XRP News Today: Market Structure Bill Pulled, XRP Dips but Bias Holds

XRP slides as the US Senate postpones the Market Structure Bill markup vote, delaying crucial crypto-friendly legislation.

US lawmakers responded to Coinbase withdrawing its support for the Market Structure Bill on Wednesday, January 14, denting hopes for crypto legislation in the first quarter.

Crypto-related regulatory developments on Capitol Hill overshadowed XRP-spot ETF inflows and Ripple’s latest moves on Main Street.

Despite the delay in legislation, the short-term outlook remains cautiously bullish and constructive for the medium-term.

Below, I will explore the key drivers behind recent price trends, the medium-term (4-8 weeks) outlook, and the key technical levels traders should watch.

US Senate Delays Market Structure Bill

The US Senate Banking Committee cancelled the scheduled Market Structure Bill markup vote, potentially delaying much-needed crypto legislation until the summer.

Chairman of the Banking Committee and Senator Tim Scott made the announcement, stating:

“I’ve spoken with leaders across the crypto industry, the financial sector, and my Democratic and Republican colleagues, and everyone remains at the table working in good faith. As we take a brief pause before moving to a markup, this market structure bill reflects months of serious bipartisan negotiations and real input from innovators, investors, and law enforcement. The goal is to deliver clear rules of the road that protect consumers, strengthen our national security, and ensure the future of finance is built in the United States.”

The US Senate Banking Committee delayed the markup vote in response to Coinbase (COIN) withdrawing its support for the bill. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong criticized the Banking Committee’s draft text of the Market Structure Bill, favoring no bill over a bad bill. The Coinbase CEO underscored key issues with the bill, including:

• A de facto ban on tokenized equities.
• DeFi prohibitions, giving the government unlimited access to your financial records and removing your right to privacy.
• Erosion of the CFTC’s authority, stifling innovation and making it subservient to the SEC.
• Draft amendments that would kill rewards on stablecoins, allowing banks to ban their competition.

The postponement of the Banking Committee’s markup vote followed the US Agriculture Committee’s delay of its markup vote until January 27.

XRP dropped 6.2% from a January 14 high of $2.1903 to a January 15 low of $2.0538 in response to the legislative developments. Meanwhile, BTC fell by 2.8%, peak to trough.

XRP’s Sensitivity to Regulatory Developments

XRP remains highly sensitive to crypto-related regulatory developments, given Ripple’s lengthy legal battle with the SEC.

For context, XRP surged 14.69% on July 17 after the US House of Representatives passed the Market Structure Bill to the Senate. Bitcoin (BTC) gained just 0.39% on the day. The token then rallied 33.4% from December 31 to a January 6 high of $2.4151 in response to the Banking Committee’s announcement of the January 15 markup. Thursday’s price action underscored XRP’s sensitivity to developments in crypto-related regulations.

While this week’s developments weighed on XRP, a positive takeaway was the swift action of US lawmakers in response to Coinbase’s criticisms and support withdrawal.

Senator Bill Hagerty expressed his confidence in reaching the finish line, stating:

“I am confident we will get to a consensus product in short order.”

Despite the latest regulatory setbacks, the short-term outlook remains cautiously bullish and positive for the medium term. US XRP-spot ETF market inflows and increased real-world utility tilt the supply-demand balance in XRP’s favor.

ETF Flows and Fundamental Support

The US XRP-spot ETF market has reported total net inflows of $1.27 billion since launching in November. By contrast, the US SOL-spot ETF market has seen $864.77 million in net inflows since launching in October. Meanwhile, the US BTC-spot ETF market has had $1.26 billion in net outflows since the US XRP-spot ETF market launched.

Strong US XRP-spot ETF inflows underpin investor optimism over crypto legislation and increased utility, key to the bullish medium-term price outlook.

XRP Price Targets

The ongoing progress of the Market Structure Bill, robust demand for XRP-spot ETF, and increased XRP utility reinforce the cautiously positive short-term (1-4 weeks) outlook, with a $2.5 price target.

Furthermore, hopes that the Senate will eventually pass crypto-friendly legislation reinforced the bullish longer-term price targets:

• Medium-term (4-8 weeks): $3.0.
• Longer-term (8-12 weeks): $3.66.

Key Risks to the Bullish Outlook

Several events could unravel the positive outlook. These include:

• The Bank of Japan declares a hawkish neutral interest rate (potentially 1.5%-2.5%), signaling multiple rate hikes. A higher neutral rate could trigger a yen carry trade unwind, which would impact the short-term outlook.
• US economic data and the Fed are dampening bets on an H1 2026 rate cut.
• US lawmakers roadblock the Market Structure Bill, further delaying crypto legislation.
• XRP-spot ETFs report outflows.

These factors would likely weigh on sentiment, sending XRP below $2, which would indicate a bearish trend reversal.

Technical Analysis: Levels to Watch

XRP fell 2.77% on Thursday, January 15, following the previous day’s 1.23% loss, closing at $2.0784. The token came under heavier selling pressure than the broader crypto market cap, which dropped 1.46%.

Despite the pullback, XRP continued trading above its 50-day EMA, while the token remained below the 200-day EMA. The EMAs indicated a bullish near-term but a bearish longer-term bias. However, the bullish fundamentals remain dominant.

Key technical levels to watch include:

• Support levels: $2.0, $1.75, and then $1.50.
• 50-day EMA support: $2.0777.
• 200-day EMA resistance: $2.3243.
• Resistance levels: $2.5, $3.0, and $3.66.

Viewing the daily chart, a break above $2.2 would open the door to testing the 200-day EMA. A sustained move through the 200-EMA would indicate a bullish trend reversal, bringing the $2.5 resistance level into play.

Importantly, a breakout above the EMAs would reaffirm the bullish medium-term outlook and the longer-term (8-12 weeks) $3.66 price target.

Fundamental Drivers to Watch

Near-term price drivers include:

• XRP-spot ETF flow trends.
• US economic indicators and the Fed’s rate path.
• US crypto-related legislative developments.

Avoiding Sub-$2 Levels Remains Key to Bullish Structure

Steering clear of the $2 psychological support level remains crucial for the short- to medium-term outlook. Favorable fundamentals continue to offset bearish longer-term technicals, suggesting a sustained recovery. The rebound from December’s lows and the early gains in 2026 reaffirmed the bullish structure and short- to medium-term price projections.

A breakout above $2.2 would bring the upper trendline into play. A sustained move through the upper trendline would reaffirm the bullish trend reversal and validate the bullish structure, supporting the price targets:

• Medium-term (4-8 weeks): $3.0.
• Longer-term (8–12 weeks): target of $3.66.

However, a break below $2.0 would expose the lower trendline. A sustained fall through the lower trendline would invalidate the bullish structure, suggesting a bearish trend reversal.

Outlook:

Looking ahead, crypto-related legislative developments, central bank rhetoric, and XRP-spot ETF flows will dictate the near-term price outlook.

Rising bets on a March Fed rate cut, and a dovish BoJ neutral rate (potentially 1%-1.25%) would boost sentiment. Robust demand for XRP-spot ETFs and the progress of the Market Structure Bill would reaffirm the constructive bias.

In summary, strong XRP-spot ETF inflows and the progress of crypto legislation support a medium-term (4–8 weeks) move to $3.0. A March Fed rate cut and the Senate passing the Market Structure Bill would reaffirm the longer-term (8–12 weeks) price target of $3.66.

Looking beyond the 8-12 week time horizon, these factors are likely to send XRP above its all-time high of $3.66. A breakout above $3.66 would affirm the $5 price target over a 6- to 12-month timeline.