If you’ve been holding XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) through 2026, you’ve probably watched the same thing happen over and over. When Bitcoin falls, XRP tends to take an even bigger hit. Bitcoin fell to $60,000 in early February after Trump’s shock tariff sent a wave of liquidations across crypto, causing the XRP price to crash to $1.11. XRP took weeks to climb back toward $1.40-$1.45, but the FOMC rate decision and geopolitical tensions have sent it right back below $1.35.
Bitcoin is currently holding $66,000, and just below that is the $60,000 support level that BTC briefly touched in February, which dragged the entire crypto market down. If Bitcoin drops to the $60,000 support level again or breaks below it, could XRP be heading back to $1.11 or lower?
How Closely Does the XRP Price Follow Bitcoin?
When Bitcoin dropped from $74,000 to $70,000 after the Fed’s March 18 rate decision, the XRP price fell 10% in the same window. The same pattern has shown up on every major Bitcoin move this year, and it has stayed consistent at around 1.8 to 1, meaning XRP loses close to twice as much as Bitcoin on every drop.
And this isn’t something that started in 2026. When Bitcoin crashed from $126,000 to $80,000 between October and November 2025, XRP fell from around $3.40 to $1.8—a 46% drop compared to Bitcoin’s 37%. Then when BTC slid from $80,000 to $60,000 in early February 2026, XRP went from $1.85 to $1.11, losing 40% while Bitcoin lost about 25%. Every time Bitcoin drops, XRP slips twice as much. And since Bitcoin has been falling for five straight months, the correlation has only been working against XRP.
Bitcoin dominance is sitting around 58% right now, which means most of the money in crypto is still in BTC. Money usually doesn’t start moving into altcoins like XRP until Bitcoin dominance drops below 50%, and that hasn’t happened yet in 2026. So until Bitcoin stabilises or starts climbing again, the XRP price is going to keep following BTC’s direction.
What Happened to XRP the Last Time Bitcoin Hit $60,000?
XRP was trading around $1.85 heading into February when the first weekend of the month wiped out over $2.2 billion in leveraged positions across the crypto market in under 48 hours. More than 335,000 traders got liquidated in what became known as “Black Sunday II,” and the XRP price dropped 10% to $1.58 over that weekend.
Bitcoin kept falling through the first week of February after Trump’s 15% global tariff announcement spooked markets and the Fed signalled it was in no rush to cut rates. By February 6, Bitcoin had dropped all the way to $60,000, and XRP crashed to $1.11, its lowest price since November 2024.
XRP took several weeks to climb back from $1.11 to around $1.40, and even that was only possible because Bitcoin bounced from $60,000 back to $74,500 on the back of a $767 million ETF inflow streak in mid-March. But as soon as the FOMC meeting hit on March 18 and the Iran war escalated again, Bitcoin fell back to $66,000 and XRP slid to $1.33, giving back most of the recovery. If Bitcoin drops back to $60,000, there is no reason to think XRP would react any differently this time around.
Where Could the XRP Price Drop If Bitcoin Falls to $60,000?
Since XRP has been moving at roughly 1.8 times Bitcoin’s pace on every major drop this year, we can map out where the XRP price would likely fall at each Bitcoin support level below $66,000. The February crash already confirmed these ratios in real time, so this is based on how XRP has actually behaved when Bitcoin falls.
| Bitcoin Price | XRP Estimated Range | Conditions |
| $66,000 (current) | $1.31–$1.34 | Current Bitcoin level. XRP’s $1.28 support is being tested. |
| $62,000–$63,000 | $1.15–$1.20 | Approaches the February low zone, where XRP briefly traded before retracing. |
| $60,000 | $1.05–$1.12 | February crash level, where XRP hit $1.11 last time BTC touched $60,000. |
| $56,000–$58,000 | $0.85–$0.95 | Bitcoin’s 200-week moving average zone. XRP enters territory not seen since late 2024. |
| $49,000–$50,000 | $0.70–$0.80 | A bearish support level for Bitcoin. Here, XRP would be back at pre-election prices. |
The $1.28 support is the first line of defence for XRP right now, with around 443 million XRP accumulated at that price point by holders who have been defending it on every dip. Below that, there is very little buying activity until $1.11, which is where XRP bottomed in February. If Bitcoin drops to $60,000 and XRP breaks through $1.11, the next meaningful support doesn’t show up until $1.00, and below that you are looking at $0.82, a level XRP hasn’t traded at since before the 2024 election rally.
The gaps between these XRP support levels are wide, and that is where things could get dangerous. If XRP’s $1.28 support breaks, there is nothing stopping a fast slide to $1.11, and if $1.11 breaks, the drop to $1.00 or lower could happen because there are very few buyers in between.
What Should XRP Holders Watch If Bitcoin Drops to $60,000?
If you’re holding XRP right now, Bitcoin’s $66,000 support level matters more than anything on the XRP chart. Right now Bitcoin’s direction depends on the Iran war and oil prices, and as long as oil stays above $100 and the war keeps escalating, Bitcoin stays under pressure. If Bitcoin drops to $60,000, XRP is likely heading back to its lows as well.
The only things that could break XRP’s dependence on Bitcoin are the CLARITY Act passing, which would give institutions a legal framework to use XRP for settlement at scale. Also, ETF inflows picking back up would create consistent buying pressure that could move XRP’s price. Neither is happening right now, and Garlinghouse stated recently that the CLARITY Act could take till the end of May to pass. Until these conditions improve, XRP will likely go where Bitcoin goes.
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