Franklin Templeton Exec Says XRP Price Is Critical To Cross-Border Payments: $3 Inbound?

[Ben Graham]

Silver is my old world bag. The XRP price is my new world bag.

Either way we go, I’ve got a bag and a samurai NFT.

And heading into 2026, XRP is primed to take on Ethereum ETH $2,985.82 0.31% Ethereum ETH Price $2,985.82 0.31% /24h Volume in 24h $8.92B Price 7d Learn more . Yes, we went there.

Franklin Templeton just threw serious institutional weight behind XRP, publicly endorsing the asset as a core solution for real-time, low-cost cross-border payments on the XRP Ledger.

"XRPL is a payments-first blockchain enabling real-time, low-cost settlement and cross-border transaction efficiency. Within a diversified digital portfolio, we view XRPL’s native token, XRP, as a foundational building block given its market cap significance." – Roger Bayston,… pic.twitter.com/zsRApl8Cpy

— Franklin Templeton Digital Assets (@FTDA_US) December 30, 2025

The firm’s Head of Digital Assets framed XRP as a legitimate portfolio component, citing its liquidity, scale, and role in global payments infrastructure. Alongside that endorsement came promotion of Franklin Templeton’s spot XRPZ ETF, launched on November 24, 2025, on NYSE Arca, giving U.S. investors direct exposure to XRP’s price for the first time.

On paper, this should be gasoline on the fire for XRP heading into 2026.

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Big Wins in 2025, But Why Is The XRP Price So Weak?

(Source: TradingView)

2025 was supposed to be XRP’s redemption arc:

• The SEC lawsuit finally ended
• Multiple US spot ETFs launched
• Ripple expanded partnerships across payments and tokenization.

Yet XRP topped out near $3.66 and then collapsed more than 50% to an October low of $1.58.

(Source: DeFiLlama)

One of the year’s most hyped catalysts arrived in March, when XRP was floated as a candidate for the US “Digital Asset Reserve.” The market ripped over 30% in response.

Did it ever happen?

No. And that’s why all of these assets deflated when it became clear the reserve would consist solely of seized assets, with no active buying and Bitcoin BTC $88,076.90 0.81% Bitcoin BTC Price $88,076.90 0.81% /24h Volume in 24h $18.77B Price 7d Learn more favored separately.

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What’s Next For XRP? Technical Structure Is Doing Ripple No Favors

On-chain activity has quietly deteriorated. According to DeFiLlama, XRPL metrics, daily active addresses have remained stuck below 45,000 for months, with just 38,500 recorded on December 18.

That’s a staggering 94% drop from the March peak above 600,000 addresses.

ETF flows have been the lone bright spot.CoinGecko and issuer disclosures show XRP spot ETFs have logged 24 consecutive days of inflows, totaling $1.06Bn, with assets under management now exceeding $1.14Bn.

Crypto Fear and Greed Chart

All time 1y 1m 1w 24h

From a market structure standpoint, XRP has already lost two critical levels: the $2 psychological floor and the 50-week EMA near $1.87. That zone historically marks cycle inflection points. Below it, downside accelerates.

Key downside levels now sit at $1.61, followed by the 200-day EMA near $1.38. Veteran trader Peter Brandt has warned a potential double-top formation could drag XRP below $1 if selling pressure builds into 2026.

Franklin Templeton’s endorsement matters. Institutional validation matters. But price only responds to sustained demand, not institutional hype.While XRP has the tools to take on Ethereum in 2026 – and capital slowly rotating in – the price chart still looks fragile.

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Key Takeaways

• Silver is my old world bag. The XRP price is my new world bag. And heading into 2026, XRP is primed to take on Ethereum
• .While XRP has the tools to take on Ethereum in 2026 – and capital slowly rotating in – the price chart still looks fragile.

The post Franklin Templeton Exec Says XRP Price Is Critical To Cross-Border Payments: $3 Inbound? appeared first on 99Bitcoins.