Key Takeaways
- Retail optimism is surging despite price weakness.
- Institutions remain cautious on the price.
- XRP-holders are celebrating Ripple’s high-profile Las Vegas campaign.
XRP is seeing a surge in bullish sentiment across social media, even as major financial institutions trim their long-term price forecasts.
It comes as the token has drawn renewed attention through Ripple’s high-profile advertising campaign in Las Vegas, which has led to increased chatter across the crypto-verse — not all of it supportive.
Bullish Sentiment Spikes on Adoption Narrative
On-chain analytics firm Santiment said XRP is experiencing one of its strongest waves of positive sentiment in recent years, driven in part by new use cases and perceived adoption momentum.
“In part due to the new integration of XRP with Rakuten, allowing points to be converted into XRP, the asset is seeing its 2nd highest bullish sentiment across social media in the past 2 years!”
The firm noted that traders have responded positively to signs of broader utility for the token, viewing integrations with established companies as a signal of long-term viability.
“Traders are showing excitement over the fact that the #4 market cap in crypto is seeing further adoption,” Santiment added.
Despite the upbeat tone, the analytics provider cautioned that such developments rarely trigger immediate price breakouts. Instead, markets often move after initial excitement fades.
“As far as price goes, these events don’t often instantly lead to major price outbreaks. It is usually after the initial wave of euphoria, after FOMO calms down, that the impact of this kind of news sees the bullish outcome,” the post said.
XRP has fallen roughly 55% over the past nine months, leaving many investors waiting for a sustained recovery. Santiment suggested that patience may be required for adoption-driven gains to materialize.
“With patience after the euphoria calms, these types of key integrations with major companies are exactly what drives prices over the long term,” it said.
Standard Chartered Cuts XRP Price Outlook
Standard Chartered’s projections suggest a more restrained upside for XRP, with the bank setting a $2.80 price target for the token by the end of 2026 — a sharp downgrade from its earlier $8.00 forecast.
The estimate, revised in February, forms a stark counterpoint to the recent surge in bullish sentiment, indicating that institutional expectations remain tempered despite improving adoption signals.
In a research note, the bank warned that the broader crypto market could face another leg lower before stabilising, driven by softer risk appetite and persistent selling pressure from exchange-traded funds.
Geoffrey Kendrick, the lender’s global head of digital assets research, said these headwinds could delay a meaningful recovery across digital assets, including XRP.
Alongside the XRP downgrade, Standard Chartered also cut its Bitcoin forecast to $100,000 for end-2026, from $150,000 previously, marking its second reduction in under three months.
Kendrick added that Bitcoin could fall toward $50,000 before rebounding, describing that level as a potential “buy zone” for longer-term investors.
Las Vegas Campaign Amplifies XRP Price Visibility
The rise in online optimism comes alongside a massive major branding push by Ripple in Las Vegas, where the company launched a large-scale advertising campaign timed with a major crypto industry gathering.
Digital displays across prominent locations on the showcased XRP-focused messaging, making the token highly visible to conference attendees and tourists.
The campaign coincided with the Bitcoin 2026 event held between April 27 and April 29, followed closely by a dedicated XRP community event.
The advertisements featured bold slogans and thematic references widely interpreted by the crypto community as nods to Ripple’s prolonged legal battle with US regulators.
The broader messaging centered on elevating standards within the financial system, reinforcing XRP’s positioning as a utility-driven asset.
However, after CEO Brad Garlinghouse teased the branding on X, some members of the community offered some unsavoury replies regarding XRP’s struggling price.
In response to his X post, one user wrote: “As XRP continues to drop like it has been for a very long time now. “
“Stop scamming the people Brad we know you just want us to buy XRP so you can dump on us and take our money.”
Another read: “Yo Brad, when you say XRP is the Northstar, are you saying that it’s the Cadillac of cryptocurrencies?”
At the time of reporting, XRP is trading at $1.36, down over 4% in the last week, and over 60% down from its all-time-high.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
