Don't Buy XRP Until This Happens

By Adam Spatacco – Feb 20, 2026 at 4:17PM ESTKey PointsXRP's price has soared as high as 600% since the end of 2024.At the moment, XRP is experiencing intense selling pressure as investors rotate capital away from cryptocurrency.While XRP has clear utility, it's not entirely known how large the token's presence is in the fintech landscape. These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›CRYPTO: XRPXRPMarket Cap$87BToday's Changeangle-down(0.83%) $0.01Current Price$1.42Price as of February 20, 2026 at 4:42 PM ETXRP is trading nearly 50% below prior highs, but does that make now a good time to buy the dip?In late 2024, an altcoin called XRP (XRP +0.83%) started to experience unprecedented buying activity. When this type of behavior manifests in the cryptocurrency landscape, it's usually because day traders have identified the newest meme coin to manipulate. That wasn't exactly the case with XRP, though. The cryptocurrency has been around since 2013, which is an eon in this sector. Besides, the token's surge from $0.50 to $2.00 during the final months of 2024 was fueled by legitimate catalysts. Let's take a look behind XRP's meteoric rise toward the end of 2024 and its subsequent fall over the last six months. From there, I'll outline some key points investors should consider before buying XRP. ExpandCRYPTO: XRPXRPToday's Change(0.83%) $0.01Current Price$1.42Key Data PointsMarket Cap$87BDay's Range$1.38 - $1.4352wk Range$1.14 - $3.65Volume2.7B Exploring the ups and downs of XRP Between November 2024 and the end of July 2025, XRP soared as much as 600% -- reaching a price of $3 for the first time in seven years. Two main tailwinds fueled XRP's ascent, both of which involved Washington, D.C. During his time campaigning, then-candidate Donald Trump frequently spoke about his affinity for cryptocurrency and promised to usher in a new wave of pro-crypto legislation if elected. Following his election victory in early November 2024, money began pouring into XRP specifically. Why is that? XRP Price data by YCharts Well, for years, XRP's issuer, Ripple, was entrenched in an intense battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC and Ripple had starkly different opinions about whether the XRP token should be classified as a security like a stock or bond. Last summer, the SEC dropped its appeal against Ripple -- hence investors poured into XRP (again) and sent its price rocketing even further. When will XRP be a good buy? Ripple operates a payments network that offers financial institutions a faster, lower-cost way to send funds across borders. Banks can denominate their transactions in XRP instead of fiat to avoid hefty foreign exchange fees. Despite its utility, there is a glaring problem with XRP's gains. In both instances -- Trump's election win and the SEC victory -- investors bought XRP on the premise that these things would actually help the token's adoption rate. But has that actually come to fruition? To be honest, I don't actually know the answer to that. The reason is simple. Image source: Getty Images. Ripple is pretty good at promotional disclosures. The company loves to tout how its payments networking is growing by publishing certain milestones around its on-demand liquidity trends. Moreover, the company reveals just enough about XRP's contributions to give the impression that the token is being increasingly adopted. In reality, however, Ripple's disclosed data is not as granular as sophisticated investors require. Therefore, it's nearly impossible to know XRP's true position in an otherwise crowded fintech landscape. Apart from bearish sentiment around cryptocurrency more broadly right now, some investors are beginning to doubt XRP's potential specifically -- so the token has sold off materially from its prior highs. While XRP might sound disruptive, I'm suspicious that its adoption or utility is as meaningful as Ripple implies. In my eyes, until a bank like JPMorgan Chase or Goldman Sachs comes out and validates that XRP is helping it move capital globally, I won't give much weight to Ripple's "reporting." Should XRP win over a major financial institution or Fortune 500 retailer, I'd be more inclined to take a look, as the bull thesis would be strengthened.Read NextFeb 20, 2026 •By Leo SunPrediction: 2 Popular Cryptocurrencies That Could Underperform in 2026Feb 19, 2026 •By Leo SunIs XRP a Millionaire-Maker? Here's What Has to Go RightFeb 17, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiGot $2,000? Here Are 2 More Reasons to Be Bullish About XRP.Feb 16, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiThis Key XRP Metric Just Posted 920% Growth in Just 30 Days.

Should You Buy It Right Now?Feb 16, 2026 •By Johnny RiceWhere Will the Cryptocurrency XRP Be in 5 Years?Feb 16, 2026 •By Alex Carchidi3 Big New Reasons to Be Bullish About XRP (Ripple) in 2026 and BeyondAbout the AuthorAdam Spatacco is a contributing Motley Fool technology analyst covering artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous driving, e-commerce, and cybersecurity stocks. Previously, Adam was an investment banking analyst specializing in mergers and acquisitions, as well as debt and equity capital raises, for software companies. He later worked in corporate development at venture-backed technology start-ups. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Richmond.TMFmoneyballX@moneyballinvestStocks MentionedXRPCRYPTO: XRP$1.42 (+0.83%) $+0.01JPMorgan ChaseNYSE: JPM$310.79 (+0.89%) $+2.74Goldman Sachs GroupNYSE: GS$922.24 (+0.61%) $+5.59*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.