Ripple XRP Price: Token Drops 2.4% as Ripple Payments Expands to Include Stablecoins

TLDR

• XRP dropped 2.4% in 24 hours to around $1.36, trading between $1.34–$1.40
• Broader market pressure came from Middle East conflict driving oil prices higher
• Ripple expanded its payments platform to include stablecoins and RLUSD
• Key support sits at $1.3320; resistance is at $1.3880
• Analysts suggest RLUSD may compete with XRP’s role as a bridge asset inside Ripple’s own ecosystem

XRP slipped 2.4% over 24 hours to around $1.36 on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, according to CoinGecko data. The token traded in a range of $1.34 to $1.40 during that period.

XRP’s market cap sat near $83 billion. About $3 billion worth of XRP changed hands in the same 24-hour window.

The drop came alongside a broader pullback in risk assets. Traders pointed to escalating U.S.-Israel military action against Iran as a key driver of the sell-off.

Bitcoin also fell, dropping 1.35% to $68,496 in the same period. Crypto outflows were seen from Iranian exchanges, with $10.3 million leaving platforms between Saturday and Monday, per Chainalysis.

Ripple Expands Payment Platform

On Tuesday, Ripple announced it was broadening its Ripple Payments service to handle both traditional currencies and stablecoins. The company is positioning its dollar-pegged RLUSD stablecoin alongside XRP as core tools in the platform.

Ripple has been repositioning itself as a stablecoin infrastructure company over the past year. It acquired stablecoin payments firm Rail for $200 million and launched RLUSD following passage of the Genius Act, which gave stablecoins more regulatory clarity.

What This Means for XRP

XRP has traditionally served as the bridge asset in Ripple’s cross-border payment system. RLUSD now offers an alternative within the same ecosystem.

Some analysts argue this creates a challenge for XRP’s investment case. Institutions that use XRP for payments already convert in and out near-instantly, creating little sustained demand pressure.

RLUSD adds a stable, regulated option that may appeal more to banks and financial institutions.

From a technical view, XRP is trading below its 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. A bearish trend line has formed with resistance near $1.3880 on the hourly chart.

If the price clears $1.3880, the next levels to watch are $1.40 and then $1.4320. To the downside, support sits at $1.3320, then $1.3085.

XRP hit highs near $3.50 in late 2025 before pulling back. It has been trading below $1.50 since that correction.

As of Tuesday, XRP sat at approximately $1.36.

The post Ripple XRP Price: Token Drops 2.4% as Ripple Payments Expands to Include Stablecoins appeared first on CoinCentral.