Bitcoin Ethereum XRP Slide as ETF Delay, Fed Meeting and Elections Keep Markets on Edge

Bitcoin Ethereum XRP remained under pressure on Monday, October 26, with all three tokens sliding as traders weighed a delayed leveraged ETF filing, an upcoming Federal Reserve meeting and U.S. midterm elections. Bitcoin traded at $79,979 on Binance at 08:22 UTC, roughly 6% below the prior Wednesday's high of $84,898, according to Finance Magnates.

Ether, XRP and Dogecoin each dropped to their lowest prices since August, Finance Magnates reported. The pullback comes even after Bitcoin gained more than 40% in the third quarter, its strongest quarter since late 2024, and stood only 0.4% lower in the month through October 20, per FM Intelligence data cited by the outlet.

Bitcoin Ethereum XRP Price Levels

Bitcoin closed at $81,189 on Friday and slipped below its 50-day exponential moving average, now near $80,793, over the weekend, according to Finance Magnates. Ether broke its October support near $2,393 and closed lower for four consecutive sessions, with Monday's candle red again at $2,314.

XRP was holding a support zone between $1.28 and $1.32 but traded below both its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages, a setup Finance Magnates described as leaving the token in a downtrend. It changed hands at $1.277 on Monday, down 1.3% on the day. Dogecoin had already broken support at $0.080 and traded near $0.077, also below both key averages.

Some traders see value at current levels despite the slide. "We favor buying dips to $80k and owning tail risk puts on these prices," Anderson said, according to Finance Magnates.

GraniteShares Delay Adds to Caution

GraniteShares filed a post-effective amendment with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26, pushing the effective date of an earlier registration amendment to November 30, 2026, Coinpedia reported. Eight proposed funds are named in the document, among them 3X long and 3X short daily products tied to XRP, Bitcoin, Ether and Solana.

The funds would rely on derivatives including swaps and futures, aiming to deliver three times the daily move of the underlying assets in either direction. The document states its purpose is to delay the effective date, and it does not say the SEC rejected the products or give a reason for the revised timeline, according to Coinpedia. The November 30 date also does not guarantee all eight funds will begin trading that day.

Elections and Fed Meeting Loom

The delay lands eight days ahead of the November 3 midterms, a vote in which every one of the 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats will be contested, Coinpedia reported. The results could shape control of Congress and future crypto rules, leaving some investors reluctant to add risk until the political picture clears.

The Federal Reserve's October 27 to 28 meeting adds another layer of uncertainty. The central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates at 3.75% to 4.00%, but any unexpected signal on future rate moves could ripple through crypto prices, according to Coinpedia.

XRP Correlation and ETF Flows

XRP's relative calm earlier in the week had fueled talk that the token might be decoupling from Bitcoin, but the underlying data points the other way, according to 24/7 Wall St. XRP's daily returns over the seven days ending October 25 showed a 0.97 correlation with Bitcoin, meaning the two moved almost in lockstep even as XRP fell less.

The longer-term readings tell a similar story, with correlations of 0.91 over 30 days, 0.89 over 90 days and 0.85 historically, the outlet reported. Over the past 30 days, XRP has dropped 18.8% against Bitcoin's 5% decline, and over the past year it has lost 49.8% compared with Bitcoin's 27.7% decrease, suggesting XRP tends to track Bitcoin but fall harder in downturns.

Spot XRP ETF activity has also cooled. The funds traded only $18.8 million on October 23, down from more than $102 million on October 2, and combined net assets fell to $1.48 billion by October 23 from $1.77 billion a month earlier on September 25, with price declines outweighing roughly $4.3 million in net inflows from October 19 to October 23, 24/7 Wall St. reported.

Reports of rising XRP margin shorts on Bitfinex, from approximately 148,850 to around 300,000 in under two weeks, could set up a short squeeze if the token rallies, though those figures are unconfirmed, the outlet noted. Attention now turns to the Ripple Swell conference from October 27 to 29 in New York, held alongside the XRPL Apex developer event, where any payments or tokenized asset agreements on the XRP Ledger could generate demand independent of Bitcoin.

Conclusion

Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP enter a packed week at multi-month lows, with the Federal Reserve's October 27 to 28 decision and the November 3 midterm elections the next clear catalysts. GraniteShares' eight leveraged crypto ETFs are now slated for effectiveness on November 30, 2026, though trading on that date is not assured. For XRP, 24/7 Wall St. reported the token would need sustained spot ETF inflows and closes above its 50-day average near $1.41 on days Bitcoin falls to signal genuine separation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP fall on October 26, 2026?

Finance Magnates reported Bitcoin at $79,979 on Binance at 08:22 UTC on Monday, about 6% below the prior Wednesday's high of $84,898, while Ether, XRP and Dogecoin hit their lowest prices since August. Traders cited caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's October 27 to 28 meeting and the November 3 U.S. midterm elections.

What did the SEC delay for GraniteShares' 3X leveraged crypto ETFs?

GraniteShares filed a post-effective amendment on October 26 delaying the effective date to November 30, 2026, for eight proposed 3X long and 3X short daily ETFs tied to XRP, Bitcoin, Ether and Solana, Coinpedia reported. The filing did not say the SEC rejected the products, and the November 30 date does not guarantee trading begins then.

Is XRP decoupling from Bitcoin in October 2026?

No, according to 24/7 Wall St. XRP's daily returns showed a 0.97 correlation with Bitcoin over the seven days ending October 25, with readings of 0.91 over 30 days and 0.89 over 90 days. XRP fell 18.8% over 30 days against Bitcoin's 5% decline, indicating it tracks Bitcoin and often drops more sharply.

What is the Federal Reserve expected to decide at its October 27-28, 2026 meeting?

The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates at 3.75% to 4.00%, according to Coinpedia. Any unexpected signals about future rate changes could affect crypto prices, adding to market uncertainty already tied to the November 3 midterm elections.

How much did spot XRP ETFs trade and hold in late October 2026?

Trading in spot XRP ETFs thinned to just $18.8 million by October 23, a steep drop from the more than $102 million seen on October 2, 24/7 Wall St. reported. Combined net assets fell to $1.48 billion by October 23 from $1.77 billion on September 25, as price declines outweighed roughly $4.3 million in net inflows during the week of October 19 to 23.