XRP Price History: A Complete Timeline
From fractions of a cent to a top-5 cryptocurrency — the complete story of XRP's price journey from 2012 to 2026. Every rally, crash, milestone, and turning point explained.
XRP was created in 2012 and first traded around $0.003 in 2013. It surged to an all-time high of $3.84 in January 2018, crashed 93%, survived the SEC lawsuit (2020-2023), and rallied 580% in late 2024 to reach ~$3.40. As of February 2026, XRP trades around $2.00 with analyst targets of $2.45 (base case) for the year.
| Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| All-Time High | $3.84 (January 4, 2018) |
| All-Time Low | ~$0.0028 (July 2014) |
| Current Price | ~$2.00 (Feb 2026) |
| 2025 High | ~$3.40 (January 2025) |
| Gain Since 2013 | ~66,000% |
| Largest Rally | 50,000%+ (2017) |
| Largest Crash | -93% (2018) |
| SEC Lawsuit Impact | -72% in weeks (Dec 2020) |
$0.003
First traded price
$3.84
All-time high
SEC Suit
Price crashed 72%
$3.40
Post-lawsuit rally
Year-by-Year XRP Price Timeline
2012
N/A (pre-trading)XRP Ledger created by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto. 100 billion XRP minted at genesis. Ripple Labs (originally OpenCoin) founded.
2013
$0.003 - $0.06XRP began trading on exchanges. First wave of interest as Ripple attracted early VC funding. Price remained under $0.10 throughout the year.
2014
$0.003 - $0.07XRP hit its all-time low of ~$0.0028 in July. Jed McCaleb departed Ripple (later founded Stellar). Market was in a bear phase following the Mt. Gox collapse.
2015
$0.004 - $0.02Quiet year for XRP. Ripple focused on building bank partnerships. Fincen fined Ripple $700,000 for BSA violations — the company settled and implemented compliance measures.
2016
$0.005 - $0.009XRP traded in a tight range near half a cent. Ripple launched its Interledger Protocol (ILP) and continued signing bank partnerships behind the scenes.
2017
$0.006 - $3.65The year XRP exploded. Starting at less than $0.01, XRP surged to $3.65 by year-end — a 50,000%+ gain. Crypto mania, Ripple partnership announcements, and the 'bank coin' narrative drove unprecedented demand.
2018
$0.25 - $3.84XRP hit its all-time high of $3.84 on January 4, briefly becoming the #2 crypto by market cap. The broader crypto crash then took hold — XRP fell 93% to ~$0.25 by year-end. The speculative bubble had burst.
2019
$0.18 - $0.47Bear market continued. Ripple launched On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), giving XRP its first major commercial use case. Price stabilized in the $0.20-$0.40 range.
2020
$0.11 - $0.76XRP rallied to $0.76 in November on the broader crypto recovery. Then disaster: the SEC filed suit against Ripple on December 22, alleging XRP was an unregistered security. Price crashed to ~$0.17. Multiple exchanges delisted XRP.
2021
$0.17 - $1.96Despite the SEC lawsuit, XRP recovered to $1.96 in April amid the broader bull market. Ripple scored early legal victories. The case dragged on, keeping XRP volatile and below its 2018 highs.
2022
$0.30 - $0.91Crypto winter hit hard. Bitcoin fell from $48K to $16K; XRP dropped to ~$0.30. But Ripple gained momentum in the SEC case. The Terra/Luna collapse and FTX bankruptcy shook the entire industry.
2023
$0.30 - $0.93LANDMARK: Judge Torres ruled in July that XRP is NOT a security when sold on secondary markets. XRP spiked 75% in hours to $0.93. This ruling gave XRP regulatory clarity that no other altcoin had. Ripple settled parts of the SEC case.
2024
$0.40 - $2.90XRP started the year around $0.60. The broader crypto bull market, driven by Bitcoin ETF approval, lifted all boats. XRP's breakout came in November-December: the SEC case neared final resolution, XRP ETF filings emerged, and price surged from ~$0.50 to $2.90. Ripple launched RLUSD.
2025
$1.60 - $3.40XRP reached ~$3.40 in January — approaching its 2018 ATH. The 580% surge from Nov 2024 made XRP one of the best-performing major cryptos. Ripple expanded ODL to 55+ countries. RLUSD gained traction. XRP ETF filings progressed. Price consolidated in the $2-$3 range.
2026 (YTD)
$1.80 - $2.50XRP entered 2026 around $2.00 after a correction from the January 2025 highs. 21Shares published a base case of $2.45 (50% probability). Key catalysts ahead: ETF decisions, RLUSD growth, and continued ODL expansion.
Key Events and Their Price Impact
| Date | Event | Price Before | Price After | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2018 | All-time high reached | $2.50 | $3.84 | +54% |
| Dec 2018 | Crypto winter bottom | $0.50 | $0.25 | -50% |
| Nov 2019 | ODL (xRapid) launches | $0.25 | $0.22 | Neutral (long-term catalyst) |
| Mar 2020 | COVID crash | $0.22 | $0.11 | -50% |
| Nov 2020 | Pre-SEC rally | $0.25 | $0.76 | +204% |
| Dec 2020 | SEC lawsuit filed | $0.60 | $0.17 | -72% |
| Apr 2021 | Bull market recovery | $0.45 | $1.96 | +336% |
| Jul 2023 | Torres ruling (not a security) | $0.47 | $0.93 | +98% |
| Nov 2024 | SEC case resolution + ETF filings | $0.50 | $2.90 | +480% |
| Jan 2025 | 2025 peak | $2.90 | $3.40 | +17% |
| Feb 2026 | Current consolidation | $2.50 | ~$2.00 | -20% |
Lessons from XRP's Price History
Investors who bought XRP in 2013-2016 at under $0.01 and held through every crash have seen life-changing returns. However, anyone who bought the January 2018 peak at $3.84 waited over 7 years to approach break-even. When you buy matters as much as what you buy.
XRP's price history shows a pattern of long periods of quiet followed by explosive moves. The 50,000%+ rally of 2017 and the 580% surge in late 2024 both happened within months. Most of XRP's returns have come from a few key periods — missing those windows dramatically changes outcomes.
The SEC lawsuit (Dec 2020, -72%) and the Torres ruling (Jul 2023, +98%) show how powerfully regulatory events impact XRP. Unlike Bitcoin, which is largely immune to regulatory classification debates, XRP's price is tightly linked to its legal status. The current regulatory clarity is a significant positive change.
Through the 2018 crash (-93%), the SEC lawsuit (-72%), the crypto winter (-50%), and COVID (-50%), XRP has always eventually recovered and reached new highs. This resilience reflects genuine utility and a dedicated holder base. However, past recovery does not guarantee future recovery.
XRP's history also shows the dangers of crypto investing: a 93% drawdown from ATH, years of stagnation, and sudden crashes on regulatory news. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
2026 Price Outlook
After the explosive 2024-2025 rally, XRP has consolidated around $2.00 in early 2026. The question is whether XRP will push toward new all-time highs or continue correcting. Here's what analysts project:
| Source | Bear Case | Base Case | Bull Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21Shares | $1.60 | $2.45 | $2.69 |
| Google Gemini | — | — | $3-$4 (ceiling) |
| Kraken | — | $2.26 | — |
| Changelly | $3.18 | $3.26 | $3.49 |
For our complete analysis of 2026 predictions from these and other sources, see our dedicated XRP Price Prediction 2026 page. To understand the real-world use cases driving XRP's value, see our use cases guide.
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Learn What Drives XRP's Value
Now that you understand XRP's price history, learn about the real-world use cases that drive its value.
Last Updated: February 11, 2026 · Historical prices are approximate and sourced from CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap.
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