They Say There Will Be an XRP Bull Run in September 2026—Is That True?

The XRP bull run thesis for September 2026 is facing a tougher test than it did at the start of the month.

XRP entered September after gaining around 28.5% in August, but the token failed to sustain its early-month rally. XRP briefly climbed toward $1.65 in early September before retreating toward the $1.36–$1.44 range. By September 17, the market was still dealing with the aftermath of that pullback.

The regulatory backdrop has also become less supportive in the short term. On September 15, the U.S. Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act in a 49–50 procedural vote, removing one of the major regulatory catalysts traders had been watching for XRP.

Yet the bullish case has not disappeared.

U.S. spot XRP ETFs have continued to attract capital, with cumulative net inflows reaching around $1.7 billion. Institutional holders have also disclosed exposure to XRP ETFs, while activity around the XRP Ledger and RLUSD continues to develop.

So, is the September XRP bull run still intact?

The short answer is that the longer-term bullish thesis remains supported by institutional demand and XRPL development, but the short-term September breakout has not been confirmed. XRP now needs to rebuild momentum and reclaim important resistance levels.

Key Takeaways

• XRP September 2026 momentum has weakened: XRP moved from an early-September high near $1.65 back toward the $1.36–$1.44 area.

• ETF demand remains an important catalyst: U.S. spot XRP ETFs have attracted roughly $1.7 billion in cumulative net inflows, although the pace has become less consistent.

• Regulation is now a mixed catalyst: The CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate on September 15, while institutional XRP and XRPL activity continue to provide longer-term support.

XRP Price Performance in September 2026

The September market structure has changed considerably since the original bullish thesis was published.

XRP started the month around the mid-$1.30s and initially moved higher, reaching approximately $1.65 during the first part of September. The token subsequently retreated, with the market spending much of the following week around $1.36–$1.44.

The decline is important because the August rally had created expectations that XRP could continue toward its previous highs.

Instead, buyers have so far struggled to turn the early-September move into a sustained breakout.

For the latest market-specific discussion, readers can also follow the XRP price analysis.

READ ALSO: XRP Price Prediction September 2026: CME Futures Growth and Key Risks

Is the XRP Bull Run Still Intact?

The answer depends on the timeframe.

From a short-term technical perspective, the September bull-run setup has weakened. XRP has not reclaimed the August high around $1.70, and the token has spent considerable time below its early-September peak.

From a fundamental perspective, however, the broader thesis still has several supporting factors.

U.S. XRP ETFs continue to hold substantial assets and have recorded net inflows since launch. Institutional filings have also revealed positions from major financial firms. Meanwhile, XRPL activity and RLUSD adoption provide an ecosystem narrative beyond XRP's spot-market price.

Therefore, the current market is better described as a bullish thesis under pressure rather than a confirmed bull run.

XRP ETF Flows Remain a Key Catalyst

ETF demand is one of the most important developments supporting the current XRP price outlook.

U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded an 11-session inflow streak through early September, adding around $170 million during the streak. Cumulative inflows since launch reached approximately $1.68 billion at the beginning of September.

Recent data continued to show positive flows. XRP ETFs attracted approximately $1.55 million on September 8, $12.29 million on September 9 and $5.14 million on September 10. The cumulative figure subsequently moved above $1.70 billion.

However, the relationship between ETF flows and XRP's price has become more complicated.

XRP declined even while ETF products continued to attract capital. That suggests ETF demand is supportive, but not necessarily large enough on its own to overcome broader selling pressure.

For investors following this theme, the XRP ETF analysis provides additional context on how ETF flows can affect crypto markets.

Institutional XRP Demand Is Growing

The institutional component of the XRP story has also become more visible.

Goldman Sachs was reported as the largest disclosed institutional holder of XRP ETFs as of June 30, with approximately $87.4 million of exposure. Jane Street and Millennium Management were also among the disclosed holders.

However, ETF holdings should be interpreted carefully.

A 13F filing shows that an institution held a particular security at the reporting date, but it does not necessarily reveal whether the position represented a directional bet on XRP. Positions can also be connected to market-making, hedging or client activity.

Even with that limitation, the existence of institutional exposure through regulated XRP ETFs represents a significant change from earlier crypto-market cycles.

U.S. Crypto Regulation Becomes a Near-Term Headwind

Regulation was expected to be one of the biggest XRP catalysts in September.

That expectation changed on September 15.

The U.S. Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. The vote was 49–50, below the 60 votes required to advance the measure.

The bill was designed to establish a broader federal regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify responsibilities between U.S. regulators.

Its failure to advance means that the anticipated near-term regulatory catalyst has been delayed.

This does not remove all regulatory progress around crypto or XRP. It does, however, mean traders should distinguish between existing regulatory developments and the additional certainty that comprehensive legislation could have provided.

For a deeper look at the issue, see the XRP regulation and CLARITY Act analysis.

XRP and the XRP Ledger Still Have Fundamental Catalysts

The price of XRP is only one part of the broader ecosystem.

Recent reporting on the XRP Ledger showed a divergence between account activity and transaction value. XRPL order-book trading volume increased 79% year over year in the second quarter, while the number of accounts initiating trades declined. At the same time, tokenized assets and RLUSD balances on the network expanded substantially.

RLUSD has also become an increasingly important component of the XRPL ecosystem.

This matters for the longer-term XRP price outlook because a growing ecosystem can create additional demand for infrastructure surrounding the XRP Ledger.

It should not, however, be interpreted as proof that XRP's market price must rise. Adoption and token price can diverge for extended periods.

Updated XRP Price Levels to Watch

The technical levels from the original September analysis need to be updated as market conditions have changed.

$1.35–$1.38

This area has repeatedly attracted buyers during the September pullback and remains an important near-term zone. Recent market analysis also identified approximately $1.36–$1.38 as an area where multiple technical signals converged.

$1.43–$1.45

Reclaiming this region would show that XRP is recovering from the recent weakness and could put the early-September high back into focus.

$1.65

The early-September high around $1.65 is now an important resistance reference.

A sustained move above it would materially improve the short-term structure.

$1.70

The August high near $1.70 remains the larger resistance level from the previous rally.

A sustained breakout above that area would provide considerably stronger confirmation of renewed bullish momentum.

$1.30–$1.25

If XRP fails to hold the current recovery zone, traders may monitor the $1.30 area and then approximately $1.25 as potential downside reference levels.

These are technical reference points, not guaranteed support or price targets.

XRP Bull Run: Bullish vs. Bearish Scenarios

Bullish Scenario

The bullish case would begin with XRP stabilizing around the current range and reclaiming $1.35–$1.45.

Continued positive ETF flows would strengthen the demand narrative, particularly if institutional inflows remain positive while spot XRP begins recovering.

A move above $1.65 would then become the next major confirmation point, followed by the August high near $1.70.

Bearish Scenario

The bearish scenario becomes more relevant if XRP fails to reclaim the $1.35–$1.45 range and continues making lower highs.

A breakdown below $1.30 could increase attention on lower support levels.

Weakening ETF demand, broader crypto-market weakness and continued regulatory uncertainty could add pressure.

XRP September 2026 Market Outlook

The XRP September 2026 outlook is now more balanced than it appeared immediately after the August rally.

The bullish side has three major components:

• Persistent cumulative ETF inflows

• Growing institutional exposure

• Continued XRPL and RLUSD development

The opposing side includes:

• Failure to sustain the early-September rally

• The CLARITY Act's failure to advance

• Broader crypto-market volatility

• The possibility that ETF inflows may not be large enough to overcome selling pressure

This creates a market where XRP can still recover, but the price needs to provide confirmation.

The most important signal is therefore the combination of price structure and demand, rather than any single headline.

What Could Trigger the Next XRP Rally?

Several developments could improve the XRP bull-run setup.

• Stronger ETF inflows: A renewed and sustained acceleration in spot XRP ETF demand could provide additional institutional buying pressure.

• Technical recovery: Reclaiming $1.45 and then $1.65 would improve the short-term chart structure.

• XRPL growth: Further expansion in tokenized assets, stablecoins and institutional applications could strengthen the ecosystem narrative.

• Regulatory progress: Although the CLARITY Act failed to advance on September 15, future legislative or regulatory developments could still affect institutional confidence.

• Broader crypto liquidity: XRP remains correlated with the wider digital-asset market, meaning Bitcoin, interest rates and global liquidity can influence whether XRP's own catalysts translate into price gains.

Bitrue's 8th Anniversary and Long-Term XRP Support

The current XRP story also comes against the backdrop of Bitrue's 8th anniversary.

Bitrue launched in 2018 and says XRP was part of its strategy from the beginning, including its decision to make XRP a base trading pair. The exchange later expanded that relationship by operating an XRP Ledger Unique Node List validator in 2021.

That makes the anniversary relevant to XRP readers because Bitrue's relationship with XRP/XRPL predates the current ETF and institutional-investment cycle.

Today, the exchange continues to offer a broad XRP trading environment while maintaining its connection with the XRPL ecosystem.

Is an XRP Bull Run in September 2026 Still Possible?

The September XRP bull run is still possible, but the market has not confirmed it.

The original thesis had three major pillars: strong August momentum, accelerating ETF demand and an expected regulatory catalyst.

Two of those pillars remain partially intact. ETF demand is still positive on a cumulative basis, while institutional XRP exposure and XRPL development continue to provide longer-term support. But the regulatory catalyst weakened after the CLARITY Act failed to advance, and XRP has struggled to sustain its September rally.

For the thesis to regain strength, XRP needs to demonstrate that buyers can reclaim lost resistance levels while ETF demand remains positive.

Until then, September should be treated as a developing recovery setup rather than a confirmed bull run.

READ ALSO: Institutional Trust in XRPL RWAs Is Expected to Grow in 2026

Conclusion

The XRP bull run thesis for September 2026 remains possible, but it is no longer supported by price momentum alone.

XRP's early-September rally toward $1.65 faded back toward the $1.36–$1.44 range, while the August high near $1.70 remains an important resistance reference.

At the same time, U.S. spot XRP ETFs have attracted roughly $1.7 billion in cumulative inflows, and institutional filings show exposure from major financial firms.

The regulatory picture is less supportive in the immediate term after the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act on September 15.

The key question for the remainder of September is therefore whether XRP can turn institutional demand and XRPL ecosystem growth into sustained spot-market buying.

For the XRP price outlook, the most important signals to monitor now are ETF flows, the $1.35–$1.45 recovery zone, the $1.65 resistance area and broader crypto-market liquidity.

If you want to follow XRP price movements and the latest market catalysts, you can explore XRP markets on Bitrue and register for an account.

FAQ

Will XRP have a bull run in September 2026?

It remains possible, but current price action has not confirmed a sustained September bull run.

What is the XRP price outlook for September?

The outlook is mixed, with ETF demand and XRPL growth supporting the bullish case while price weakness and regulatory uncertainty remain risks.

How much have XRP ETFs attracted?

U.S. spot XRP ETFs have accumulated roughly $1.7 billion in net inflows since launch.

What happened to the CLARITY Act?

The U.S. Senate failed to advance the bill in a 49–50 procedural vote on September 15.

What price levels matter for XRP now?

The $1.35–$1.45 area is an important recovery zone, while approximately $1.65 and $1.70 remain major upside resistance references.

Disclaimer: The views expressed belong exclusively to the author and do not reflect the views of this platform. This platform and its affiliates disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy or suitability of the information provided. It is for informational purposes only and not intended as financial or investment advice.