.png){kind=logo}
XRP entered May near $1.39 after gaining roughly 9.4% in April, as traders watched whether the altcoin could escape months of tight consolidation. Market expert Sam Daodu said May brings several catalysts that could lift XRP toward levels last seen early this year, with the CLARITY Act deadline now the main trigger.
The key date sits on May 21, when the Senate calendar starts to narrow. After that Memorial Day deadline, senators enter a weeklong recess, leaving limited working time for the bill. From there, the calendar tightens further. The Senate has three working weeks each in June and July, one in August, and then a five-week recess until September 14.
October also falls out of reach because of midterm campaigns. Daodu said a missed markup before May 21 would leave the bill with slim odds of advancing in 2026. Five steps still stand between the bill and the president's desk. After committee markup, the bill needs a 60-vote Senate floor vote and reconciliation with the Senate Agriculture Committee’s version.
It also needs reconciliation with the House-passed CLARITY Act before President Trump can sign it. The floor process alone could take two to three weeks. Polymarket odds reflect that pressure. The market priced the bill’s 2026 passage at 64% in mid-April, before dropping to 46% today.
XRP briefly reclaimed $1.40 today, then slipped back to $1.39. The $1.45 resistance remains the main level to clear after having rejected every recent breakout attempt. If the CLARITY Act misses the May markup, Daodu expects XRP to consolidate again. He placed the likely range between $1.30 to $1.40.
In that case, XRP could slide toward $1.32 to $1.35. The first major support sits at $1.28, which has held since the late February drop. A deeper fall below $1.28 would need more pressure than a legislative miss. Daodu linked that risk to Bitcoin falling below $70,000 in May or another Iran war escalation.
If those risks appear, XRP could test $1.20, a psychological floor for traders. Below that level, the next major support sits at $1.11. That $1.11 area marked XRP’s bottom during the February crash. For now, the market remains focused on whether $1.45 breaks first.
XRP also has two May catalysts outside the CLARITY Act. The first catalyst comes on May 15, when Jerome Powell’s term ends and Kevin Warsh takes over. The Senate Banking Committee advanced Warsh’s nomination by a 13-11 vote on April 29. Warsh has argued that the Fed waited too long to cut rates.
As a result, traders expect his first FOMC meeting on June 16 to draw close attention. Faster rate-cut signals could support risk assets, including XRP. The second catalyst comes from XRP ETF flows. After $31 million in March outflows, the funds drew $82 million in April.
Read More: Ripple Unlocks 1 Billion XRP as CEO Defends Long-Term Token Strategy in Vegas
The funds have reported no outflow days since April 9. Bitwise also overtook Canary Capital as the largest XRP ETF by mid-month. Bitwise took in $39.6 million, while Canary recorded $445,260. Daodu said Bitwise and Franklin Templeton attract larger professional allocations rather than retail demand.
Ripple CTO David Schwartz called CLARITY Act passage “the starting gun” at XRP Las Vegas. Ripple also has a pending Federal Reserve master account application. At the same time, Ripple’s OCC banking charter already holds conditional approval. If a markup arrives before May 21, Daodu sees XRP testing $1.50 to $1.70.
XRP price remains locked near key levels as traders track the May 21 CLARITY Act deadline, ETF inflows, and the Fed Chair switch. A timely markup could support a move toward $1.50-$1.70, while a delay may keep XRP under pressure.
