XRP Defies Crypto Pullback: Is the New Permissioned DEX Driving the Token’s Recent Strength?

The XRP Ledger has activated a new “Permissioned DEX”
amendment that allows regulated institutions to trade on-chain in controlled
environments. The change introduces gated trading venues where only approved
entities can place and take orders, addressing strict compliance requirements
around customer checks and transaction monitoring.

Permissioned DEX to XRPL

The amendment, known as XLS-81, creates permissioned
versions of XRPL’s built-in decentralized exchange. These venues keep the same
trading mechanics as the native DEX but add control over who can participate.
Domain operators can restrict which users may post offers and which may accept
them, aligning access with rules such as know-your-customer and anti-money
laundering procedures.

🚨JUST IN: XRPL ACTIVATES MEMBERS-ONLY DEX FOR WALL STREETThe $XRP Ledger has activated XLS-81, introducing a “Permissioned DEX” that allows only approved participants to trade on-chain.Unlike traditional decentralized exchanges that are open to all, this new model restricts… pic.twitter.com/9tDtBoWhgX

— BSCN (@BSCNews) February 18, 2026

The feature targets banks, brokers and other regulated
firms that want on-chain settlement and liquidity but cannot engage with fully
open DeFi markets. For these institutions, the ability to gate participation
forms a basic requirement rather than an optional safeguard.

The rollout follows the recent launch of XLS-85, or
Token Escrow, which expands XRPL’s existing escrow functionality beyond XRP.
The upgrade enables conditional settlement for all trustline-based tokens and
Multi-Purpose Tokens on the ledger, including stablecoins like RLUSD and
tokenized real-world assets.

Token Escrow Extends Conditional Settlement

Combined, XLS-81 and XLS-85 provide a toolkit for
regulated finance on XRP Ledger. Institutions can use token escrow to manage
conditions around transfers while using permissioned DEX venues to trade those
assets in controlled markets.

You may also like: Why Crypto Is Falling Today? Bitcoin, XRP Price, Ethereum And Dogecoin Analysis

The changes have limited impact on day-to-day
retail activity but indicate a clear institutional-first direction, with XRPL
focusing on regulated tokenized funds, stablecoin FX rails and secondary
markets for tokenized assets.

XRP trades around $1.45–$1.48 and holds the fourth
spot by market value, with a market cap above $88 billion and a weekly gain
above 5 percent, which indicates relative strength versus most major coins that
show flatter weekly moves.

On the daily chart, short-term momentum remains
positive as price holds above recent intraday lows near $1.45, while immediate
resistance appears near the recent 24‑hour high around $1.49 and then the
psychological $1.50–$1.55 zone.

XRP Technical Analysis

Broader technical readings show mixed signals, with
one set of intraday indicators flagging overbought conditions: an RSI reading
near 70 or above on shorter time frames points to stretched upside and raises
the risk of a pause or pullback in the near term.

Across the wider market, the top five cryptocurrencies
by market cap all trade in negative territory over the last twenty‑four hours,
with Bitcoin down around 2.3 percent, Ethereum dropping about 2.5 percent, and
BNB declining roughly 1.5 percent.

Weekly changes remain modest for Bitcoin, Ethereum and
BNB, each under 1 percent, while XRP outperforms with a move above 5 percent
over seven days, showing stronger relative momentum.

This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Source link