The $XRP price has collapsed by more than 53% since October 2025 despite bullish developments surrounding Ripple.
$XRP has continued to struggle along with the rest of the crypto market, recording a 28.58% drop so far this year. The token has now posted its sixth straight monthly loss for the first time in 12 years.
This weak performance comes despite Ripple continuously witnessing positive developments, including new partnerships, acquisitions, and regulatory progress.
Key Points
- $XRP has dropped 28.58% year-to-date, having recently recorded six straight monthly losses for the first time in 12 years.
- The recent price weakness comes despite bullish developments surrounding Ripple.
- Data shows that $XRP’s price does not react directly to Ripple’s announcements because it functions as a liquidity asset, not ownership in the company.
- $XRP’s performance depends more on overall market liquidity and Bitcoin’s price action than on individual news events.
- $XRP’s large circulating supply means it requires more demand to move compared to smaller tokens.
Why $XRP Price Remains Down
The gap between bullish Ripple-related developments and $XRP’s falling price has left many investors frustrated. Amid the frustration, $XRP community commentator Zach Humphries recently addressed this issue, explaining why the token has not reacted to positive headlines.
In a video commentary on X, Humphries pointed out that $XRP does not behave like traditional stocks such as Apple, Nvidia, or Amazon, where good news often leads to a price increase.
According to him, $XRP is not ownership in Ripple but a liquidity asset. Holding $XRP does not give investors access to the company’s earnings or cash flow.
Instead, its price depends on network adoption and how much demand exists for the token. Right now, he believes there is a massive gap between Ripple’s growth and actual demand for $XRP itself.
Other Factors Impacting the $XRP Price
Humphries also highlighted other issues affecting $XRP’s performance. Specifically, he mentioned the recently-concluded case with the U.S. SEC, which he said held the price down for about four years.
For context, when the case began in December 2020, major exchanges such as Coinbase delisted $XRP and most U.S.-based financial institutions largely avoided it because of the uncertainty.
Although the case has ended positively, Humphries believes institutions are still cautious and slow to act. Many are waiting for full legal clarity, which could come through measures like the Clarity Act. Even then, large investors usually wait for stable conditions and lower risk before stepping in.
He also stressed that supply plays an important role in $XRP’s price action. Notably, $XRP has a large circulating supply, along with ongoing token unlocks from Ripple.
This means it takes much more demand to move its price compared to smaller tokens that can rise quickly. The market pundit noted that while $XRP once surged 6x in just six weeks, long-term growth now depends on steady inflows of capital and real-world use.
Liquidity Matters More
According to Humphries, $XRP does not move because of announcements but because of liquidity. He explained that when Bitcoin performs well, it often lifts the entire altcoin market by increasing investor confidence and risk-taking. That is when $XRP tends to rise, not simply when Ripple releases new updates.
He added that much of Ripple’s progress, such as developments involving RLUSD and institutional tools, happens behind the scenes. This means adoption can grow without immediately affecting the token’s price. As a result, positive news and weak price action can happen at the same time.
Despite the current situation, Humphries still sees $XRP as a strong long-term opportunity. He acknowledged its role in cross-border payments but stressed that there is now growing competition from stablecoins and banks building their own blockchain systems.
He suggested that $XRP’s future growth could come from areas like AI systems, the agentic economy, and tokenization. These sectors could create more direct demand for the token, especially if combined with clear regulations and strong institutional involvement.
Ripple’s Expanding Global Strategy Since October 2025
Humphries’ comments come on the back of multiple bullish developments around Ripple. Notably, since October 2025, when the ongoing downtrend began, Ripple has made several major moves to expand its reach.
In October 2025, the company acquired GTreasury for $1 billion, looking to tap into the $12.5 trillion-plus corporate treasury payments market. In February 2026, Ripple partnered with Aviva Investors to bring tokenized products to the $XRP Ledger.
A month later, the firm secured an Australian Financial Services Licence, helping it expand in the Asia-Pacific region. Within the same month, Ripple strengthened its presence in Brazil by expanding its payment services, applying for a VASP license, and growing its customer base.
Most recently, on April 1, Ripple, through the Treasury division, introduced its first Treasury Management System with built-in digital asset features. Despite these developments, $XRP has collapsed 53.8% since October 2025.
