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Ripple’s native cryptocurrency, XRP, fell 1.90% on March 3, trading near $1.36 as escalating geopolitical tensions involving Iran prompted a broad retreat from risk assets. The selloff coincided with sharp moves in energy markets, which can raise inflation concerns and weigh on expectations for monetary easing—conditions that often act as headwinds for speculative assets such as XRP.
Energy prices surged following reports tied to the Strait of Hormuz and related supply disruptions. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 6.3% to $71.23 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed 7% to $77.74. Natural gas prices in Europe jumped 40–50% after reports of interrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, disruptions to Qatar’s liquefied natural gas production, and operational constraints at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refining facility.
Market participants also focused on scheduled remarks from Federal Reserve officials John C. Williams and Neel Kashkari on March 3, looking for signals on how energy-driven inflation could influence future monetary policy.
Despite the price weakness, regulated XRP exchange-traded funds in the United States recorded their largest single-day capital injection in roughly 30 days. SoSoValue data showed net inflows of $6.97 million, lifting cumulative net assets to approximately $1.02 billion. Some investors appeared to treat the pullback as a potential entry point via institutional investment vehicles.
XRP’s performance also reflects broader weakness across alternative cryptocurrencies. CryptoQuant analytics indicated that about 38.8% of altcoins are trading near their all-time lowest prices. The share is higher than the roughly 37.8% recorded immediately after the FTX exchange implosion in late 2022.
When a large portion of altcoins remain depressed, capital often shifts toward Bitcoin or assets viewed as relatively safer, which can limit recovery potential even when buying activity appears.
On the charts, XRP has entered a consolidation phase after declining from around $2.40 earlier this year. The token is trading below its 50-day simple moving average near $1.62. The relative strength index is around 40, suggesting subdued momentum without reaching oversold conditions.
Key support is located between $1.30 and $1.32, with a deeper buying zone near $1.20. Overhead resistance is seen at $1.45, followed by the 50-day SMA at $1.62. A bear pennant pattern on daily timeframes suggests that a decisive break below current support could lead to a measured move toward approximately $0.86.
On the institutional side, Hidden Road began operations on the NSCC directory as of March 2, 2026, according to DTCC documentation. The National Securities Clearing Corporation provides post-execution clearing and settlement services for U.S. equity markets. The most recent DTCC notice indicates that Hidden Road (HRFI) officially went live on the NSCC directory on March 2, 2026.
Ripple Prime’s role in bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) is expected to support increased post-trade volume to the XRPL. While the update does not immediately translate into direct XRP buying pressure, observers often view institutional infrastructure expansion as a constructive signal for longer-term XRP Ledger adoption.
JPMorgan analysts also noted that comprehensive U.S. cryptocurrency market structure legislation could pass by mid-year. The bank described the potential outcome as potentially beneficial for digital asset markets more broadly.
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