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Despite being 1.15% in the green in the year-to-date (YTD) chart with its press time price of $1.90, $XRP hasn’t been filling cryptocurrency investors with confidence. Indeed, the token has been on a steep decline since hitting $2.35 on January 6, having retraced as much as 19%.
The downturn hasn’t, however, entirely removed bullish sentiment, and at least one cryptocurrency analyst sees a path for $XRP to hit $27, even if it would first have to overcome a stubborn obstacle.
$XRP needs to do this to rally toward $27
Throughout its entire history, $XRP never managed to decisively break above the resistance near $3.40. In its first major bull run in 2018, the cryptocurrency plateaued with a closing price just above $3. Even the latest highs saw the token only briefly cling to $3.30 in January 2025, and stay just above $3.40 in July of the same year.
Thus, a cryptocurrency analyst known as Ether Guru on CoinMarketCap opined that, should $XRP break above the 8-year resistance, it could easily aim for $27.
Looking at the token’s historical performance, the impressive rally appears within the realm of possibility. In fact, $XRP has been known for explosive breakouts in the wake of positive developments.
For example, the 2018 highs were reached after a 1,400% rally achieved in less than two months. Similarly, the early 2025 high came following a 560% two-mont upsurge, and the one in the middle of the year resulted from 61% three-week surge.
Under the circumstances, a breakout above the 8-year resistance could easily lead to the necessary 694% rally to $27.
Still, it is worth noting that if history shows such an ambitious surge is possible, it also hints that $XRP would not maintain the record all-time high (ATH) for long and that a retracement back below $5 is likely to occur mere months – if not weeks – later.
Why an $XRP bearish breakout is more likely than a bull run
Elsewhere, while the rise to $27 is possible, there is no plausible timetable for when it could be reached, especially since $XRP is – at press time on January 26, 2026 – fighting to stave off a deeper correction.
Since August, the token has been in a pattern known as a descending channel, indicating a protracted downturn.
Should this pattern hold and should $XRP continue falling to reclaim its 200-day moving average (MA), it is at risk of crashing below its press time support zones between $1.70 and $1.80, thus potentially collapsing toward $1.40.
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