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The crypto market draws to the close of the working week with a rare alignment of macro optimism from Ripple’s leadership, technical confirmation on XRP that contradicts the usual "dead-cat bounce" narrative and a SHIB setup that survives a fear-weighted backdrop.
TL;DR
- Ripple CEO outlines a $180,000 Bitcoin path into 2026.
- XRP above $2.20 is not a bull-trap, according to the Bollinger Bands setup.
- SHIB zero-deletion becomes a golden opportunity before 2025 ends.
$180,000 for Bitcoin prediction by Ripple CEO
In a recent interview, Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple CEO, gave a direct view as to why Bitcoin can push into the $180,000 region by late 2026. His argument centers on one thing: the United States no longer acts as a structural barrier for crypto.
For years this single jurisdiction — with about 22% of global GDP — dragged the market through legal pressure, unclear rules and delayed approval cycles. Now that pressure has lifted.
Crypto ETFs never existed in the U.S. until recent years. Once allowed, they pulled in real flow immediately. XRP ETFs alone absorbed more than $700 million across the last two to three weeks. And despite that, crypto ETFs remain only 1-2% of the total ETF universe.
Garlinghouse calls this early-stage adoption, not peak demand. Institutions that stayed on the sidelines over regulation or risk policies are now entering, slowly but consistently. His crawl-walk-run sequence describes the timeline more than the tone.
Stablecoins complete the picture. When markets flipped into risk-off mode earlier this year, capital did not exit the sector — it went into stablecoins. That shows functional trust in on-chain settlement. Ripple’s own stablecoin, RLUSD, passed $1 billion in capitalization in under 12 months thanks to the arrival of the GENIUS Act, which already gives clearer rules for institutional payments.
Interestingly, the Ripple CEO does not expect the CLARITY bill in 2025 but sees it passing in the first half of 2026, adding another regulatory pillar.
His conclusion fits the BTC price chart: after a brutal November drop, Bitcoin now stabilizes around $93,000. No euphoric overlays, but constructive structure. In his view, this is the environment that builds the path to $180,000 — regulation aligned, ETF rails live, institutional demand late but forming.
XRP at $2.20: Bull trap or not? Bollinger Bands set tone
XRP trading above $2.20 triggered predictable skepticism after the late-November drop, but the Bollinger Band structure shown on the second chart does not match a trap. The price is positioned right around $2.16-$2.20, climbing through the middle band at around $2.14 with controlled volatility. The upper band near $2.32 is the first major checkpoint.
Trap conditions usually appear through band distortion, aggressive upper-band slams or failed midband retakes. None of these are appearing. Volatility compressed into November’s end and is expanding in an orderly way. The lower band near $1.95 holds shape. This is a continuation corridor, not a trap.
XRP needs to sustain the move until it reaches $2.28-$2.32, where the next decision zone sits.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) deleting zero is real
Shiba Inu (SHIB) enters December with a structure that contradicts the exhaustion narrative surrounding it for months. After sliding through late October and November, the asset posted a 12% gain across 11 days, and for the first time in weeks built a base that did not fold instantly.
The daily close near $0.00000899 confirms a breakthrough intraday resistance that acted as a ceiling all month. SHIB now trades between $0.00000863 and $0.00000934 — the band that defines whether the asset transitions from recovery attempt to full-fledged move.
For SHIB, the long-term line is clear: the 200-day moving average at $0.00001175. Reaching it adds about 30% from today’s level and deletes a zero from the price figure. SHIB does not need explosive volume to get there. It needs its current structure to remain intact and avoid slipping back into the lower $0.0000080 range.
Crypto market outlook
The next stage of the market depends on whether this week’s controlled recoveries convert into full trend extensions.
Key checkpoints ahead:
- Bitcoin must hold the $92,000-$94,000 range to preserve post-drop stabilization.
- XRP’s progress hinges on breaking the $2.28-$2.32 volatility pocket.
- SHIB’s zero-delete scenario activates once price establishes traction toward the 200-day line.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team