Key Takeaways
- Ripple COO Monica Long says growing institutional demand could push XRP to $10.
- Despite Ripple’s business wins across banking and payments, XRP’s price chart shows ongoing consolidation in mid-2026.
- ETF inflows, RLUSD stablecoin growth, and new banking partnerships are building long-term upward pressure on XRP.
XRP price prediction headlines have been heating up in 2026, and Ripple COO Monica Long is at the center of it. Ripple’s business momentum this year is hard to overlook, with new banking partnerships stacking up, RLUSD expanding, and regulatory wins coming in consistently.
Long recently said that institutional demand building across global payment corridors could push XRP to $10, a target that would represent a significant move from where XRP has been trading through Q2 2026.
The price chart tells a different story right now. XRP has spent much of this period consolidating, even as Ripple announces deal after deal. The question worth exploring is whether the price is simply lagging the fundamentals, or whether $10 is a stretch target for the current cycle.
What Is Driving Ripple’s $10 Demand Thesis
Monica Long’s prediction centers on a specific argument: XRP demand will become “supercharged” as financial institutions adopt the XRP Ledger for cross-border payments at meaningful scale. Several real-world developments in 2026 back that framing directly.
Rakuten expanded its XRP wallet services in Japan, covered in our Rakuten XRP Japan story. SBI Remit deepened its Ripple-powered payment rails in the same market. KBANK in Thailand, Spain’s BBVA, and South Korea’s Kyobo Life have all announced Ripple integrations this year, adding weight to the institutional adoption narrative Long is building her case around.
How RLUSD Adds Indirect Demand for XRP
Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD runs on the XRP Ledger and gives financial institutions a familiar instrument for settlement. This connects directly to XRP demand because RLUSD transactions on the ledger require XRP to cover gas fees, meaning more RLUSD activity creates more XRP utility demand even when institutions never hold XRP directly.
That indirect demand channel is a legitimate mechanism that can shift supply-demand dynamics over time, and it is one of the cleaner arguments in Ripple’s case for higher XRP prices.
XRP ETF Inflows in 2026
XRP spot ETF products have posted solid inflows this year, with certain periods in 2026 showing XRP ETFs outperforming both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF products in net new capital. You can follow the latest data in our XRP ETF inflow tracker.
Institutional capital entering through ETF channels tends to be stickier than retail speculation, and it can support a stronger price floor over time as the holder base shifts toward longer-term allocators.
Why XRP’s Price Is Still Consolidating
Despite the strong fundamental picture, XRP has largely moved sideways through mid-2026. This gap between business news and price action is a recurring pattern for XRP holders, and a few factors explain it clearly:
- Large holders have been distributing tokens into periods of price strength
- The macro environment has favored Bitcoin over altcoins through much of Q2 2026
- Some institutional partners use Ripple’s technology through ODL corridors that do not require direct XRP holdings
Our XRP price analysis page covers current chart structure in detail. For longer-term projections, our XRP price prediction for 2030 and XRP price prediction for 2040 are both worth reading.
What Would Have to Happen for XRP to Reach $10
Getting to $10 requires a specific set of conditions coming together at once. XRP ETF inflows need to accelerate well beyond current levels, and RLUSD adoption needs to scale enough to generate sustained ledger demand. A major catalyst such as a sovereign banking partnership announcement would also help drive broader market attention toward XRP.
Beyond that, the macro environment needs to shift toward risk-on altcoin positioning, and sell pressure from large holders needs to ease as supply dynamics tighten. Ripple’s quantum-resistant upgrade planned for 2028 adds a long-term security narrative that strengthens the case for institutions with a multi-year horizon, even if it does not move price in 2026 directly.
You can track live XRP pricing on Kraken, Coinbase, or Bybit. Our XRP to USD converter is also a handy quick reference for current value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who made the $10 XRP price prediction?
Ripple COO Monica Long stated in 2026 that supercharged institutional demand from expanding global payment corridors and RLUSD stablecoin growth could drive XRP to $10.
Why is XRP not rising despite Ripple’s business wins?
Price consolidation reflects large holder distributions, macro conditions that favor Bitcoin over altcoins, and some institutional Ripple usage through ODL corridors that does not require direct XRP holdings.
What is RLUSD and how does it connect to XRP demand?
RLUSD is Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin running on the XRP Ledger. Transactions using RLUSD require XRP for network fees, which creates indirect utility demand for the token as stablecoin activity scales.
Where can I buy XRP today?
You can buy XRP on Kraken, Coinbase, Bybit, or KuCoin.