XRP, 26% Drop This Year Ignites Investor Fury..."Why Can't It Rise With So Much Good News?"

▲ XRP/ChatGPT generated image

XRP has fallen by approximately 26% this year, facing strong criticism in the cryptocurrency market. Despite continued progress in regulatory and institutional aspects within the Ripple ecosystem, the price trend has not met investor expectations, leading to growing dissatisfaction among long-term holders and traders.

BeInCrypto reported on May 22 (local time) that the decline in XRP's price is fueling debate in the cryptocurrency market in 2026. XRP has remained about 26% lower this year, and in recent trading, it moved around $1.36-$1.37. BeInCrypto stated that XRP is approximately 62% lower than its all-time high of $3.65 recorded in July 2025.

Trading activity continued, but price rebound was limited. Daily trading volumes moved between approximately $1.65 billion and $1.77 billion, and XRP has recently been confined to a narrow range of $1.35-$1.38. Ripple secured regulatory progress through a legal settlement with the SEC, an XRP spot ETF appeared in the market, and institutional products like Ripple Prime expanded the ecosystem. However, despite these positive developments, XRP's price has not escaped its weak trend.

From a technical perspective, the $1.3-$1.35 range was cited as a key support level. Market observers believed that if this range breaks, additional downward pressure could increase. Analyst ChartNerdTA stated, "We have currently spent five days below the ascending support line. $1.3 is currently the guardrail. If we lose this line, there is a high probability of a deeper drop into the low $1s in the coming weeks."

Criticism surrounding XRP has intensified on social media. Some users called XRP a "scam" and accused Ripple of relying on "cheap propaganda" instead of strong price performance. One X (formerly Twitter) user said, "I'm so tired of XRP and feel scammed. All I see about XRP is cheap propaganda."

BeInCrypto pointed out that such criticism reflects accumulated dissatisfaction over several years. Ripple has promoted XRP as a cross-border payment solution, emphasizing its role in bank partnerships, interoperability, and global financial transformation. However, some individual investors expected these developments to lead to stronger price increases, and disappointment grew as XRP showed weak performance among major cryptocurrencies in 2026.

However, XRP supporters held a different view. They saw XRP evolving into a mature asset focused on institutional utility rather than speculative gains. They argued that progress in the XRP Ledger, custody services, liquidity solutions, and regulatory clarity could contribute to long-term growth. BeInCrypto reported that the debate surrounding XRP is expanding beyond mere price movements to questions of whether adoption and infrastructure development can lead to sustainable market value.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for any investment losses based on it. The content should be interpreted for informational purposes only.*