XRP climbed from $1.32 to $1.38 on 15 April 2026, following an announcement that Rakuten, Japan's leading e-commerce platform, has integrated the token into its payments app.
The token's upward momentum is supported by elevated trading activity and continued accumulation by large holders. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has successfully broken above the $75k resistance level.
Rakuten's implementation gives 44 million users the ability to spend XRP across more than 5 million merchants, marking one of the largest real-world deployments of cryptocurrency for everyday transactions.
eToro Acquires Self-Custodial Wallet Zengo for $70M to Expand DeFi Access | Crypto Watch Desk
Rakuten's implementation leverages Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity technology
The move leverages Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) technology, which enables near-instant cross-border settlements at lower costs than traditional payment rails. This positions XRP as a functional payment method rather than purely a speculative asset, aligning with Ripple's long-term vision for the token as a bridge currency in global commerce.
Through the Rakuten Pay app, users can now purchase XRP using the platform's loyalty points, hold it in Rakuten Wallet, and spend it at partnered merchants nationwide. The integration taps into Japan's rewards ecosystem, where over $23 billion worth of loyalty points are currently in circulation, creating a substantial onramp for cryptocurrency adoption.
Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Cuts XRP 2026 Price Target
British banking giant Standard Chartered has cut its 2026 year-end price target for XRP by 65%, from $8 to $2.80. The revision, announced around February 20, 2026, by global head of digital assets research Geoffrey Kendrick, signals near-term bearish sentiment while maintaining long-term bullish conviction.
The target cut follows XRP's steep decline to $1.16 in early February 2026—its lowest level since November 2024—representing a 28% monthly drop. The token currently trades near $1.30-$1.45 after a 25% year-to-date decline, sitting approximately 59% below its July 2025 all-time high of $3.40.
"We expect further declines near-term and we lower our forecasts across the asset class," Kendrick stated in the announcement. Standard Chartered's revisions weren't limited to XRP: Bitcoin's 2026 target dropped to $100,000 from $150,000 (with potential tests of $50,000), Ethereum fell to $4,000 from $7,000, and Solana decreased to $135 from $250. However, XRP's 65% reduction represents the steepest percentage cut among major cryptocurrencies.
Six Swiss Banks Launch CHF Stablecoin Sandbox Through 2026 | Crypto Watch Desk