Group 1 - Geoffrey Kendrick at Standard Chartered Bank estimates XRP will reach $8 in 2026, implying a 315% upside from the current price of $1.90, driven by increased regulatory clarity and approval of spot XRP ETFs [2] - Despite the optimistic forecast, XRP has fallen 7% year to date, suggesting a more reasonable target might be $3 in 2026, which implies about 58% upside [3] - The SEC's decision to drop its appeal against Ripple may encourage XRP adoption among investors and financial institutions, as a legal headwind has been eliminated [7] Group 2 - In 2020, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple for allegedly selling XRP as an unregistered security, with a split ruling in 2023 determining that direct sales to institutional investors were illegal, but programmatic sales to retail investors were not [5] - The Trump administration's support for the cryptocurrency industry, including the signing of an executive order to create a national digital asset stockpile, may further bolster XRP's adoption [6] - XRP is designed to support fast and cheap cross-border transactions, serving as a bridge currency that addresses the inefficiencies of the SWIFT system [8]