Should You Buy XRP Now? Comprehensive Review of Three Major Catalysts: Regulation, ETFs, and Rakuten in April 2026

Following the launch of seven spot XRP ETFs in the U.S. in November 2025, Japan's Rakuten began integrating XRP payments for its 44 million users on April 15, 2026. XRP's status as a global payment network is expanding rapidly. [Image = Korea Business Review DB] In April 2026, XRP (Ripple) is once again emerging as a central topic in the cryptocurrency market. It temporarily broke the $1.50 mark on April 17, and after undergoing a minor correction, it is trading around $1.44 as of April 22–23. What demands attention more than the price movement itself is the background. This is because three structural changes are converging simultaneously: the complete conclusion of the five-year U.S. SEC lawsuit, the simultaneous launch of seven spot ETFs in November 2025, and the integration of XRP payments by Japan's Rakuten for its 44 million users on April 15. However, the speed at which these vari…