XRP News Today: October Set as Pivotal Month for Ripple and XRP; BTC Revisits $115k

XRP Falls as SEC Delays Spot ETF Decisions

XRP dropped below the psychological $3 support level for the first time since the SEC and Ripple withdrew their appeals. Spot crypto ETF headlines led XRP to a session low of $2.9449, completing a full reversal of August 7’s 10.94% rally.

Bloomberg Intelligence Analyst James Seyffart shared details of the SEC delaying a series of Solana-spot ETFs. The delay dampened hopes for an XRP-spot ETF launch ahead of the October deadlines. October is shaping up to be a pivotal month for Ripple and XRP in particular.

Pro-crypto lawyer Bill Morgan remarked on recent activity, stating:

“All these spot ETFs, including XRP spot ETFs, being delayed until late October. Then you have Ripple’s application for a national bank charter that was filed on 2nd July 2025, which, according to the OCC manual, should generally be decided within 120 days, which means by the end of October. A lot could happen at once in October.”

Approval of XRP-spot ETFs and the OCC granting Ripple a US-chartered bank license could boost XRP and RLUSD adoption, potentially sending the token to record highs.

XRP Price Outlook: Appeal Withdrawal, Banking License, and Spot ETFs in Focus

XRP declined 0.88% on Monday, August 18, following the previous day’s 0.59% loss, closing at $3.0629. The token outperformed the broader market, which fell 1.59% to a total crypto market cap of $3.87 trillion.

In the near-term, XRP’s price outlook hinges on several key catalysts, including:

• XRP-spot ETF developments.
• XRP Treasury Reserve Asset adoption
• Ripple’s progress in obtaining a US-chartered bank license.
• SWIFT-related updates.
• Legislative developments.

A breakout above the $3.1 resistance level opens the door to testing the August 8 high of $3.3826. A sustained move above $3.3826 may pave the way to the July 18 all-time high of $3.6606 (Binance Exchange).

However, a drop below $3 may bring the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) into play. If breached, the bears could target the August 3 low of $2.7254. On August 18, support at the 50-day EMA prevented heavier losses.

Explore our full XRP forecast here for key breakout zones and timing insights.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy Updates Equity ATM Guidance

While XRP slipped on ETF disappointment, Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded from the crucial $115k support level amid rising institutional demand.

Strategy (MSTR) founder and Chairman Michael Saylor announced the firm’s latest BTC buy, stating:

“Strategy has acquired 430 BTC for ~$51.4 million at ~$119,666 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 25.1% YTD 2025. As of 8/17/2025, we hodl 629,376 BTC acquired for ~$46.15 billion at ~$73,320 per bitcoin.”

The Strategy founder also released an updated MSTR Equity ATM Guidance, which is intended to give the firm greater flexibility in executing its capital market strategy. The guidance outlines the firm’s BTC purchase strategy across different mNAV levels. mNAV is the ratio of the company’s enterprise value to the net asset value of its BTC holdings. The levels include:

• Greater than 4.0x mNAV: Strategy will actively issue MSTR to acquire Bitcoin.
• Above 2.5x, but below 4.0x mNAV: It will opportunistically issue MSTR to purchase BTC.
• Below 2.5x mNAV: Strategy will tactically issue MSTR to (1) pay interest on debt obligations, (2) fund preferred equity dividends, and (3) when otherwise deemed advantageous to the company.
• Below 1x mNAV: Strategy will consider issuing credit to purchase MSTR.

The guidance gives the broader market insights into MSTR’s buying strategy. MSTR purchases could influence BTC’s supply-demand and price trajectory.

MSTR’s BTC purchase came shortly after Metalplanet President, Simon Gerovich, laid out the Japanese firm’s BTC acquisition plan through 2027.

Institutional demand for BTC has been crucial, cushioning the downside in choppy market conditions.

US Crypto-Spot ETF Inflow Streaks Snap

The BTC-spot and ETH-spot ETF market reported total net outflows on Friday, August 15. Notably, the ETF markets snapped an eight-day inflow streaks. Surging demand for ETH-spot ETFs drove ETH close to its all-time high of $4,870 (Binance Exchange) on August 14, underscoring the influence of spot crypto ETFs on price action.

Michael van de Poppe, CIO and Founder of MN Capital, remarked:

“The ETH ETF has seen close to $3B in inflow during the past week. A massive surge of 35% on the AUM, resulting in a test around the ATH. The ETFs have a massive impact & there’s a lot to come for altcoins.”

On Monday, August 18, the US BTC-spot ETF market could see further outflows. According to Farside Investors, key flows included:

• ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) reported net outflows of $65.7 million.
• Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) had net inflows of $12.7 million.

With BlackRock (BLK) iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) flow data pending, total US BTC-spot ETF outflows reached $53 million, potentially extending the outflow streak to two sessions. BTC flow trends remain crucial to the token’s price trajectory.

Bitcoin Price Outlook: The US Economy, the Fed, and Spot ETFs in Focus

BTC fell 1.03% on Monday, August 18, following the previous day’s 0.11% loss, closing at $116,284. Notably, BTC dropped below the crucial $115,000 support level for the first time in eleven sessions before rebounding.

Looking ahead, several key events will dictate the near-term price trajectory. These include:

• Fed monetary policy stance: FOMC Meeting Minutes, Fed commentary, the Jackson Hole Symposium, and Fed Chair Powell’s speech.
• Services PMI and US Jobless Claims.
• Legislative developments on Capitol Hill.
• BTC-spot ETF flows.

Potential scenarios:

• Bearish Scenario: Legislative setbacks, increasing US recession risks, hawkish Fed cues, and ETF outflows. A combination of these may drag BTC to the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), exposing the $100,000 support level.
• Bullish Scenario: CLARITY Act’s progress on Capitol Hill, falling US recession risks, dovish Fed rhetoric, and ETF inflows. In this case, BTC could target the record high of $123,731.

Key Market Drivers to Fuel or Derail a Breakout

Traders should closely monitor the following key developments to determine whether XRP and BTC climb to new all-time highs:

• XRP-spot ETF headlines.
• Legislative news: The CLARITY Act.
• US Economic Data.
• Fed commentary: Hawkish or dovish signals.
• ETF market flows: Flow trends crucial for BTC’s supply-demand balance.

See where analysts expect XRP and BTC to head as legal and political risks evolve.