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 STREET

The $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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Broader 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.