We asked four leading AI models—ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and DeepSeek—to predict XRP's price by December 31, 2026. Their forecasts range from $1.4 to $14, creating a 10x gap between the most cautious and most aggressive predictions. Despite XRP trading near $1.40, down 60% from its July 2025 high of $3.65, all four models are **bullish on XRP's long-term outlook**.

![Ripple (XRP) and cryptocurrency investing](https://247wallst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock-1105587191-huge-licensed-scaled.jpg)

## What ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and DeepSeek Predict for XRP

Each AI model approaches XRP prediction differently:

1. **ChatGPT**: Expects XRP to finish 2026 between **$3 and $4** if ETF inflows continue and macro conditions stabilize. In a bullish scenario with ETF assets climbing past $5 billion, it sees **$6-$8** as possible. ChatGPT assigns a 55% probability to the $2-$4 range.

2. **Claude**: Ties predictions to specific conditions. Its base forecast is **$2.50-$3.20**, but the upside stretches to **$14**—the highest of all models—if ETF inflows exceed $10 billion, banks adopt ODL widely, and macro tailwinds align.

3. **Grok**: Made headlines with a **$10** prediction, but its base case is more modest at **$2.50-$3.50**. Grok acknowledges that reaching $10 would require a supply squeeze, sustained institutional demand, and bullish sentiment holding through year-end.

4. **DeepSeek**: The most bullish model, projecting **$5-$8** by late 2026, driven by growth in Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity corridors and RLUSD stablecoin adoption. In an optimistic scenario, it predicts **$8-$10**.

| AI Model | Bear Case | Base Case | Bull Case | Key Catalyst |
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------|
| ChatGPT  | $1.40-$2  | $3-$4     | $6-$8     | ETF inflows >$5B |
| Claude   | $1.40     | $2.50-$3.20 | $4-$14   | Banking adoption + ETF >$10B |
| Grok     | $1.50     | $2.50-$3.50 | $10      | Supply squeeze + sentiment |
| DeepSeek | $2        | $5-$8     | $8-$10    | ODL + RLUSD growth |

At current prices near $1.40, even the most conservative forecast implies **XRP doubles by year-end**, while the most aggressive suggests a **10x surge**.

![Golden Ripple XRP Coin on Futuristic Digital Technology Background](https://247wallst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock-2575205593-huge-licensed-scaled.jpg)

## Where All Four Models Agree on XRP Price

Despite the wide range, the AI models share several key consensus points:

- **Bear case floors cluster between $1.40 and $2**, anchored to the $1.30-$1.50 support level. None project a collapse below $1 unless Bitcoin breaks below $60,000.

- **Institutional flows—not retail speculation—will set XRP's direction**. Seven spot XRP ETFs hold $1.06 billion in assets, with roughly 795 million XRP locked. While Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs saw outflows, XRP products pulled in $3.5 million last week, capturing **50% of new capital entering altcoin ETFs**.

- **Exchange balances show institutional accumulation**. Supply on exchanges has dropped **55% since October 2025**, with XRP moving into cold storage rather than circulating for quick trades.

- All models treat **ETF accumulation as the clearest signal** of whether XRP stays range-bound or breaks higher, though they disagree on the threshold—ChatGPT says $5 billion, Claude says $10 billion.

![Ripple XRP cryptocurrency coin in front of colorful abstract background with candlestick chart diagram](https://247wallst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/shutterstock-1933430285-huge-licensed-scaled.jpg)

## What Separates a $2 XRP Price Prediction From $14

The wide margin between predictions comes down to **how many catalysts need to fire at once**:

- ChatGPT's $3-$4 base case assumes **ETF inflows continue** and nothing else changes.
- Claude's $14 requires **ETF assets to hit $10 billion** (8x current levels) plus **widespread bank adoption** of Ripple's ODL service.

**Banking adoption is where models diverge most**. Ripple's network includes over 300 financial institutions, but many use RippleNet's messaging without holding XRP. ChatGPT and Grok weigh this heavily—network growth doesn't guarantee token demand. Claude and DeepSeek see it differently—once banks are on the network, ODL adoption follows, meaning actual settlement with XRP.

The numbers get challenging at higher prices. At $10, XRP's market cap hits roughly **$570 billion**—close to Ethereum today. At $14, it exceeds **$800 billion**. Grok flagged its $10 target as "ambitious by any measure," while Claude's $14 assumes XRP captures a real slice of **SWIFT's $150 trillion annual payment market**.

The question becomes: do these catalysts compound or cancel out? The conservative view says they're independent—ETF inflows might hit $5 billion while bank adoption stalls. The aggressive view says **success feeds success**—higher prices draw more institutions, which drives adoption, lifting prices again.

## What Would Push XRP Toward $5—or Back to $1

The path to $5 requires **ETF inflows to hit $3-5 billion** and at least **one major bank to adopt ODL for actual settlement**—not just messaging.

The path back to $1 requires **Bitcoin to break below $60,000** and **ETF outflows to turn from single red days into a sustained trend**.

At $1.40, even the most conservative forecast implies XRP doubles by December. ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and DeepSeek disagree on how high—but **all four predict XRP finishes 2026 above $2**.

ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and DeepSeek predict XRP finishing 2026 between $1.4 and $14. Here's where they agree and why they disagree.

AI Predicts XRP's Future: Will It Hit $14 or Crash to $1.4 by 2026?

**MARA Holdings** is rallying after announcing plans to scale part of its data centers into AI-capable infrastructure, boosting its stock by 11% early Friday. This move comes as cryptocurrency stocks generally climb this week, driven by quarterly results and a rebound in **bitcoin ETF inflows**.

### Bitcoin Price and ETF Flows
Bitcoin's price jumped as high as $69,953 late Wednesday, up from around $63,000 on Tuesday, before easing back near $66,000 by Friday morning. The surge aligns with **spot bitcoin ETFs** registering $1.018 billion in inflows over the past three trading days, including $506.6 million on Wednesday—the highest single-day inflow since Feb. 2, according to SoSoValue data. These ETFs are on track for their first week of inflows after five consecutive weeks of capital declines. However, BTC remains down more than 26% over the past month and trades well below its October record high near $126,200.

### MARA's Strategic Partnership
MARA reported a loss of $4.52 per share on a 6% decline in revenue to $202 million, missing analyst expectations. Separately, it announced a partnership with **Starwood Capital Group** to convert select data center sites into AI- and hyperscale-capable digital infrastructure. Starwood Digital Ventures will lead design and development, while MARA contributes energy-advanced sites. The joint venture aims to deliver about 1 gigawatt of near-term capacity, with a pathway to over 2.5GW. CEO Fred Thiel stated, "This partnership will accelerate our expansion into high-performance computing and advance our strategy to build an integrated, energy-backed digital infrastructure platform."

### Other Bitcoin Miners' Performance
- **TeraWulf** reported a widened 2025 loss of $1.66 per share, with revenue surging over 20% to $168.46 million. Its stock fell 8% early Friday, paring a 55% rally this year.
- **Figure Technologies** saw earnings improve to 6 cents per share but missed estimates, with revenue soaring about 91% to $159.9 million. Its stock retreated 15% Friday and has dropped about 30% since Dec. 31.
- **American Bitcoin** reported Q4 revenue of $78.32 million, short of estimates, with a net loss of $59.5 million. The company held 5,401 bitcoin at year-end, increasing to over 6,000, with 2,776 pledged or collateralized. Shares declined 1.8% Friday and have tumbled more than 36% this year.

Overall, the cryptocurrency sector shows mixed signals, with MARA's AI plans driving optimism amid broader market volatility.

MARA rallies on data center plans. TeraWulf, Figure skid. American Bitcoin pares gains. Bitcoin ETF flows tracking to break five-week rut.

MARA's AI Data Center Partnership Sparks Surge as Bitcoin ETF Flows Break 5-Week Rut

## Key Points

Despite multiple positive developments for the cryptocurrency industry, prices have tumbled since the summer.

XRP and Dogecoin have both seen their circulating supply increase over time, which weighs on token prices.

That said, one cryptocurrency's superior utility makes it the better buy.

If someone told you that the U.S. government would announce plans for a **Strategic Bitcoin Reserve** and pass the **Genius Act** for a regulatory framework on stablecoins, you'd probably assume that cryptocurrencies would have a fantastic year.

But that's not how it played out. While there were some good moments, cryptocurrency prices tumbled since the summer. **XRP** (CRYPTO: XRP) and **Dogecoin** (CRYPTO: DOGE) have declined by 37% and 52% respectively, over the past 12 months. The market has seemingly shied away from speculative assets, which helps explain the slide. Remember, cryptocurrencies are notoriously volatile, both up and down.

That doesn't offer much of a silver lining amid these ongoing downturns. Perhaps the more important question is, which crypto has the better risk/reward right now?

![The word "crypto" spelled out in block letters surrounded by red downward-pointing arrows.](https://g.foolcdn.com/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F856951%2Fcrypto-falling-token-prices-red-arrows.jpg&w=700)

Image source: Getty Images.

## What Exactly Influences XRP and Dogecoin Prices?

The first thing to remember about cryptocurrencies is that they don't have any tangible underlying value. For instance, gold is a precious metal you can hold in your hand. Real estate is another physical asset. Stocks represent businesses that earn revenue and profits. Cryptocurrencies aren't worthless, but their **prices primarily depend** on token supply and investor demand.

Developers set rules that determine how new tokens enter circulation. It turns out that both cryptocurrencies have issues managing their supply. Dogecoin issues **5 billion new tokens per year** and has no supply cap. The XRP ledger burns a small amount of tokens with each transaction, but the circulating supply has still increased over time. As a result, rising supply weighs on the market prices of both XRP and Dogecoin.

Investors want to own cryptocurrencies for various reasons, and XRP and Dogecoin serve very different purposes. XRP is the native token of the **XRP ledger**, a blockchain for facilitating cross-border transactions. Meanwhile, Dogecoin is the **first meme token** and is widely known among crypto investors for its community.

## Why XRP Has More Upside and Less Downside Than Dogecoin

The primary reason is that the XRP ledger still has significant potential for real-world applications. Institutions have launched exchange-traded funds for both cryptocurrencies, but the XRP ledger still has enormous potential in payments and finance. The XRP ledger competes against **SWIFT**, the messaging network that banks use for virtually all cross-border payments.

The XRP ledger is cheaper and faster to use, and could start to see more opportunities now that **Ripple Labs**, which developed and launched XRP, has ended years-long litigation with U.S. regulators. Ripple Labs launched a stablecoin in late 2024 that could benefit from the Genius Act.

Dogecoin and other meme tokens must stay popular to support their prices. It's still relatively easy for anyone to create and launch meme tokens, which means Dogecoin has plenty of competition for investor money. This is all before factoring in its ever-growing supply.

Meme tokens can be fun, but XRP is the clear choice as a serious long-term investment.

Key PointsDespite multiple positive developments for the cryptocurrency industry, prices have tumbled since the summer.

XRP vs. Dogecoin: Which Crypto Offers the Best Risk/Reward Play in Today's Market?

## ETHZilla's Strategic Pivot

Former Ethereum treasury firm **ETHZilla** has announced a complete rebranding to **Forum Markets**, with plans to trade under the new ticker **FRMM** on Nasdaq starting March 2. This move formalizes a significant shift away from the company's original strategy of positioning itself as a public proxy for Ethereum exposure.

## The Rise and Fall of an Ethereum Treasury Strategy

The company's shares peaked at **$107 on August 13, 2025**, shortly after announcing plans to build a **$425 million Ethereum treasury** following its pivot from biotech. This strategy initially attracted investor interest but ultimately unraveled as the stock price declined dramatically.

**Shares have fallen approximately 96% from their August peak**, despite a 13.3% rise to $3.91 following the rebranding announcement. The company has been reducing its crypto holdings and selling assets to scale back exposure.

## High-Profile Investor Exits

The rebrand follows **Peter Thiel's Founders Fund exiting its 7.5% stake in ETHZilla** during Q4 2025. The departure of this prominent early backer came as the stock slid sharply and the firm's positioning as a publicly traded proxy for ETH exposure faced increased scrutiny.

## New Focus: Tokenized Real-World Assets

Under the Forum Markets name, the company plans to focus on developing **tokenized products backed by real-world assets**, using regulated infrastructure rather than holding large crypto positions on its balance sheet. This includes recent moves into **jet engine leasing and other aviation-related assets** to bolster its business model amid weakening Ethereum prices.

## Expert Analysis: The Fragility of Single-Asset Strategies

Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at quantitative trading firm Kronos Research, told Decrypt: **"Single-asset treasury strategies are highly dependent on strong market conditions and sustained equity premiums."**

He explained that such strategies could be considered **"fragile because its value is tightly linked to network activity,"** creating **"a correlation trap where purchasing power weakens during ecosystem downturns."**

Liu further noted that **"Treasury-focused firms ultimately need revenue-generating businesses and broader asset exposure to remain relevant long term."**

## Market Fragmentation Challenges

The vulnerability of single-asset strategies is compounded by **fragmentation across Ethereum's main network and its layer-2 chains**, which Liu said dilutes its narrative and premium. This condition is **"further undermined by the absence of a hard supply cap, leaving its long-term scarcity proposition open to question."**

The move follows investor exits, asset sales and a retreat from holding Ethereum on the public company's balance sheet.

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