XRP slipped 2.4% over 24 hours to around $1.36 on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, according to CoinGecko data. The token traded in a range of $1.34 to $1.40 during that period.
XRP’s market cap sat near $83 billion. About $3 billion worth of XRP changed hands in the same 24-hour window.
The drop came alongside a broader pullback in risk assets. Traders pointed to escalating U.S.-Israel military action against Iran as a key driver of the sell-off.
“The market is concerned that the US is getting pulled deeper into this conflict,” said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder.
Bitcoin also fell, dropping 1.35% to $68,496 in the same period. Crypto outflows were seen from Iranian exchanges, with $10.3 million leaving platforms between Saturday and Monday, per Chainalysis.
On Tuesday, Ripple announced it was broadening its Ripple Payments service to handle both traditional currencies and stablecoins. The company is positioning its dollar-pegged RLUSD stablecoin alongside XRP as core tools in the platform.
Ripple Payments now gives businesses everything they need to move money globally across fiat and digital rails in one place: collect, hold, exchange, and pay out in both fiat and stablecoins: https://t.co/pbDNA3Nq9Y
Managed Custody
— Ripple (@Ripple) March 3, 2026
“Success in this space requires enterprise-grade infrastructure, extensive licensing, and deep liquidity,” said Monica Long, Ripple’s president.
Ripple has been repositioning itself as a stablecoin infrastructure company over the past year. It acquired stablecoin payments firm Rail for $200 million and launched RLUSD following passage of the Genius Act, which gave stablecoins more regulatory clarity.
XRP has traditionally served as the bridge asset in Ripple’s cross-border payment system. RLUSD now offers an alternative within the same ecosystem.
RIPPLE UNVEILS FULLY LICENSED END-TO-END STABLECOIN PLATFORM
Ripple has transformed Ripple Payments into a unified stablecoin and fiat infrastructure stack, integrating custody, liquidity, and collections – powering over $100B in payouts across 60+ markets worldwide. pic.twitter.com/EXW8sSlXfs
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) March 4, 2026
Some analysts argue this creates a challenge for XRP’s investment case. Institutions that use XRP for payments already convert in and out near-instantly, creating little sustained demand pressure.
RLUSD adds a stable, regulated option that may appeal more to banks and financial institutions.
$XRP PRICE WILL SHOCK YOU TODAY!!! pic.twitter.com/9ZLnhY4T3q
— STEPH IS CRYPTO (@Steph_iscrypto) March 3, 2026
From a technical view, XRP is trading below its 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. A bearish trend line has formed with resistance near $1.3880 on the hourly chart.
If the price clears $1.3880, the next levels to watch are $1.40 and then $1.4320. To the downside, support sits at $1.3320, then $1.3085.
XRP hit highs near $3.50 in late 2025 before pulling back. It has been trading below $1.50 since that correction.
As of Tuesday, XRP sat at approximately $1.36.
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