Ripple (XRP) Could Hit $2.80 by Year-End as ETF Assets Reach $1.39 Billion

Key Highlights

• Steven McClurg, CEO of Canary Capital, forecasts XRP may reach prices exceeding $2.80 before 2026 concludes, anticipating a 30% surge in ETF participation.
• Last week witnessed XRP exchange-traded funds attracting $60 million in net capital, marking the most robust weekly showing in 2026 and pushing total inflows to $1.39 billion.
• XRPL mainnet version 3.1.3 deployment is confirmed for May 27, with half of all network nodes already running the updated software.
• Large holders purchased more than 71 million XRP tokens during the previous seven days, while 4,300 fresh addresses appeared within a single day.
• CME Group’s XRP derivatives products generated $62.87 billion in notional trading volume during their inaugural twelve months, with daily averages reaching $238 million.

Ripple’s native token currently hovers between $1.36 and $1.40, encountering significant price resistance at the $1.40 threshold. While institutional backing remains consistent, recent trading sessions have shown limited directional movement.

CME Group reported that its XRP futures offering surpassed $62.87 billion in notional value during the first year of operation. Daily trading volume averaged $238 million, representing approximately 1.32 million executed contracts and total exposure equivalent to roughly 28.6 billion XRP tokens.

Speaking with reporters this week, Canary Capital’s Steven McClurg stated that XRP has the potential to “probably double in price by the end of the year.” Based on the current trading range near $1.40, this projection would place XRP above the $2.80 mark by December 2026.

McClurg simultaneously projected a 30% expansion in exchange-traded fund participation before year-end. However, he cautioned against expecting a linear trajectory, characterizing the upcoming summer months as “a tough summer for equities and crypto across the board.”

His market outlook divides into three distinct phases. The initial phase involves challenging summer conditions. The second phase encompasses reduced market activity during the midterm electoral cycle as investors retreat from risk assets. The final phase anticipates a powerful post-election rally fueled by ETF capital deployment, implementation of the CLARITY Act, and accelerated tokenization of real-world assets.

XRP-focused exchange-traded products registered $60 million in net inflows during the previous week, representing the strongest seven-day performance recorded in 2026. Total cumulative inflows have now reached $1.39 billion.

Network Activity Demonstrates Growth

Blockchain analytics provider Santiment identified a significant increase in XRP network expansion this week. Data from Santiment reveals that 4,300 new wallet addresses were generated within a 24-hour window — representing the fourth-largest single-day increase observed in 2026. The firm emphasized that network growth metrics serve as reliable early indicators for identifying potential price trend reversals.

Large holder activity also demonstrated accumulation patterns. Blockchain monitoring data confirms that whale addresses acquired over 71 million XRP tokens throughout the past week, although the accumulation rate has decelerated compared to earlier monthly activity.

Major XRPL Network Enhancement Scheduled for May 27

The XRP Ledger mainnet is preparing for a significant upgrade scheduled for May 27 at 03:49 AM UTC. Version 3.1.3 incorporates the fixCleanup3_1_3 amendment, designed to resolve existing issues affecting NFTs, Permissioned Domains, Vaults, and the network’s Lending Protocol functionality.

Current statistics indicate that 50% of network nodes have successfully implemented the latest software version. Validator nodes have achieved complete 100% consensus regarding the proposed amendment. Nodes failing to complete the upgrade face the risk of becoming “amendment-blocked,” which would prevent them from processing transactions or participating in the consensus mechanism.

David Schwartz, Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, has responded to various community questions concerning the upcoming upgrade. This enhancement represents one component of the comprehensive XRPL development roadmap, which encompasses tokenized real-world asset integration, permissioned decentralized exchange capabilities, and post-quantum cryptographic security implementations.

Derivatives traders maintain optimistic positions on XRP reclaiming the $1.40 level before month-end. Open interest across futures markets has expanded in recent days as the upgrade date approaches, though diminished spot market volume continues to suggest potential headwinds for near-term price momentum.

Market analyst CRYPTOWZRD observed that a decisive breakthrough above $1.40 would establish a clear pathway toward $1.55, with subsequent movement beyond that level potentially targeting the $2.00 price zone.