XRP Price Slashed: Buy the Dip or Get Out? The $2.80 Reality Check and Arizona’s Bold Move
Thursday, February 19, 2026 – XRP holders are seeing sharp losses today as the asset faces tough economic conditions. The wider crypto...
Quick overview
- XRP holders are experiencing significant losses as the asset drops 4% to around $1.42 amid tough economic conditions and a wider crypto market sell-off.
- The Federal Reserve's hawkish signals and a slashed price forecast from Standard Chartered have contributed to the negative sentiment surrounding XRP.
- Despite the current downturn, Arizona's approval of a Digital Asset Reserve Fund and Coinbase's new XRP lending service provide positive developments for long-term holders.
- Analysts suggest that XRP's price may stabilize around $2.80 by the end of 2026, but caution remains due to ongoing market volatility.
Thursday, February 19, 2026 – XRP holders are seeing sharp losses today as the asset faces tough economic conditions. The wider crypto market is also down after new signals from the Federal Reserve, while XRP deals with lower bank forecasts and some major new institutional interest.
Is this the point where investors give up before a big rally, or does it signal a real change in the 2026 bull run? Here’s what the data shows.
The Current Pulse: XRP Price Today
On February 19, 2026, XRP is trading around $1.42, down 4% in the past day. It briefly dropped to $1.41, following a wider crypto sell-off that also pushed Bitcoin close to $66,000.
Even with this drop, XRP’s market cap is still strong at $86 billion, keeping it among the top digital assets. Still, the price is almost 60% lower than its 2025 high of $3.65, so many investors are wondering where the bottom might be.
Why Is XRP Falling? The “Hawkish” Fed & Slashed Targets
The main reason for today’s drop isn’t anything Ripple did, but the Federal Reserve Minutes released late Wednesday. The notes suggested that officials could raise rates if inflation stays high, which made investors very nervous and pushed the Fear Index to level 9.
Adding to the negative mood, Standard Chartered, once a big supporter of XRP, has cut its 2026 year-end forecast from $8.00 to $2.80.
Some market bears said, “It’s not a revision; it’s a funeral.” However, XRP veteran Bill Morgan pointed out that a $2.80 target is still double the current price, calling it “realistic growth” instead of a disaster.
The Silver Lining: Two Massive “Buy” Signals
While the price action looks grim, the fundamental story for XRP has never been stronger. Two major developments are providing a massive “demand floor”:
1. Arizona’s Strategic XRP Reserve (SB1649)
In a first for state-level adoption, the Arizona Senate Finance Committee has approved a bill to set up a Digital Asset Reserve Fund. The bill lists XRP and Bitcoin as strategic reserve assets. This kind of government support is a big confidence boost for long-term XRP holders.
2. Coinbase Unleashes the XRP “Lending” Beast
Coinbase has now added XRP to its U.S. crypto-backed lending service, which uses the Morpho protocol.
- The Perk: Holders can now borrow up to $100,000 in USDC using their XRP as collateral.
- Impact: This means both large and small investors can get cash without selling their XRP, which helps lower the pressure to sell on the open market.
XRP/USD Technical Outlook: The Path to $2.00
Looking at the charts, XRP is now testing a “triple bottom” pattern.
| Key Level | Type | Significance |
| $1.30 | Critical Support | A breach here could trigger a slide to the $1.11 February lows. |
| $1.57 | Immediate Resistance | Breaking this level is required to flip the short-term trend to bullish. |
| $2.80 | Standard Chartered Target | The new “conservative” consensus for EOY 2026. |
Analysts say exchange reserves are at their lowest in years. With the SEC case settled in 2025, there’s no more regulatory uncertainty, so XRP could move faster than other coins when the Fed changes course.
The Verdict: Opportunity or Trap?
For newcomers, this volatility shows that crypto is still risky. For experienced traders, Arizona’s new law and Coinbase’s lending service suggest that XRP’s real value is starting to separate from its current price.
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