Standard Chartered Predicts XRP to Reach $12.50 by 2028, Citing ETF Approval and Payment Utility

Standard Chartered forecasts XRP could surge to $12.50 by the end of 2028, a 500% increase from current levels, according to a recent report. The projection, detailed by Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's global head of digital assets research, hinges on regulatory clarity, increased adoption, and its use in payments and tokenization. Key milestones include $5.50 in 2025, $8.00 in 2026, and $10.40 in 2027. A spot XRP ETF approval in the U.S. by Q3 2025 is anticipated to drive $4-8 billion in inflows within a year. Despite these positive forecasts, XRP's price dipped about 4% following ETF-related news, possibly due to the ETF's use of swap agreements rather than direct XRP holdings. Kendrick also predicts Bitcoin could reach $500,000 by 2029, with XRP outperforming Ethereum.