XRP Hits $2.16 on ETF Inflows, Middle East Regulatory Win
Ripple, XRPUSD, surged by about 4% to $2.16 in the last 24 hours, according to trading data obtained from the Cryptos exchange, extending a 15.66% weekly gain, supported by institutional demand and improved sentiment.
XRP’s rally combines technical triggers with deepening Asian liquidity pools and ETF-driven institutional bids. While the 24h move aligns with broader crypto market gains (+1.79%), XRP’s outperformance stems from coin-specific catalysts.
Both retail and institutional investors are taking position in the altcoin as analysts see upside potential following its Middle East regulatory wins and uptrend in the market.
Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD gained approval from Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Services (FSRA) and Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), enabling its use in regulated financial services across the UAE.
This follows Ripple’s expanded MPI license in Singapore, deepening its Asia-Pacific region (APAC) and Middle East North Africa (MENA) payment corridors.
Boosting the momentum, U.S. spot XRP ETFs saw $43.16 million in net weekly inflows, led by XRPZ with $21.76 million and Bitwise $17.27 million, bringing total ETF assets to $1.37 billion.
Crypto analysts said these products now hold about 1.14% of XRP’s market cap, reflecting structured institutional participation rather than speculative trading.
On Sunday, U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded $13.6 million inflows, Regulated products are absorbing sell pressure – ETF holdings now equal 6.9% of XRP’s circulating supply. This contrasts with Bitcoin ETFs’ recent outflows, showing XRP’s appeal as a differentiated liquidity play.
XRP achieved a liquidity score of 678 on Upbit (vs BTC’s 591), with $207 million volume, accounting for 17.17% of the exchange’s total as of Jan 5. This reflects concentrated Asian trading activity favouring XRP’s utility for payments.
Crypto analysts said the sustained ETF demand could tighten XRP’s circulating supply, historically preceding price rallies. However, thin liquidity in altcoin markets means inflows must persist to offset potential sell pressure from whales.
XRP broke above the 50% Fibonacci retracement level of $2.08 and pivot point of $2.07, with RSI14 at 62 and MACD histogram turning positive, suggesting short-term bullish momentum, but the 78.86 RSI7 warns of overbought risks.
The market continues to track the Feb 2026 Clarity Act vote, which could cement XRP’s regulatory status. XRP broke out of a multi-month falling wedge pattern, trading at $2.13 with RSI at 64.
The setup targets $3.53 (65% upside) if buyers hold $2.05–$2.22 support. While bullish structures favour upside, macro risks like Bitcoin dominance (58.83%) and geopolitical volatility loom.
