The XRP price slipped this week even as Ripple Labs announced a series of major developments, including a $500 million investment, strong growth in its Ripple USD stablecoin, and a strategic partnership with Mastercard and Gemini. The token traded around $2.26 on Friday, down roughly 10% from its weekly high and nearly 40% below its 2025 peak.
Ripple secures $500 million funding and expands partnerships
Ripple Labs secured a $500 million investment from Citadel and Fortress, boosting its valuation to $40 billion and cementing its position among the largest firms in the crypto sector—more than double the size of Circle. The new funding underscores investor confidence in Ripple’s cross-border payment network and its expanding ecosystem.
Ripple USD (RLUSD), the company’s stablecoin, also surpassed the $1 billion mark in total assets—an important milestone achieved just one year after its launch. RLUSD is now the third-largest stablecoin compliant with the GENIUS Act, trailing only USDC and PayPal USD.
In another key move, Ripple announced a partnership with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini to enable RLUSD settlement on the XRP Ledger for credit card payments. The collaboration with Mastercard, the world’s second-largest payment processor, represents a major step toward integrating blockchain-based settlement into mainstream financial infrastructure.
Bitwise filing hints at upcoming xrp etf launch
Adding to the week’s momentum, asset manager Bitwise filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a new XRP-based exchange-traded fund (ETF). The fund would join the REX-Osprey XRP Fund, which currently manages more than $112 million in assets. The filing signals growing institutional interest in XRP exposure through regulated investment vehicles.
Market pressure offsets bullish developments
Despite the positive headlines, XRP’s price declined amid broader weakness in the crypto market, with Bitcoin and Ethereum also losing ground. While select altcoins such as Zcash, Internet Computer (ICP), and Dash recorded gains, most digital assets posted weekly losses as risk sentiment waned.
The token’s decline has been exacerbated by a persistently negative funding rate—indicating that traders expect further downside—and a sharp contraction in open interest, which dropped to $3.5 billion from over $10 billion in August. The data suggests traders remain cautious and largely on the sidelines.
XRP technical outlook: double-bottom pattern hints at potential rebound
Technically, XRP remains in a downtrend on the daily chart, trading within a descending channel and below its 100-day exponential moving average (EMA), which signals continued bearish control. However, the formation of a double-bottom pattern near $2.1656, with a neckline at $2.60, points to a possible short-term recovery.
If buyers manage to break above the neckline, XRP could target the upper boundary of the descending channel around $2.65. Failure to hold above current support levels, however, could extend the decline toward the $2.10 zone.
