XRP’s Path to $10: 4 Catalysts Driving 2026 Bull Run

The first major catalyst for XRP stems from impending U.S. regulatory action. The CLARITY Act, a crypto market structure bill expected to be marked up on January 15, is anticipated to provide the legal certainty that has long been a barrier to institutional participation. Analyst Sam Daodu asserts this clarity could unlock significant capital flows into the XRP market. Complementing this legislative progress is Ripple’s recent conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to launch Ripple National Trust Bank. This federally supervised trust institution would serve as a critical, regulated on-ramp for traditional finance, further bridging the gap between legacy systems and the XRP Ledger.

These developments represent a dual-track approach to institutional adoption: broad market structure reform through the CLARITY Act and a specific, regulated entity via the OCC approval. Together, they address the core concerns of banks and asset managers regarding compliance and custody, potentially setting the stage for the sustained institutional demand that Daodu’s bullish scenario requires.

A tangible manifestation of growing institutional interest is the success of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Seven such ETFs are now trading in the United States, boasting a combined assets under management (AUM) exceeding $2 billion. Critically, these funds have already locked up 777 million XRP tokens, creating a direct and growing source of demand that removes supply from the circulating market. Daodu’s analysis hinges on this mechanism continuing; if monthly ETF inflows maintain the $300 to $500 million rate observed in late 2025, an additional 750 million to 1.25 billion XRP could be locked by mid-year, intensifying supply pressure.

Parallel to ETF growth is the rise of the RLUSD stablecoin, which has achieved a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, ranking it third among US-regulated stablecoins. Its significance is twofold. First, its compliance under the GENIUS Act—signed into law by President Trump in July 2025—provides a clear regulatory framework. Second, and more impactful for XRP’s native token, is its utility. As banks begin deploying RLUSD across payment corridors, activity on the XRP Ledger is expected to surge. Every transaction requires network fees paid in XRP, creating a direct link between stablecoin adoption and continuous, utility-driven demand for XRP, while simultaneously burning a portion of its supply.

Synthesizing these four catalysts—regulatory clarity, Ripple’s trust bank, ETF inflows, and RLUSD utility—analyst Sam Daodu projects a “bull case” scenario where XRP could reach between $8 and $10. This forecast aligns with Standard Chartered’s earlier projection of a potential new all-time high of $8. The trajectory depends heavily on the compounding effects of institutional demand. Sustained ETF inflows directly lock up supply, while the operational growth driven by RLUSD and other applications creates constant fee-based demand. The GENIUS Act’s stablecoin regulations further support this by enabling smoother cross-border expansion into Europe, Asia, and emerging markets.

Daodu concludes that under these conditions, XRP has the potential not only to surpass the $8 threshold but to extend gains toward $10 as supply constraints exert greater influence on pricing. The math is straightforward: reducing circulating supply through ETF vaults while simultaneously increasing utility-driven demand creates a powerful bullish dynamic. At the time of writing, XRP, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency, was trading at $2.13, marking a 3.7% increase. The coming months will test whether the convergence of regulatory, institutional, and utility-based catalysts can translate this early 2026 optimism into the parabolic price movement analysts are forecasting.