XRP near $1 low as Standard Chartered forecasts $28 by 2030

XRP slipped to roughly $1 USD today, its lowest level since November 2024 and a drop of more than 50 % over the past year, raising questions about whether the token can ever reach Standard Chartered’s $28 forecast for 2030【1】.

Price pressure despite network gains

XRP’s market price has fallen while Ripple’s network activity climbs. The ledger’s liquidity pools have more than tripled this year, yet most new money is flowing into Ripple’s own stablecoin, RLUSD, which now holds about $800 million and is paired with XRP in the second‑largest pool on the chain【1】. RLUSD’s concentration is high—around 82 % of its supply sits in just ten addresses, indicating institutional and trading‑desk dominance rather than retail demand【1】. Because banks prefer a stable dollar‑pegged asset over a volatile token, much of the cross‑border payment volume Ripple processes never touches XRP itself, limiting price upside.

Institutional tailwinds and tokenomics drag

XRP ETFs have attracted roughly $1.47 billion since they debuted, and inflows have continued for seven straight weeks despite the token’s slide【1】. The CLARITY Act, which would permanently classify XRP as a commodity, could further unlock institutional capital if passed before the Senate recess【1】. However, Ripple’s escrow still releases about 1 billion XRP each month, keeping the circulating supply at roughly 62 billion of a 100 billion cap and pushing the fully‑diluted market value toward $102 billion versus a current market cap near $63 billion【1】. This steady supply drip creates upward pressure on price that must be offset by sustained demand.

Forecasts and assumptions

Standard Chartered analyst Geoffrey Kendrick maintains a $28 price target for 2030—a 27‑fold rise from today’s level—implying a market value near $1.7 trillion, comparable only to Bitcoin’s peak valuation【1】. The projection hinges on XRP capturing a meaningful share of Ripple’s payment volume, a premise also shared by Bitwise’s models that range from $29.32 to $0.13 for 2030 depending on that same assumption【1】. Competing forecasts that sit in the high single‑digit to low‑teens range reflect more modest expectations about XRP’s role versus RLUSD.

What to watch

• CLARITY Act progress – Senate vote needed before the summer recess; passage could boost ETF inflows.
• RLUSD pool size – Any shift in the proportion of RLUSD paired with XRP may signal changing demand dynamics.
• Monthly escrow releases – The 1 billion‑XRP monthly unlock continues; a slowdown or acceleration would affect supply pressure.

XRP’s price is currently anchored near a historic low while the network thrives, leaving the decade‑long $28 target dependent on whether institutions move from using RLUSD to routing payments through XRP itself. The coming months of regulatory decisions and on‑chain activity will determine if the token can break out of its slump or remain a peripheral player in Ripple’s ecosystem.