The forecast comes as Ripple deepens its commitment to tokenization and regulatory clarity improves under the Trump administration. This confluence of favorable conditions is expected to drive renewed institutional interest in XRP ($2.20) and position it as a serious contender in the digital asset ecosystem.

Bank Projects Steady Climb for XRP Through 2028

According to Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, XRP is poised for a multi-year rally. The bank’s forecast maps out annual price targets extending through 2028, with XRP expected to reach $5.00 in 2025, $18 in 2026, $10.40 in 2027, and $12.50 by 2028. “XRP functions similarly to stablecoins by enabling fast, low-cost transactions, especially for cross-border payments,” Kendrick explained.

Standard Chartered predicts XRP could hit $5.50 by 2025—raising questions about whether it might challenge Ethereum next. Source: Crypto Data Space via X

Crucially, the bank sees XRP surpassing Ethereum’s market capitalization by 2028, driven by increasing adoption and new financial use cases. “By the end of 2028, we see XRP’s market cap overtaking Ethereum’s,” Kendrick told The Block.

Regulatory Clarity and Institutional Demand in Focus

XRP’s judicial battle with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been the leading story the last few years. But after the SEC withdrew its appeal on the Ripple case, confidence in the asset’s legal standing rose dramatically. The news was officially confirmed by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse early this year, marking a change in the trend in the current lawsuit against XRP.

Standard Chartered forecasts XRP could hit $12.50 by 2028 and potentially overtake Ethereum as the #2 crypto. Source: Bitcoin Vista via X

Kendrick credits the evolving regulatory landscape under President Donald Trump with being pivotal to market reform. He expects that the SEC will approve an XRP spot ETF in Q3 2025, with estimated potential capital inflows ranging between $4 and $8 billion in its inaugural year of listing. The move would be a significant milestone in allowing greater institutional exposure to Ripple XRP.

Tokenization Push Could Drive New Utility

Ripple has positioned itself at the forefront of the revolution in tokenization. A recent report by Ripple and Boston Consulting Group predicts that the market for tokenized assets will grow from $0.6 trillion in 2025 to a staggering $18.9 trillion in 2033. Ripple will capitalize on this boom with the XRP Ledger, which forms the foundation of its push to tokenize U.S. Treasury bonds and other financial instruments.

“Tokenization is not an overlay on top of the financial system—it’s a redesign of the infrastructure layer,” the Ripple-BCG report stated. Ripple’s proposed RLUSD ($1.00) stablecoin is another key move in fleshing out the XRP ecosystem. Kendrick said this move will further solidify Ripple’s role in cross-currency settlements, possibly turning the Ripple ledger into a “tokenization chain.”

XRP Price Holds Key Technical Levels

At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.99 after rebounding from recent lows near $1.74. Technical indicators show signs of renewed bullish momentum. The RSI has climbed from oversold levels, and the MACD is attempting a bullish crossover. Immediate resistance lies between $2 and $2.40, with a successful breakout likely to shift short-term sentiment decisively.

The XRP price chart above shows key support and resistance levels. Traderextraordinaire on TradingView

On the higher timeframe, XRP has reclaimed support above the 200-day Exponential Moving Average at $1.95. Analysts suggest that a daily close above the critical $2.00 mark would strengthen the technical setup and reinforce the bullish outlook. Meanwhile, a 1.4% increase in open interest to $3.08 billion reflects growing investor participation and capital inflows.

Can Ripple Deliver in 2025?

Standard Chartered’s XRP price prediction hinges on several variables falling into place: ETF approval, institutional demand, and expansion into tokenized finance. Ripple is moving aggressively to check all those boxes. Its partnerships with financial institutions, including rumors of deeper collaborations with Bank of America, aim to cement XRP as a backbone of international payments.

Ripple (XRP) was trading at around $1.99 at press time. Source: XRP Liquid Index (XRPLX) via Brave New Coin

Still, Kendrick acknowledged the challenges ahead. XRP’s relatively small developer community and ultra-low transaction fees might limit broader adoption beyond payments. Competition from the likes of Ethereum and Stellar also looms over the evolving Ripple market.

Despite all these headwinds, sentiment toward XRP is more upbeat than at any point in years. Regulatory clarity, political support, and a clear strategic focus on tokenization are all creating a good environment for Ripple growth. If these trends persist, Ripple crypto could finally break its long-term consolidation and move closer to the long-anticipated potential it has never quite reached.

As always, investors are cautioned to keep an eye on the XRP SEC case, as well as overall market sentiment, before making significant decisions. But for now, Standard Chartered’s projection of a $5.50 Ripple currency price by year’s end appears within reach—marking a potential turning point in the ongoing Ripple XRP news narrative.