XRP price hovered near the $1.80 support level on December 27 ahead of the anticipated US Strategic Crypto Reserve update. Despite brief recovery attempts, the broader trend remains bearish as XRP struggles to reclaim the $2 resistance zone.
The worldwide crypto market slumped 0.78% in the last 24 hours, and the market has been on a 4% per month downward trend.
The Fear and Greed Index of CMC is at 28, indicating the uncertainty deeply held by investors as leveraged positions are unwinding.
Institutional ETF outflows, AI token liquidity strains, and coordinated exchange-driven sell-offs put pressure on it.
Bitcoin price remains under $88,000, and Ethereum is under $3k, and altcoins ADA, DOGE, and BNB are also correcting.
Crypto Reserve Plans Could Trigger Major Market Reaction
XRP price remains under close watch as the United States edges closer to a potential Crypto Reserve strategy. The debate on politics is ongoing in Washington, where legislators are split on whether a government-backed cryptocurrency reserve should be adopted.
The concept of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has been promoted by President Donald Trump. In March 2025, he signed an executive order to set up it.
This reserve would be based on more than 200,000 BTC that belongs to the federal government, and was confiscated in criminal and civil cases.
Even though the concept has attracted attention, there are low chances that a real reserve will be launched. As per a recent poll of Polymarket, the likelihood of the U.S. switching to a Bitcoin reserve before 2027 is only 27%.
Other countries around the world are already beyond the debate to the implementation. Some of them now have national crypto stockpiles. Others are yet to overcome political obstacles or have central bank opposition.
In case the U.S. does so, XRP and other crypto coins may experience more accumulation pressure in the large-scale crypto market.
XRP Exchange Supply Continues to Tighten
XRP exchange supply has dropped to 1.5 billion after XRP ETFs absorbed 750 million coins this year.
The Clarity Act eliminated the legal ambiguity, and institutional usage of XRP in financial systems became open.
Analysts believe that 2026 will be the time when speculative trading will give way to real-life applications and greater integration of liquidity across the world.
What’s Next For XRP Price?
As of the reporting, the XRP price hovered at $1.85, facing resistance near the $2 psychological level.
This 4-hour chart indicates that price action has been trading in a sideways pattern, with support at $1.80 and resistance at $1.90, after a long down trend since early December.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 44, and it remains below the midline. This indicates the absence of powerful directional buyer or seller momentum.
The MACD indicates a flat crossover with the blue MACD line at 0.0004 and both MACD and signal lines shifting laterally. The bars of the histogram are neutral, and it proves the indecision and low volatility within the short term.
Source: XRP/USD 4-hour chart: TradingviewThe level of $2.20 is a significant barrier and a significant upside target. To maintain any meaningful rally, bulls will have to reverse both $1.90 and $2.00.
On the negative side, XRP is now holding on to the $1.80 support that it has defended on earlier tests.
Source: https://coingape.com/markets/xrp-price-outlook-ahead-of-us-strategic-crypto-reserve/
