Standard Chartered predicts 330% price surge for XRP

Group 1 - Standard Chartered's Geoffrey Kendrick has issued a bullish price prediction for XRP, forecasting it to reach $8 by 2026, representing a potential increase of 330% from its current price of $1.86 [1][6][7] - The positive outlook is attributed to the SEC dropping its appeal against Ripple and the approval of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to XRP, which have seen significant inflows [1][4][5] - The legal battle between the SEC and Ripple concluded in July 2023, with the court ruling that Ripple's programmatic sales of XRP on exchanges do not constitute securities transactions, although sales to institutional players were deemed a violation [2][3] Group 2 - Following the legal resolution, several companies, including Franklin Templeton and Greyscale, launched spot XRP ETFs in the U.S., which have collectively attracted $1.14 billion in new inflows as of December 26 [5] - The regulatory clarity surrounding XRP as a financial asset has contributed to the optimistic price projection by Kendrick, highlighting the importance of regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency market [6]