The US Spot Ripple ETF (XRP) products have attracted significant institutional inflows and could potentially boost crypto assets if macroeconomic and broader sentiment improves.
The ETF products debuted in mid-November and became an instant hit. They have not recorded any release days in 2025.
In fact, the cumulative total net flow exceeded $1.16 billion with net assets of $1.27 billion. Still, XRP found itself below $2 for most trading days in December.
Source: SoSo Value
Standard Chartered: XRP could reach $8
Nonetheless, growing demand for ETFs could be a major catalyst for XRP repricing in 2026, according to Standard Chartered Bank.
In a note to clients in April, Standard Chartered made one of the most bullish calls on the altcoin, with a price target of $8, citing regulatory clarity and the utility of payments.
At that time, Geoff Kendricks, head of digital asset research at the bank, said:
“Improving US regulatory clarity has made it easier for institutions to gain exposure and given Ripple and the XRP ecosystem room to grow without the risk of constant litigation.”
The $8 target implied 300% upside potential from current levels of $1.87.
At press time, XRP’s $1.87 level translated to a market cap of $113 billion. If the asset explodes to $8, that would imply a market cap of $485 billion or over $360 billion in new capital injection.
With current ETF inflows of $1.1 billion, the capital needed to bring XRP to Standard Chartered’s price target seemed overkill.
But market capitalization alone does not give a clear idea of ​​the amount needed to fuel the XRP rally. So we explored realized cap, the on-chain metric that evaluates capital entering XRP markets.
Source: Glassnode
During the late 2024 rally, XRP rose from $0.5 to $3 (6x move) after absorbing $25 billion (realized cap increased from $30 billion to $55 billion).
In short, for every 1x price movement, XRP required $4.2 billion in realized cap or capital inflow.
Ideally, the $8 price target (4.4x price change) would therefore require approximately $18.6 billion in new capital or a 19x increase in current ETF inflows.
Whale Selloff Derails XRP Recovery
That said, XRP whales have become net sellers over the past couple of months. The whale sell-off may have limited XRP’s recovery prospects amid general weakness in market sentiment.
Unless the whale dump subsides, XRP could find itself below $2 in the near term.
Source: CryptoQuant
Final Thoughts
- XRP needed nearly $19 billion in new capital to reach Standard Chartered’s price target of $8.
- The new whale sell-off could further delay a strong altcoin recovery in the near term.
