XRP’s USD price (XRP-USD) is trading around $1.90–$1.91 on Thursday, December 18, 2025, after another volatile session that briefly pushed the token down toward the mid‑$1.80s and up toward the high‑$1.90s. Across major market trackers, XRP’s 24-hour range has been roughly $1.83 to $1.98—a swing of nearly 8% from low to high, underscoring how jumpy risk assets remain into year-end. [1]
That volatility is reflecting broader market conditions as well: bitcoin is still struggling to regain consistent upside traction, while altcoins like XRP are reacting to macro data, ETF flows, and shifting risk appetite almost tick-for-tick.[2]
Below is what’s driving XRP price today, what the latest news and analysis is highlighting on Dec. 18, 2025, and the forecast scenarios traders and investors are watching next.
XRP Price Today: Where XRP-USD Stands on Dec. 18, 2025
As of Dec. 18, XRP is quoted near $1.90–$1.91, with notable intraday markers around:
- 24H low: about $1.83
- 24H high: about $1.98
- 24H trading volume (spot): about $3.9B (tracker estimate)
- All-time high reference: about $3.65, leaving XRP roughly 48% below that peak [3]
The headline level traders keep circling is psychological as much as technical: $2.00. Multiple market reads published today frame the area just below $2 as an “inflection” zone—where rebounds keep failing and where sellers appear to defend exits. [4]
Why XRP is Moving Today: Macro News Meets Crypto Structure
1) Inflation Surprise and Rate-Cut Expectations
A major macro catalyst on Dec. 18 has been the latest U.S. inflation read. Reports covering Thursday’s data pointed to cooler-than-expected CPI, which can loosen financial conditions by pulling forward expectations for future rate cuts. In crypto, that often translates into short bursts of relief—especially when positioning is already leaning bearish. [5]
That said, the same coverage also noted uncertainty around the data due to recent disruptions, which helps explain why “good news” hasn’t automatically produced a clean, sustained risk-on rally. [6]
2) Risk Appetite is Still Fragile
Even with pockets of optimism, several analyses argue crypto is trading like a high-beta extension of broader risk markets right now—meaning when investors de-risk (or even hesitate), altcoins tend to feel it first. One market note published this week described XRP as stuck between nearby support and overhead resistance while the wider market remains choppy. [7]
3) Retail Participation is Weaker, Derivatives Activity is Lighter
One forecast published today emphasized that retail demand has faded, pointing to declining futures open interest as evidence that speculative positioning has cooled compared with earlier in the year. The implication: XRP can still bounce, but sustained rallies may struggle without broader participation returning. [8]
XRP Spot ETFs: Institutional Inflows Continue, but Price hasn’t “Obeyed” Yet
One of the most important structural stories for XRP in late 2025 is the emergence of U.S.-listed spot XRP ETFs—and the market is now watching whether those flows can eventually overpower short-term risk-off behavior.
What Today’s Reports Say About ETF Flows
Multiple reports published around Dec. 18 cite steady inflows into U.S.-listed XRP spot ETFs:
- Roughly $18–$19 million of net inflows reported for Wednesday (Dec. 17, U.S. time)
- Cumulative net inflows around $1.03 billion
- Net assets around $1.14 billion [9]
A separate analysis this week argued that spot XRP ETFs had built ~$1.01B in net inflows in their early weeks, but still represent a relatively small slice of XRP’s overall market cap—suggesting more “room” for institutional allocation if the category keeps maturing. [10]
Which Products are in the Mix
One of the clearest, primary-source confirmations comes from Bitwise, which announced its Bitwise XRP ETF would start trading on NYSE on Nov. 20, 2025 under ticker XRP, holding spot XRP and charging a stated management fee (with an initial waiver structure described in the release). [11]
Separately, reports around the broader ETF rollout noted earlier launches and additional listings, including an initial U.S. spot XRP ETF approval and trading start in mid‑November. [12]
Why This Matters for Price Forecasts: ETF flows can be supportive over time, but they don’t guarantee a straight-line move. In the short run, macro risk, profit-taking, and technical breaks can outweigh steady inflows—especially if the market is leaning defensive into year-end.
Ripple-Related Headlines Today: Institutional Rails Keep Expanding
XRP’s market narrative is tightly linked to Ripple (the company), even though XRP trades freely on exchanges and is not “a Ripple stock.” On Dec. 18, two notable Ripple-related headlines added to the institutional backdrop:
Ripple Expands Partnership with TJM
Ripple announced an expanded partnership with TJM Investments / TJM Institutional Services, describing infrastructure support for execution and clearing services and stating Ripple has invested in TJM. The release frames this as part of Ripple Prime’s institutional push (including expectations of expanded digital-asset coverage). [13]
VivoPower’s Ripple-Share Deal Pitched as “Indirect XRP Exposure”
Decrypt reported that VivoPower plans to originate up to $300 million in Ripple Labs shares for an investment vehicle, pitching that equity exposure as implying indirect exposure to roughly 450 million XRP at current prices (valued around $900 million in the article’s framing). [14]
These kinds of stories don’t automatically move XRP day-to-day—but they contribute to the broader theme that more vehicles are being built to express XRP-related exposure through regulated or traditional wrappers.
Regulation Watch: OCC Trust Bank Approval is a Real Catalyst—Still Pending Final Sign-Off
One of the most consequential regulatory developments in December is that the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted conditional approval for Ripple (and other crypto firms) to establish a national trust bank. Importantly, Reuters notes these charters still require final approval before the trust banks can operate, and they do not allow deposit-taking or lending like a full commercial bank. [15]
For XRP market participants, the key signal isn’t “banking magic,” it’s the direction of travel: deeper integration of crypto infrastructure into the regulated financial system—paired with ongoing political and industry debate about standards and risk. [16]
XRP-USD Technical Outlook: The Levels Analysts are Watching Now
Across today’s forecast notes and analyses, the market is converging around a few key zones.
Immediate Support: $1.90, then ~$1.82
- Several analyses describe $1.90 as the near-term “line in the sand” during recent consolidation.
- A widely cited next support sits around $1.82, which has been described as a key level holding the structure together. [17]
Downside Targets if $1.82 Fails
Different analyses cite different downside waypoints, but the recurring idea is simple: a clean break below $1.82 increases the odds of a deeper flush.
- One market note cited a potential extension toward the mid‑$1.60s (with specific downside markers discussed around ~$1.64). [18]
- Another market update suggested the trend could stretch toward $1.61 in a bearish continuation scenario. [19]
Resistance: $2.00 First, Then $2.20–$2.30
On the upside, the “prove it” level remains $2.00. Analysts broadly frame a reclaim-and-hold above $2 as the first step toward stabilizing.
Above that, one analysis highlights a heavier resistance zone around $2.20–$2.30, describing XRP as having spent weeks trapped beneath it. [20]
XRP Price Forecast: Scenarios for the Days and Weeks Ahead
Because crypto markets can pivot hard on macro headlines (and XRP can overshoot in either direction), the most responsible forecast is scenario-based. Here’s what today’s reports imply.
Scenario A: Base Case (Range-Bound with a Bearish Lean)
If broader risk appetite remains fragile into late December, XRP may continue chopping between roughly $1.82 and $2.00, with rallies selling off near resistance and buyers defending the lower band. This aligns with commentary emphasizing weakened retail participation and the market’s difficulty turning ETF inflows into immediate upside. [21]
Scenario B: Bear Case (Breakdown Below $1.82)
If XRP loses ~$1.82 decisively—especially on rising volatility—several analyses suggest the market could probe lower into the $1.60s. In this path, ETF inflows may slow the decline but not necessarily stop it if macro conditions worsen or bitcoin sells off further. [22]
Scenario C: Bull Case (Reclaim $2.00 and Build Above It)
A bullish reversal likely requires a combination of:
- Improving macro sentiment (e.g., rate-cut expectations strengthening after softer inflation),
- Sustained ETF inflows, and
- A clean reclaim of $2.00, followed by pressure on the $2.20–$2.30 zone.
This is the “prove the bottom” scenario: if it happens, today’s analysis suggests XRP could transition from “damage control” into a more constructive recovery phase. [23]
What to Watch Next (The Catalysts That Can Move XRP-USD)
Looking beyond the next candle, XRP traders are likely to keep focusing on:
- Daily XRP spot ETF flow updates (whether inflows persist, accelerate, or finally stall). [24]
- Follow-through in U.S. macro data and the market’s confidence in the inflation trend and rate-cut path. [25]
- Regulatory milestones tied to Ripple’s conditional OCC trust bank approval (any movement toward final approval, or added conditions). [26]
- Institutional expansion headlines (prime brokerage, execution/clearing partnerships, and equity-linked structures referencing XRP exposure). [27]
On Dec. 18, 2025, XRP price today (XRP-USD) is hovering near $1.90, still struggling to reclaim $2.00 even as the institutional “plumbing” around XRP appears to be expanding—via spot XRP ETFs with roughly ~$1B+ in cumulative net inflows and a drumbeat of Ripple institutional announcements. [28]
The near-term forecast comes down to a simple battle: hold $1.82–$1.90 support or risk a deeper slide, versus reclaim $2.00 and build a base strong enough to challenge the next resistance band. [29]
