XRP Price Surges 10% to $1.45 as Rakuten Adds 44M Users
April 18, 2026
XRP soared by 10% to $1.45 as news spread that Rakuten had successfully acquired 44 million users. This substantial jump broke a seven-month downward trend for XRP. The exchange-traded funds (ETF) market enjoyed massive inflows totaling $17.6 million, leading to Standard Chartered revising its price target for XRP to $2.80. According to the popular trading journal, That’s TradingNEWS, the next projections for XRP stand at $1.61 and $1.88.
Goldman Sachs was another major player in this upward trend as they committed $153.8 million to XRP as it hit the $1.44 mark. This substantial investment brought the total assets under management in the cumulative XRP market to $1.53 billion. JPMorgan has high hopes for the future of XRP, predicting that first-year flows could reach anywhere from $4 to $8.4 billion, aiming for price targets of $1.55 and $1.90.
Bitcoin was not left behind in this market frenzy, as the ETF tracked its inflows, witnessing a staggering $505.7 million of investments in a span of just 48 hours. BlackRock, one of the industry giants, pushed their stack to $59.31 billion as BTC reached $78,000. These rapid growth figures suggest that there is a strong inflow streak of funds targeting future benchmarks of $82,918 and $86,900.
Solana, another prominent cryptocurrency, tested the $90 resistance level as it squeezed $24 million worth of shorts. The launch of wXRP on decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms added further excitement to the market, propelling Solana’s growth in recent times.
In the traditional stock market arena, SMH ETFs hit an all-time high of $464.16 amidst a twelve-day winning streak, achieving an asset under management milestone of $51.57 billion. Tech giants like NVDA, TSM, and AVGO lead the charge with hefty shares, making impressive gains off March lows. Analysts foresee possible future price targets ranging from $495 to $575 for SMH ETFs.
Overall, these surges in the cryptocurrency and ETF markets signal a period of rapid growth and expansion. With major players like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan stepping in with significant investments, the sector is set to experience continued bullish momentum. The rise of various cryptocurrencies like XRP and Solana, coupled with the robust performance of ETFs like SMH, paints a positive picture for the financial markets in the near future. Investors and traders alike are eagerly watching as these markets continue to evolve and reach new heights, setting the stage for potentially lucrative opportunities in the coming days.
