Bitcoin and XRP Price Prediction After U.S. Government Shuts Down

Bitcoin and XRP have both experienced significant price drops amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. Bitcoin price dropped to $82,000, a decline of 7% in the past week as the cryptocurrency fought a bearish market environment. Ethereum price also experienced a significant drop of over 7% to $2,700. 

The overall market value of cryptocurrency has dropped to $2.8 trillion.  XRP, specifically, dropped below $1.7 after a wave of sell-offs.

U.S. Government Shutdown: Key Developments and What’s Next

A partial government shutdown took effect after Congress missed the Friday midnight deadline for passing a 2026 budget. The Senate had earlier approved a spending measure covering most of the federal discretionary spending. This included a temporary funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security.

Nevertheless, the House was not in session, and it delayed the final approval. This has led to the temporary closure of most of the federal agencies, albeit the shutdown is likely to be temporary.

The SEC is functioning under the plan of the agency of functioning in case of a shutdown because of a lapse in appropriations and government shutdown. As of Jan. 31, 2026 and until further notice, the staff available in the agency will be very low.

Due to a lapse in appropriations and government shutdown, the SEC is currently operating in accordance with the agency’s plan for operating during a shutdown. Effective Jan. 31, 2026 and until further notice, the agency will have a very limited number of staff members available.

— U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (@SECGov) January 31, 2026

The House is scheduled to re-open on Monday to adopt a bill to reopen the agencies. Nonetheless, there are more debates that can be predicted to arise, especially on new restrictions on immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, the market is experiencing greater uncertainty since by closing down it might bring volatility. XRP has the possibility of going down in case the selloff increases, and the support system of the Bitcoin may fail, further pressuring the market stability.

Bitcoin Price Sinks to $83,000 as Over $1.5 Billion in ETF Outflows Shake Market.

BTC price crashed to $83,000 this week, falling 7.5% as it struggled to maintain recent support levels. More than 2 billion in crypto derivatives positions were sold off, most of them long positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

According to technical factors, the BTC price may experience additional losses, and the possible levels for its fall are $80,500 and $76,400 in case the selling force continues.

The cryptocurrency has been consolidated in a down channel, and the resistance is at $86,400. For a meaningful recovery, the future Bitcoin outlook would need to break through the key level of $90,400.

Meanwhile, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced heavy outflows this week, and on Friday, $509 million in net withdrawals were recorded, and investors fled in large numbers.

XRP Price Struggles to Stabilize Below $1.70 Amid Ongoing Sell-Off

XRP price traded at $1.70, experiencing a continued decline with a 4% drop over the past 24 hours. The token has not been able to stabilize after its recent decline. This recent pullback caused over $70 million of XRP futures liquidations, of long positions.

The price has been trending lower since mid-January, consistently forming lower highs and lows. 

The falling trendline has limited any efforts to recover as the price of XRP is under extreme pressure and undermines the mood on the market. The XRP has been under selling pressure, and the outlook is bearish.