XRP Price and Ripple RLUSD Stablecoin Strategy

XRP is trading at $1.40, caught in a tug-of-war between a two-week rally and the most aggressive derivatives selling program reported in 2026 [2]. While the token navigates this volatility, Ripple’s expansion of its RLUSD stablecoin—now a $1.6 billion asset—has raised questions about whether the company is shifting its focus away from its native cryptocurrency [1].

The relationship between XRP and RLUSD

The growth of RLUSD, which launched in December 2024, has led to concerns that it may be replacing XRP in Ripple’s institutional payment deals [1]. However, the two assets serve distinct functions: XRP acts as the bridge asset for cross-border payments, while RLUSD functions as a stable, dollar-backed settlement layer [1]. Banks favor RLUSD for large transactions because it maintains a constant $1 value, eliminating the price risk inherent in holding a volatile crypto asset during the settlement process [1].

Despite this, RLUSD’s utility is tethered to the XRP Ledger. Every transaction involving the stablecoin on the ledger requires XRP to pay network fees, and the token is used to route trades between currencies that do not have direct pairs [1]. Over the past six months, RLUSD activity on the XRP Ledger has increased 40-fold, with more than half of all RLUSD now residing on the ledger rather than Ethereum [1]. While this usage generates demand for XRP, the impact on the token's price remains limited, as the amount of XRP burned through transaction fees is small relative to the total supply [1].

Derivatives pressure and price levels

XRP is currently facing significant selling pressure from derivatives desks, with Binance net taker volume dropping to -$96 million, the strongest aggressive sell push seen this year [2]. Despite this, open interest on the exchange climbed roughly 14.8%, suggesting that new market participants are actively taking short positions [2]. This combination of falling taker volume and rising open interest indicates a market where new capital is entering with a bearish bias [2].

What to watch

• Support levels: Monitor whether XRP can hold the $1.41 support level; a failure to do so could expose the $1.34 floor [2].
• Resistance test: Watch for a potential reclaim of the $1.46 level, which would be required to challenge the $1.50–$1.55 supply zone that has historically capped price rallies [2].
• Derivatives positioning: Observe whether the $3.46 billion in open interest continues to cool or if further leveraged long liquidations occur, which could exacerbate short-term volatility [2].

The core question for investors is whether the increasing institutional adoption of the XRP Ledger for RLUSD settlements will eventually generate enough network demand to overcome the current structural selling pressure in the derivatives market. While Ripple maintains that XRP and RLUSD are designed to grow in tandem, the token’s price remains sensitive to broader market positioning rather than just its underlying utility.