Analysts and investors are currently questioning XRP’s chances of rising, as the token is trading near $2.00 following a sharp correction from recent highs. Professional evaluations for 2026 XRP price predictions have triggered various major discussions across multiple investment communities. Despite positive regulatory developments and improving market conditions, concerns persist as to why XRP is falling. A number of significant competitive pressures from the battle between XRP and stablecoins have reshaped the long-term outlook for XRP, leaving many investors uncertain about its future performance and potential returns.
XRP Opportunities, Regulatory Risks, and Long-Term Prospects
Recent price predictions and market analysis
Asset management firm 21Shares recently evaluated XRP’s profit opportunities in a detailed report the company published earlier this month, and also provided some interesting predictions. The firm’s institutional analysis spearheads several key investment frameworks surrounding XRP’s upside opportunities, predicting a 30% chance of XRP reaching $2.69 in 2026 under the bull case scenario they describe.
Analyst Justin Bonds argued:
XRP is centralized in every aspect.
Bonds, an influential analyst in the crypto world, cited restrictions on validator distribution and governance as evidence for his claims. The centralization debate is currently accelerating a range of major concerns across a number of important investment sectors. These skepticisms highlight why some experts remain cautious about the opportunity to acquire XRP, even though the Spot XRP ETF has attracted nearly $1.3 billion in inflows since its launch in November 2025.
Notable critics and industry skepticism
Nick Carter, a venture capitalist and prominent Bitcoin supporter, has repeatedly denied the legitimacy of XRP as a virtual currency. Mr. Carter’s critique transformed numerous important discussions across multiple important crypto forums and industry platforms. He said:
It is not a cryptocurrency, cannot be compared to Bitcoin, and has no use case.
Carter argues that further concerns arise because XRP functions more like a token on a corporate-controlled database than a true decentralized asset. His perspective is currently driving a variety of major debates, including the fundamental nature of decentralization across several major blockchain communities.
Messari founder and former CEO Ryan Serkis has publicly criticized XRP as an outdated asset that belongs to a pre-stablecoin era. Through several key analytical frameworks, Serkis has proven that the rise of regulated stablecoins like USDC and USDT has undermined the value proposition of the token. In his view, XRP is “An unstable asset that currently has little utility”, and its continued hype represents misplaced enthusiasm rather than solid fundamentals at the time of writing. In early 2025, Serkis also stated that XRP was a threat to President Trump’s pro-cryptocurrency policies, which accelerated certain serious concerns among various major policy circles.
Competition and long-term questions
Stablecoin competition and institutional preferences
The XRP vs. stablecoin battle is now heating up as regulated alternatives like USDC and USDT are gaining traction among financial institutions and payment providers. Banking sector dynamics have revolutionized multiple key aspects of digital asset adoption across a number of key financial corridors. Many banks and payment providers may prefer these stable options over XRP’s volatility, which raises further questions about the long-term outlook for XRP and the token’s usefulness going forward. Institutional adoption patterns have changed certain key expectations surrounding the development of various key payment infrastructures.
Price trends and future outlook
As for why XRP is falling, recent profit-taking and technical resistance at $2.35 have combined to pressure the price lower in several key trading sessions. The market correction has led to multiple strategic reassessments, including 21Shares’ 2026 XRP price forecast, which also outlines an additional 50% probability base case of $2.45 and a bearish scenario if adoption stagnates or slows significantly at $1.60. These different scenarios reflect how uncertain XRP’s upside opportunities are in the current market environment, both now and into the next quarter.
XRP’s long-term prospects will ultimately depend on whether the token can secure meaningful adoption in payment infrastructures, rather than mere speculation at the time of writing. Industry developments have created a number of significant transformations across a variety of major payment routes involving blockchain technology and digital assets. To understand why XRP is falling, we also need to look at the broader competitive landscape, where the relationship between XRP and stablecoins continues to evolve and change across multiple key market segments. These fundamental factors and regulatory trends beyond 2026 will largely determine whether the chances of earning XRP improve or decrease.
