.png){kind=logo}
Ripple’s chief technology officer emeritus David Schwartz has clarified his long-standing view that XRP cannot remain “dirt cheap,” linking price levels directly to network efficiency, utility, and large-scale payment costs. Schwartz responded after an X user revisited his 2017 remarks, asking what he meant by saying XRP could not stay cheap. He explained that the idea often gets misunderstood.
According to Schwartz, a lower XRP price can raise the cost of network usage. Consumers must move far more tokens to transfer the same value, which increases friction for payments and exchanges. He explained that moving one million dollars requires roughly one million XRP when the token trades at one dollar. By contrast, a one hundred dollar price would need only ten thousand XRP.
As a result, price and utility remain closely linked. Large transfers using millions of XRP units can create market impact, while higher prices reduce the number of tokens required for settlement. The renewed discussion followed calls from community members urging Schwartz to reject price targets between fifty and one hundred dollars. Schwartz declined to make firm predictions.
He noted past instances where crypto prices once considered impossible later materialized, citing early Bitcoin milestones and XRP’s own previous market cycles as examples.
Against this backdrop, Ripple announced new details for XRP Community Day 2026, positioning the event around institutional adoption and regulated financial use cases. Ripple said on Jan. 28, 2026, that the event will run through live X Spaces sessions across regions. EMEA and the Americas will host discussions on Feb. 11, followed by APAC programming on Feb. 12.
The agenda centers on XRP’s role in regulated finance. Ripple said sessions will cover exchange-traded products, institutional custody, tokenization, and compliance-ready blockchain infrastructure.
Ripple stated that a key objective involves showing how XRP integrates into real-world financial markets. The company pointed to growing use cases in ETPs and institutional-grade services.Executives scheduled to appear include Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse and President Monica Long. Engineers, investors, founders, and community moderators will also participate.
Ripple said the regional sessions aim to deliver local perspectives while reinforcing a unified global narrative around XRP’s maturity, infrastructure growth, and long-term positioning.
Market data shows XRP moving alongside broader crypto rotation trends. Macro uncertainty remains, including government shutdown concerns and signals from the first FOMC meeting of 2026.
At the same time, capital appears to be rotating into alternative crypto assets. XRP has followed that flow during recent sessions. On the weekly chart, XRP rose 2.13 percent from the $1.70 to $1.80 range. That band has held since the 2024 election period.
The Altcoin Season Index has climbed ten points from its mid-January low. Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance is testing resistance near sixty percent.
XRP’s long-to-short ratio stood at 3.3 at the time of writing. The figure indicates heavier positioning on the long side. Despite these signals, XRP’s structure remains weak. The asset has printed four lower lows since its late-July high near $3.65.
The latest decline pulled price back into the post-election rally zone. As a result, more long-term holders now sit below their entry levels. With price, utility, and institutional adoption converging, can XRP’s efficiency argument reshape how markets evaluate long-term valuation?
Read More: XRP Chart Echoes 2017 Cycle as Ripple Deepens Saudi Ties: Will the Momentum Repeat Itself?
Ripple CTO David Schwartz clarified that XRP price utility links directly to network efficiency and transaction costs. Lower prices require larger token volumes for transfers, while higher numbers reduce friction. Meanwhile, Ripple’s Community Day and recent market rotation signal growing institutional focus on XRP’s real-world financial role.
