Standard Chartered Cuts XRP Price Target By 65%: From $8 to $2.80

Standard Chartered has cut its XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) price target from $8 to $2.80—a 65% reduction that marks the largest percentage cut among the bank’s crypto forecasts. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, had fueled bullish sentiment with an $8 XRP price prediction since mid-2025, but he’s now warning of more pain ahead.

The revision follows XRP’s roughest stretch since 2022. The XRP price dropped to $1.16 in early February before recovering to roughly $1.45, down 60% from its July 2025 high of $3.65. Kendrick said XRP’s recent price action drove the downgrade and expects further declines in the near term.

Where Standard Chartered’s $8 XRP Prediction Came From

Kendrick first laid out the Standard Chartered XRP price target of $8 in April 2025, with a roadmap of $5.50 by end of 2025, $8.00 by end of 2026, and $12.50 by 2028. At the time, XRP was still fighting the SEC in court, and the prediction looked aggressive.

The catalysts that would validate Kendrick’s forecast arrived after the SEC and Ripple jointly dismissed their appeals, ending a five-year legal battle. Ripple paid a $125 million penalty—far below the SEC’s original $2 billion demand—and its executives were cleared of personal liability. The ruling settled XRP’s legal status in the U.S. and removed the uncertainty that had kept institutional investors on the sidelines for years.

With the legal overhang removed, ETF approvals followed within months. Canary Capital’s spot XRP ETF launched on November 13 and pulled in nearly $250 million on day one—the largest crypto ETF debut in 2025. Within 50 days, total XRP ETF inflows crossed $1.3 billion with 43 consecutive trading days of positive inflows—a streak no other crypto ETF has matched. XRP also became the second-fastest crypto ETF to hit $1 billion after Bitcoin.

Ripple used the regulatory clarity to pursue aggressive acquisitions, spending $1.25 billion on prime brokerage Hidden Road in April and another $1 billion on treasury platform GTreasury in October. Its RLUSD stablecoin also crossed $1 billion in market cap by late 2025. Kendrick’s $8 target looked increasingly reasonable as institutional infrastructure expanded, and that was the setup heading into 2026.

Why the $8 XRP Prediction Collapsed

Two months changed everything for Standard Chartered’s $8 XRP outlook.

The February Crash

Crypto had its worst selloff in nearly four years in early February. Bitcoin dropped 28% in over a month, briefly touching $60,000 before rebounding to $68,000. XRP fell harder, plunging to $1.16, marking a 15-month low, before tracing to $1.45. The crash wiped out the early-year momentum that had pushed the XRP price to $2.41 in the first week of January.

ETF Flows Reversed

The institutional demand behind Kendrick’s bullish case slowed immensely. Digital asset funds have now logged four consecutive weeks of outflows totaling $3.74 billion. Bitcoin ETFs alone lost $359 million in the past week. U.S.-based funds saw $403 million exit, while European and Canadian products attracted $230 million.

Standard Chartered noted that long-term institutional capital never showed up in size. The initial excitement around XRP ETFs faded as outflows suggested institutions were not accumulating but selling.

Tighter Fed Policy

Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Fed Chair reinforced expectations of tighter monetary policy. Markets now price roughly two rate cuts for 2026 instead of the deeper easing traders expected a few weeks ago. Higher rates make assets like crypto less attractive compared to cash and bonds.

Standard Chartered’s New XRP Price Targets

Standard Chartered didn’t just cut XRP’s forecast—the bank lowered targets for every major crypto.

Kendrick warned that Bitcoin could slide toward $50,000 temporarily, calling that level a potential “buy zone” for long-term investors. He also stated Ethereum might drop to $1,400 before stabilizing.

Standard Chartered is bearish short-term but bullish long-term on its XRP outlook. The bank actually raised targets for 2028 and beyond: $2.80 in 2026, $7 in 2027, $12.60 in 2028, $19.60 in 2029, and $28 by 2030.

These figures line up with key Fibonacci extension levels. Market analyst Chart Nerd noted the 127.2% extension sits near $8.47, while the 161.8% extension aligns with $27—matching Standard Chartered’s 2030 target.

The bank also sees XRP and Ethereum benefiting from stablecoin growth and tokenized real-world assets. As more financial institutions move toward blockchain-based settlements, demand for both cryptos could grow.

Is XRP Still a Buy After the 65% Prediction Cut?

Standard Chartered cut its 2026 XRP price target from $8 to $2.80, but that still implies roughly 90% upside from current levels near $1.45. The bank sees more downside before conditions improve, possibly around May if the Fed shifts course.

The cut is significant, but Standard Chartered’s long-term target like the 2030 one implies roughly 19x upside. This shows the bank’s near-term forecast got worse, but the long-term case got stronger.