer stuck near $1, weighed down by a stalled regulatory calendar and thin ETF demand. Every double-digit move reopens the same argument: is this the moment that breakout holders have waited for since the 2025 peak, or another bounce that fades once the catalyst wears off? This week’s numbers offer ammunition for both sides.
XRP’s Best Week Since Late 2024
XRP touched $1.50 on August 23, up 51% since Monday and on track for its biggest weekly gain in 21 months. Three days earlier, the token had jumped 20.7% in 24 hours, its sharpest daily move since February 6, pushing its market cap past $77 billion and into fifth place among all cryptocurrencies, ahead of USDC. By Sunday morning, the token had eased to roughly $1.47, still up nearly 50% for the week.
That bounce follows a rough stretch as XRP fell from its July 2025 record of $3.65 to around $1.00 by early August. Even after this week’s rally, it has recovered only about a fifth of that decline, worth remembering before calling this a confirmed bull run.
The Rally Isn’t Really About XRP
The trigger came from Washington, not Ripple. The U.S. Treasury said it would more than double its long-bond buybacks, from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per session, running September 9 through November 4. Traders read that as an early signal of yield curve control, and long-duration bond yields eased on the news. That set off nearly $2 billion in short liquidations across crypto this week, forcing bearish traders to buy back positions.
Bitcoin gained 22% and Ether 30% over the same stretch, but XRP outpaced both. Options traders are bracing for more swings, as one recently paid roughly $62,000 for a straddle at the $1.16 strike expiring August 28, betting XRP to move sharply in either direction.
ETF Inflows Are Recovering, But Not Driving the Move
Weekly inflows into spot XRP ETFs had dropped roughly 93% in early August, even as bitcoin and ether funds pulled in hundreds of millions. They’ve since rebounded, with $5.81 million arriving on August 18 alone, more than double the prior week, for a cumulative $1.52 billion since launch. That’s progress, but still small compared to this week’s price move, suggesting short covering as the bigger driver.
How Far Can XRP Realistically Climb?
Wall Street is divided. Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick cut his 2026 target from $8 to $2.80 in February, citing ETF outflows, high rates, and geopolitical uncertainty, though he still projects $28 by 2030. Nexo’s Iliya Kalchev called the current positioning “quiet absorption” rather than a breakout, while Digital Ascension Group’s Jake Claver remains bullish long-term, arguing that XRP could eventually be recognized as a “tier-one” bridge asset by the Bank for International Settlements.
The CLARITY Act, now delayed to a Senate vote in mid-September, remains the biggest swing factor, a story Disruption Banking has followed closely since XRP was holding at $1.09. Until that vote lands, XRP’s next move is more likely to be decided in Washington than on a chart.
Author: Ayanfe Fakunle
The editorial team at #DisruptionBanking has taken all precautions to ensure that no persons or organizations have been adversely affected or offered any sort of financial advice in this article. This article is most definitely not financial advice.
See Also:
XRP Price Holds $1.09: Can Buyers Crack $1.20 Before the CLARITY Act Vote? | Disruption Banking
Japan’s FIEA Bill and Its Impact on XRP | Disruption Banking
