It’s increasingly clear that Ripple is not trying to outcompete permissionless ecosystems. Instead, it’s positioning XRPL as infrastructure for institutions that:

Ripple just made a move most traders missed.

The XRP Ledger rolled out XLS 81. It adds a permissioned DEX directly on chain. Think members-only trading venues. Only approved players can trade and match orders.

This is not for retail degens. It is built for banks and regulated firms. Full compliance. KYC. AML. Controlled access. The kind of setup traditional finance needs before using blockchain rails.

Permissioned DEX (XLS-81) is now LIVE on the XRPL!
Two amendments. Less than a week apart.
Token Escrow (XLS-85) Feb 12
Permissioned DEX (XLS-81) Feb 18

Together, they unlock programmable settlement and flexible market structures—both native to the ledger, no custom… pic.twitter.com/9LxmDoysDM

— XRPL Commons (@xrpl_commons) February 18, 2026

The timing is not random. XRPL recently expanded escrow tools beyond XRP to cover stablecoins and tokenized real world assets. Put it together and you get a serious toolkit for regulated issuance and settlement.

Ripple is not trying to win open DeFi. It is building a fast lane for institutional capital.

Price is not reacting yet. Short term structure looks weak but long term it might not last as XRP price predictions lean bullish.

XRP Price Prediction: Its Bullish But Where’s XRP Going Now?

XRP just got rejected from the $1.61 supply and is now slipping back toward the descending channel patterb it recently tried to break.

That is not what bulls wanted to see. If price fully reclaims that channel to the downside, it keeps the lower high structure intact and puts $1.30 back in focus fast.

Source: XRPUSD / TradingView

If XRP price loses $1.30, the path toward $1.10 opens again and could be smooth this time.

For any real shift, XRP needs to get back above $1.70 and stay there. That would invalidate this rejection and finally break the downtrend rhythm.

Long term, the broader developments around the network still lean constructive. But short term, the chart needs to prove it can escape this channel for good before price can start reflecting that bigger picture.

$SUBBD: Built for the Retail and Creator Economy, Not Just Speculation

SUBBD ($SUBBD) is an innovative presale introducing an AI-powered content platform for the $85 billion creator economy, empowering users to earn directly from their work without depending on centralized platforms.

By eliminating intermediaries, SUBBD grants creators true ownership of their audience, while fans gain token-gated access and deeper, more exclusive engagement opportunities.

Momentum is already building, with SUBBD nearing $1.5 million in presale funding as investors back a model focused on real usage, not short-term hype.

Ownership. Access. Monetization that works, even when markets do not.

Visit the Official SUBBD Website Here

The post XRP Price Prediction: Ripple Just Built a “Fast Lane” for Banks – Why Big Money Is Choosing XRP Over Every Other Coin appeared first on Cryptonews.