XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is currently trading around $1.36 after losing the $1.40 support level on May 18. The coin is down roughly 5% over the past week, and over the last 90 days it has fallen 3.31%.
Despite the ongoing recovery in Q2 2026, XRP is the only top-five crypto still in the red over the past 90 days, while Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is up 14.79%, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has gained 8.80%, and BNB (CRYPTO: BNB) has added 4.76%. We examined why XRP has lagged its peers and what could push the token back into positive territory.
Why Has XRP’s Recovery Lagged Other Major Cryptocurrencies?
XRP reacts more to negative sentiment than other major cryptos. This is a pattern across every major market downturn since 2020. In May 2025, XRP traded with weakened momentum, posting a 1% decline before recovering about 3% in June amid heavy volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty.
However, the momentum turned in July when XRP exploded higher with a massive 35% gain to a cycle high of $3.65. The rally preceded Ripple’s $50 million settlement with the SEC by one month, but buying pressure could not sustain the breakout. Profit-taking caused the XRP price to drop below the $3 support level, ending Q3 2025 around $2.84.
Then, the broader crypto market crashed in October 2025, and XRP got hit way more than most major assets. XRP posted a 35.4% decline in Q4 2025, compared to Bitcoin’s 23.2% drop, Ethereum’s 28.4% decline, and BNB’s 14.4% pullback over the same period.
The bearish momentum carried into Q1 2026, with XRP losing 27.1% as Middle East tensions triggered a broader market sell-off, pushing investors toward safer assets like gold and oil. This period saw BNB lose 28.5%, Ethereum fall by 29.1%, and Bitcoin by 22.1%—marking the first stretch in the current cycle where XRP did not underperform every major crypto asset.
So far in Q2, XRP has recovered just 2%, lagging behind Bitcoin’s 13% and BNB’s 5% gain, while Ethereum has stayed mostly flat with less than a 1% gain. XRP has constantly failed to hold gains after rallies, and that’s the main reason it’s the only top-five asset still showing a loss over the past 90 days.
How XRP Can Catch Up With Other Major Tokens
XRP can close the gap with its peers. Here are the key factors that could make that possible.
The CLARITY Act’s Passage
The CLARITY Act ranks as XRP’s most important catalyst in 2026. After the Senate Banking Committee cleared the bill on May 14 with a 15-9 bipartisan vote, XRP rallied from $1.42 to $1.54, a near 9% intraday gain.
By comparison, Bitcoin rose roughly 4% from $79,500 to $81,900, while Ethereum gained about 1% within the $2,250-$2,280 range and BNB also added 1%, moving from $671 to $679. This highlights a recurring pattern, that XRP often reacts more to positive regulatory news, especially around clarity and policy progress.
If the bill clears a full Senate vote and advances through the House of Representatives in June, it could reach Trump’s desk for signing before the July 4 White House deadline. The momentum from these stages could push XRP toward $2, marking a 48% upside from today’s levels.
Sustained Demand
Regulatory clarity could push XRP above $2, but sustained demand is what keeps it there rather than short bursts of speculative buying.
Historically, strong rallies, like the 46% move in January 2025 and the 35% surge in July 2025, faded when profit-taking set in. Without consistent buying pressure, XRP’s rallies don’t hold for long.
If demand stabilizes and ETF inflows return to late 2025 levels above $100 million per week, XRP could revisit its $3.65 cycle high, which would put the asset firmly back in front of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB.
Can XRP Turn Momentum Into a Trend?
XRP’s underperformance against Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB comes down to one recurring pattern, that it spikes on catalyst news and gives back most of the gains before the next one arrives. The CLARITY Act could break that pattern only if the Senate vote triggers institutional inflows large enough to hold the price above $2.
XRP needs consistent performance with stronger support above key levels like $1.45, $1.50, and $2, with sustained demand that keeps building even when the news cycle fades.
Right now, XRP behaves like a high-volatility asset, rising on positive updates but giving back gains during profit-taking and broader market weakness. Until that changes, every XRP rally will keep fading before it has a chance to stick.
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