- XRP changed hands at around $1.50 as the broader market remains mostly bearish.
- SBI CEO Yoshitaka Kitao has said the firm does not hold $10 billion XRP, but a 9% stake in Ripple Labs.
- Can bulls reclaim $2 amid broader market resilience?
XRP price hovered near $1.47 in Asian trading hours on Monday, Feb.16, 2026, with the cryptocurrency down 8% in the past 24 hours.
The altcoin’s intraday performance came after comments from SBI Holdings CEO Yoshitaka Kitao, who recently clarified the firm’s investment in Ripple and the token XRP.
XRP and a $10 billion SBI holding rumour
SBI, one of Ripple’s major partners, hit headlines last week amid news of its acquisition of a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange.
But alongside this was the circulation of a rumour claiming that the firm holds $10 billion in XRP tokens.
This prompted an X post response from SBI CEO Kitao, who clarified that SBI’s actual position is not in XRP, but a 9% stake in Ripple Labs.
XRP price retreated from highs of $1.60 to around $1.40 amid Kitao’s clarification that the Japanese financial giant’s focus is on Ripple’s blockchain ecosystem.
“When it comes to Ripple Lab.’s total valuation which obviously includes its ecosystem that Ripple has created, that would be enormous. SBI owns more than 9 % of that much,” he posted.
Ripple (XRP) price outlook
XRP’s price action over recent months has largely tracked broader trends in the cryptocurrency market.
Comments by the chief executive of SBI Holdings briefly unsettled traders, before buyers stepped in to defend levels above $1.40.
While the token remains under pressure as Bitcoin consolidates below $70,000, the recent move toward $1.60 and a rebound from weekend lows point to tentative stabilisation.
Sentiment linked to institutional backers such as SBI may support confidence in Ripple and its wider ecosystem.
The group’s expansion into Southeast Asia through recent acquisitions has also raised expectations of increased real-world adoption, which could support demand for XRP.
ETF inflows and regulatory developments are additional factors influencing sentiment.
Speculation around a potential Ripple initial public offering, alongside other positive catalysts, could further lift medium- to long-term confidence among XRP holders.
In the near term, traders are watching a major resistance zone between $1.90 and $2.35.
However, persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical risks could undermine short-term optimism.
In a weaker scenario, XRP may revisit support near $1.20 and potentially test levels below $1.00.
