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As the crypto market recovers from the latest pullback, XRP is attempting to climb up from its recent lows. Some analysts have suggested that the cryptocurrency must defend its current levels or risk a 50% drop to levels not seen since 2024. Related Reading: Solana Leads As Most Popular Blockchain Ecosystem For Second Consecutive Year – Report XRP At Make-Or-Break Level Amid the start-of-week market correction, XRP recorded a 6% drop toward its lowest level in weeks. The price lost $2.00 support on Monday morning and continued to lose key levels despite uninterrupted institutional interest. The cryptocurrency has been trading within the $2.00-$2.25 price range over the past month, only losing its lower boundary during the late November pullback. Monday’s correction sent the altcoin below the range’s lower support again, hitting a multi-week low of $1.88 before bouncing around an area that has been crucial for the past year. Notably, XRP has bounced from the $1.85-$1.90 support zone after every major correction since the November 2024 breakout, climbing back above the $2.00 level each time. However, some market observers have suggested that the price risks a significant correction if it is unable to hold the current levels. Ali Martinez pointed out that the cryptocurrency has fallen below its one-year price range, between the $1.92-$3.27 levels, which could lead to a 50% drop below this area. To the analyst, XRP’s price must secure a daily close above $1.92 to prevent a drop to the $1.00 support, which has not been seen in over a year. Similarly, Cheds Trading affirmed that XRP is “flirting with a high time frame breakdown.” Per the chart, the altcoin appears to be forming a high-timeframe rounding top or double top pattern with a higher high. The analyst noted that in the case of the latter, the M formation would be confirmed if the $1.88 level, where the pattern’s neckline is situated, is lost. This could lead to a “measured move to roughly [the] MA 200 area/$1.00 range.” Price Ready For 2026 Markup Phase? Despite the warnings, other market watchers shared a positive outlook for XRP in the coming months. Trader Niels affirmed that the leading altcoin is “looking good” at the current levels. According to the post, the cryptocurrency is “sweeping the $1.8 support zone again” while showing a bullish divergence on the daily timeframe, which suggests that the price could soon move to higher levels. To the trader, once XRP breaks above $2.20 resistance, it could surge 27%-37% towards the $2.80-$3.00 area “within a month.” Meanwhile, analyst ChartNerd highlighted that XRP appears to be repeating its 2023-2024 price action, which led to its massive breakout in November 2024. The chart shows that the altcoin accumulated for a year and a half, bouncing between the range’s lower and upper boundaries before its markup phase in late Q4 2024. Related Reading: XRP Hasn’t Entered A Bear Market Yet; Analyst Shares Why Following this expansion period, the cryptocurrency is showing a similar accumulation range, leading the analyst to suggest that XRP may continue consolidating within its current range before another markup phase occurs. “Regardless of scenarios, or how ugly/beautiful it gets, a massive markup phase similar to November 2024 is likely between now and late 2026,” he stated. As of this writing, XRP is trading at $1.92, a 1.65% increase in the daily timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Despite recent positive closes from spot XRP ETFs, the cryptocurrency’s price action is sending a clear warning to traders. Market structure remains weak, and without signs of a confirmed reversal, short-term risks persist. XRP’s current behavior highlights that bullish sentiment from ETFs alone isn’t enough to drive a sustained rally, making caution essential for anyone entering the market. New Year Volatility Hits Crypto Markets Hard Efloud, in a recent update, highlighted that with the start of the new year and continued uncertainty across the markets, cryptocurrencies have once again been among the hardest hit. Low trading volume and a lack of clear direction have kept pressure on the sector, and without an obvious reversal signal, altcoins continue to grind lower day by day. Related Reading: XRP Dominates Institutional Inflows, But Why Is Price Still Low? Given this backdrop, caution remains essential. As emphasized in previous analyses, any attempt to trade against the prevailing trend at support levels should be backed by clear bullish breakout structures on lower timeframes. Without such confirmation, moves higher are more likely to be short-lived reactions rather than meaningful reversals. From a technical standpoint, XRP’s price has now lost the “Daily Imb” zone, weakening the overall structure. If price dips below the most recent swing low and then attracts buying interest, the $1.98 area is expected to act as the first major resistance. As previously noted, the outlook remains negative unless the YO region is reclaimed. Beyond $1.98, another key resistance lies within the red boxed zone. Together, $1.98, the YO area, and the red boxed region form three critical hurdles where price is likely to face selling pressure in the near term. Price Action Still Outweighs ETF Optimism According to Efloud, while spot XRP ETFs have posted positive closes for 18 consecutive days, this development alone does not outweigh what the chart itself is signaling. He emphasized that price action and market structure remain the most important factors. Until these begin to shift in a clearly bullish direction, any purchases are better seen as part of a gradual accumulation strategy rather than a confirmation of a trend reversal.  Related Reading: XRP Price Needs To Hold This Macro Support For Hope Of Revival From this perspective, these buys are primarily aimed at averaging down while the market searches for a more stable structure. Efloud added that if market suppression continues and a sharper correction unfolds, the area around $1.53 could emerge as a potential buy zone. However, this scenario depends on broader market behavior and is not a certainty. Finally, the analyst clarified that the $1.53 level was illustrated as a hypothetical example. Efloud warned that entering positions at support zones or key levels without observing clear breakout or reversal structures carries added risk and should be approached with caution. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP price started a recovery wave above $1.90. The price is now consolidating and might struggle to clear the $2.00 resistance. XRP price started a recovery wave above the $1.9050 zone. The price is now trading below $2.00 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.9520 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $2.00. XRP Price Faces Resistance XRP price remained supported above $1.850 and started a recovery wave, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price was able to climb above $1.880 and $1.90 to enter a short-term positive zone. There was also a move above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.850 low. The bears defended a close above the $1.950 level and the price reacted to the downside. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.9520 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The price is now trading below $1.950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.950 level and the trend line. It coincides with the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.850 low. The first major resistance is near the $2.00 level. A close above $2.00 could send the price to $2.050. The next hurdle sits at $2.120. A clear move above the $2.120 resistance might send the price toward the $2.20 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.220 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $2.250. Another Drop? If XRP fails to clear the $2.00 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.90 level. The next major support is near the $1.850 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.850 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.820. The next major support sits near the $1.80 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.7650. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.90 and $1.850. Major Resistance Levels – $1.950 and $2.00.

Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch and CrunchBase, has placed XRP among his largest personal crypto holdings, according to a recent social post. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund He listed XRP as one of his top five positions by dollar value, alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Immutable. The disclosure landed plenty of attention online and reignited debate about who is buying what and why. Arrington’s Holdings And Community Reaction Reports have disclosed that his post drew heavy engagement, with replies running the gamut from Bitcoin-only stances to more mixed portfolios. Several industry figures echoed Arrington’s mix; Tony Edward, for example, listed XRP with BTC and ETH when discussing core positions. The debate was loud and fast on social feeds. Some users framed the move as a vote of confidence. Others warned that one investor’s choices do not equal a market-wide shift. Tell me your top five crypto holdings (by total dollar value). Mine are XRP, BTC, ETH and IMX — Michael Arrington ????‍☠️ (@arrington) December 13, 2025 Institutional Moves Follow Based on reports, Arrington’s public support is tied to direct institutional activity. In October, Arrington Capital joined Ripple and SBI Holdings to back an initiative by Evernorth aimed at building a large institutional XRP treasury. The project, which has been described in some circles as among the biggest of its kind, aims to increase institutional use of XRP and to support on-ledger activity such as decentralized finance and lending. That involvement means Arrington is more than a vocal supporter; he is also tied to projects that could change how institutions use the token. XRP Market Moves And Key Figures XRP’s market picture has been mixed. As of December 16, 2025, the token was trading around $1.98, having held in a roughly $2.00 to $2.20 band in recent sessions. There was a small daily lift of about 1.2% to roughly $2.08 on Monday, which helped the token cover some ground after early-December weakness. The year has seen bigger swings: XRP peaked near $3.65 in July before giving back some gains. Activity in regulated derivatives has also grown. Reports point to XRP futures on the CME reaching a record open interest of roughly $3 billion in late October 2025, a figure that market watchers say reflects rising institutional appetite for regulated exposure. Related Reading: Analyst: Bitcoin’s Cycle Is Intact, Yet No Longer Purely Market-Driven A Past Claim That No Longer Holds Arrington has previously highlighted XRP’s strong performance. In March, he tweeted that XRP had been the best-performing major asset across multiple time frames — 90 days, 180 days, one year and three years. That claim no longer lines up with current rankings. Performance metrics have shifted since then, and the statement has been overtaken by later results. Featured image from Bitpanda Blog, chart from TradingView

XRP has slipped below the $2 level, a psychologically important threshold, as broader market conditions continue to deteriorate and selling pressure weighs on risk assets. While Bitcoin dominates liquidity and investor attention, altcoins are struggling to attract sustained demand, and XRP is increasingly reflecting this imbalance. Related Reading: Why Bitcoin’s Quiet Price Action May Be ‘Dangerous’ – IFP Signals Rising Structural Risk According to a CryptoQuant report by Darkfost, the weakness in XRP is not an isolated event but part of a broader contraction across the altcoin market. Whether on spot markets or in derivatives, trading activity has been shrinking significantly over recent months. Liquidity is gradually drying up, signaling a clear retreat from speculative positioning as investors reduce exposure to higher-risk assets. This trend is especially visible in XRP’s derivatives data. The Taker Buy Volume on Binance, which tracks aggressive buy orders in futures markets, has collapsed to its lowest levels of the year. After peaking above $5.8 billion in July, this metric has fallen to roughly $250 million, representing a sharp 95.7% decline. Such a dramatic contraction highlights the near-total evaporation of buying pressure and underscores the lack of conviction among traders. XRP Liquidity Compression Signals Downside Risk According to Darkfost, the broader market context is a major factor amplifying XRP’s current weakness. Liquidations have been accumulating across crypto markets, confidence remains fragile, and many participants are still psychologically impacted by the October 10 event. This lingering stress has reduced risk tolerance, particularly among short-term traders who typically provide liquidity during corrective phases. Beyond sentiment, altcoins are facing a clear structural headwind. Bitcoin continues to absorb the majority of available capital, both in spot and derivatives markets. As BTC dominance remains elevated, liquidity that would normally rotate into altcoins during recoveries is instead staying concentrated in Bitcoin. This leaves very limited room for a sustained rebound across the broader altcoin market, including XRP. Related Reading: Market Stress Continues As Bitcoin STH SOPR Dips Below 1– When Will The Pain End? Within this environment, the sharp collapse in XRP’s Taker Buy Volume is not surprising. The signal becomes even more relevant given that it is unfolding on Binance, which still accounts for the largest share of global XRP trading activity. A sustained drop in aggressive buying on the dominant exchange highlights the depth of demand erosion. At the same time, the Taker Buy Sell Ratio has remained negative for most of the period, confirming that sellers continue to dominate XRP’s derivatives market. Historically, such severe volume compression can precede volatility expansions. However, in the current setup, the lack of meaningful buying pressure and persistent bearish positioning suggests downside risks remain elevated. Even ETF-related optimism has failed to offset these structural weaknesses. XRP Price Struggles Below Key Moving Averages XRP price action on the 3-day chart reflects a clear loss of bullish structure and growing downside pressure. After peaking above the $3.40–$3.60 zone earlier in the year, XRP has formed a sequence of lower highs and lower lows, confirming a medium-term downtrend. The recent breakdown below the psychological $2.00 level is particularly significant, as this zone previously acted as both support and consolidation. From a technical perspective, XRP is now trading below its 50-day and 100-day moving averages, both of which have started to slope downward. This alignment reinforces bearish momentum and suggests that rallies are being sold rather than accumulated. The 200-day moving average, currently near the $1.70–$1.80 area, represents the next major structural support. A sustained move toward this level would not be surprising if selling pressure persists. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Refuse to Sell: Historic Signal Emerges As Binance CDD Drops To 2017 Levels Volume dynamics further confirm weakness. Since the August high, volume has steadily declined, indicating fading participation and weak dip-buying interest. The sharp volatility spike in October was followed by distribution rather than continuation, often a sign of a local market top. As long as XRP remains below $2.00 and fails to reclaim the declining moving averages, the path of least resistance remains to the downside. For any meaningful trend reversal, XRP would need to regain $2.30–$2.50 with expanding volume, signaling renewed demand rather than short-term relief rallies. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

One of the cleaner tells in crypto is when the old supply decides it’s time. Not “made a quick 20% and clipped it” time — years old. That’s basically what Glassnode researcher CryptoVizArt flagged after an XRP wallet aged roughly 5–7 years (with a cost basis around $0.40) realized more than $721.5 million in profit on Dec. 11. A single wallet doesn’t “break” a market on its own. But the timing is the point: this wasn’t profit-taking into a rip. It landed while XRP was showing weakness right at the $2.0 key level. Related Reading: XRP Dominates Institutional Inflows, But Why Is Price Still Low? CryptoVizArt wrote via X: “On December 11th, a 5-7 year old XRP wallet address (with a cost basis of $0.4) realized over $721.5M in profit! A rare sizable profit-taking while the price shows weakness right at the $2.0 key level.” What This Means For XRP Price That $2 handle matters for the usual reasons — round number, obvious chart magnet, psychological line in the sand — but also because the market’s been treating it like a live wire lately. Since early December last year, the support zone between $2 and $1.90 has been tested endless times. XRP bulls always managed to close above the zone on the weekly timeframe. So what does the $721M print mean? It’s a reminder that supply overhang isn’t theoretical. A 5–7 year wallet taking profits can be read as “de-risking,” sure. But in tape terms, it’s also distribution that the market has to absorb while price is already leaning. If bids are deep, it’s a shrug. If bids are thin, it turns $2 into a trapdoor. And right now, “thin” is kind of the vibe across crypto, not just XRP. Related Reading: Why XRP Isn’t Reacting to Major Institutional and Regional Developments CryptoVizArt’s broader framing from Dec. 13 is that the $80K–$90K Bitcoin consolidation is producing stress “comparable to late Jan 2022.” Via X, he wrote: “The current $80K–$90K consolidation range is generating a magnitude of stress comparable to late January 2022, with Relative Unrealized Loss approaching ~10% of market cap. This places the market in a regime where liquidity is constrained, and sensitivity to macro shocks is elevated, yet still below the levels typically associated with full bear-market capitulation.” That backdrop matters because alts don’t trade in a vacuum. When the whole complex is jumpy, big sell events at key levels have more punch. Not because every XRP holder suddenly panics, but because market-makers and discretionary traders tend to pull risk at the same time. Spreads widen, depth thins, and “one-off” flows start to move price more than they should. Still, it cuts both ways. A single, chunky realization can also be the market clearing a problem — old supply exiting, new demand stepping in, the kind of transfer that (eventually) makes a base sturdier. The trick is whether $2 holds while that handoff happens. At press time, XRP was trading at $1.89, which could make Sunday’s weekly close another extremely important event. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

Despite the recent crash that saw the XRP price fall below $2, many analysts claim that the cryptocurrency could still skyrocket to $100 by the end of the year. However, one expert has thoroughly dismissed these projections, urging investors to temper expectations and warning that those who believe such predictions need a “reality check.” Why XRP Can Never Reach $100 By Year’s End Crypto market expert Zach Humphries has delivered a detailed assessment of XRP, calling out extreme price predictions and overly optimistic expectations, especially during the current downtrend. In a video on X, he warns that claims suggesting XRP will reach $100 by the end of 2025 are unrealistic and potentially misleading for investors and traders.  Related Reading: Crypto Analyst Predicts How Low The XRP Price Will Go Before Bouncing Humphries emphasized that while he supports XRP and believes in its long-term potential, the spread of exaggerated price targets in the crypto space is harmful. He explained that many investors assume that owning 100 XRP tokens will make them wealthy quickly, holding on to false hope and unrealistic financial expectations. The analyst points out the need for realism in the crypto space, arguing that viral hype posts and overinflated price forecasts can hoodwink people into making genuine financial decisions that could lead to losses. He noted that investors need to understand market structure and the underlying math behind XRP’s price action before believing in any extreme predictions.  Humphries stated a $100 XRP price would imply a $5 trillion market capitalization, surpassing the size of Apple, Microsoft, and even the entire crypto market at some historical peaks. He noted that reaching this seemingly impractical price target would require XRP achieving overnight global adoption, full-scale replacement of existing payment rails, and massive sustained institutional inflows. The analyst also highlighted a common misunderstanding about liquidity. Humphries explained that for XRP to reach $100, it would require substantial global liquidity. He noted that despite XRP Spot ETFs recording over $1 billion in inflows recently, the cryptocurrency’s price did not rise; instead, it declined further. He highlighted that this is because institutional investors prioritize stability, deep liquidity, and predictability over volatile, high-risk payment assets.  Although his statements may seem like a critique of XRP’s outlook, Humphries emphasized that the cryptocurrency has genuine strengths, including robust cross-border payment capabilities, strong enterprise relationships, and liquidity. He pointed out that, ironically, the more XRP succeeds as a payment rail, the less explosive its price becomes.  Analyst Says XRP Could Still Outperform Many Assets In his video, Humphries stated that XRP has survived many market cycles, making it one of the rare resilient cryptocurrencies. Under the right conditions, he believes that the XRP price could outperform many digital assets, which is why it remains a top altcoin in his portfolio.  Related Reading: XRP Price To Reach $27: The Technical Formation That Paints 1,300% Surge The analyst emphasized the importance of realistic growth driven by gradual institutional adoption, ETF integration, regulatory clarity, and steady price increases tied to actual usage and utility. He highlighted that these factors could help XRP perform very well, potentially reaching new all-time highs. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

A private investment firm has outlined why XRP constitutes the largest share of its portfolio. The firm explains that its investment rationale is anchored in XRP’s Proven operational performance and functional utility rather than aspirational projections, community momentum, or speculative price expectations. As a result, the position reflects a deliberate focus on infrastructure value, reinforcing XRP’s status as a core long-term holding rather than a tactical crypto trade. Why XRP Aligns With A Function-First Investment Approach The investment firm’s reasoning positions XRP as a natural fit for a portfolio strategy that prioritizes function over narrative. According to the firm, its heavy allocation is the byproduct of a disciplined evaluation of how well an asset performs its intended role. In this framework, concentration is justified only when an asset demonstrates clear operational strengths, and XRP is presented as having earned that status through its design and execution. Related Reading: Why Now Is The Perfect Opportunity To Short Bitcoin Down To $40,000 Building on that premise, the firm points to XRP’s specialization as a settlement-oriented digital asset as the primary driver of its allocation decision. The network is structured to deliver rapid and definitive transaction completion, eliminating the uncertainty that can complicate value transfer on many blockchain systems. This reliability is reinforced by consistently low transaction costs that remain stable regardless of usage levels, enabling predictable large-scale transfers without exposure to fee volatility. As transaction volume increases, XRP’s ability to maintain high throughput without congestion further supports its suitability for continuous, real-world payment activity. These technical attributes also connect directly to the firm’s broader investment thesis around institutional usability. By operating without a proof-of-work mechanism, the ledger avoids the inefficiencies and regulatory friction often associated with energy-intensive networks.  In the firm’s assessment, this design choice enhances operational clarity and aligns more closely with the compliance and efficiency standards expected by financial institutions. Taken together, these factors explain why the firm views XRP less as a speculative vehicle and more as functional infrastructure, reinforcing its alignment with a function-first investment approach and justifying its central role within the portfolio. Positioning For Institutional Adoption And Market Repricing The firm frames its investment thesis around how markets evolve under regulatory pressure. As digital asset regulation advances, financial institutions are expected to prioritize reliability, compliance, and operational efficiency over popularity or community momentum. Adoption is therefore driven less by attention and more by seamless integration into existing financial frameworks. Related Reading: Here’s Why Strategy’s $1 Billion Bitcoin Purchase Did Not Trigger A Price Rally This perspective also informs how digital assets may be valued. The firm expects a gradual shift from narrative-based pricing toward metrics such as transaction throughput, liquidity efficiency, and real-world demand. Assets able to move value at scale will likely be repriced as usage rises and speculative excess fades. In the firm’s assessment, XRP is one of the few assets already meeting these standards, and by concentrating its portfolio in XRP, it positions itself ahead of this transition. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP‘s price has fallen under $2 to price levels last seen in April, as selling pressure mounts across both derivatives and spot markets. According to CryptoSlate data, the Ripple-linked token slipped around 6% in the past day to about $1.87, extending a retreat that has tracked broader weakness in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Notably, this negative […]
The post XRP price falls under $2 after one 7-year-old wallet triggers a massive $721 million sell-off appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Crypto analyst Dark Defender has been one of the most vocal supporters of XRP, and this stance has not changed despite the altcoin’s current price action. If anything, the analyst believes that the current downtrend actually plays into the XRP long-term target, claiming that the cryptocurrency remains inherently bullish. If the analyst is right, then it means that the XRP price could be gearing up for another major uptrend that could send it to new peaks. XRP Price Is Only In Wave 4, Not A Bear Market In the post that was shared on X, Dark Defender explained that the XRP cryptocurrency was not in any kind of bear market. Instead, the current downtrend is only a result of the altcoin entering Wave 4 of the Elliot Wave, leading to the decline. Related Reading: Can Bitcoin Price Still Hit $140,000? What The Global M2 Money Supply Says Given that Wave 4 is a historically bearish wave, it would explain why the XRP price has dropped so quickly. However, the crypto analyst explained that this wave did not just start, as it has been in play since February 2025. Hence, it would need to play out completely before the next wave can begin. Going by this analysis, it would mean that the last and final wave of the theory is yet to play out, which is often the most bullish of all the waves. As a result, the analyst urges XRP investors not to panic as the price continues to play out according to plan. In the end, the target remains $5.85, according to Dark Defender, beating its previous all-time high of $3.8. Price Could Be Rounding A Bottom Another analyst also contributes that the XRP price is not in a bear market, and could, in fact, be putting in a bottom. STEPH IS CRYPTO points out that the XRP RSI is actually showing a rare bullish divergence on the daily chart, one of the few times that this has happened over the years. Related Reading: Why Did The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And XRP Prices Crash, And Will It Continue? This is significant because back in 2022, a similar bullish divergence had appeared on the daily chart ,and the result was a rapid rise once the distribution was done. As the crypto analyst explains, the fact that this bullish RSI divergence has appeared on the XRP daily chart again suggests that the sellers are actually running out of steam. While there is no set target for where the XRP price is headed, the prediction suggests that a rally could be in the works. “Nothing is guaranteed — but from a technical perspective, this is one of the strongest early reversal signals you can get,” the analyst stated. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

As the week began, the XRP price experienced a 4% decline, bringing it nearly 50% below its all-time highs. However, analysts forecast significant gains for one of the market’s leading altcoins in January 2026, citing three major catalysts that could reshape its market outlook. A Major Step Towards Broader Access In a recent analysis, Sam Daodu, a market expert from 24/7 Wall St., emphasized the importance of Vanguard’s decision to approve trading of XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Daodu emphasized that the real significance lies in the facilitation of distribution; with Vanguard’s advisors able to allocate XRP exposure through regulated ETFs without additional cumbersome processes. He indicated that three interrelated factors are now at play: the influx of institutional capital through ETF investments, a reduction in supply, and the influence of Vanguard in altering the approach towards the asset. Related Reading: Bitcoin Pulls Back Under $89K, Michael Saylor Smells Opportunity Notably, the results of the token’s exchange-traded fund launch have already been notable, with XRP inflows hitting $1 billion within the first four weeks of trading, making it one of the fastest-growing crypto ETF launches to date.  Additionally, XRP’s market supply has contracted significantly, dropping by 45% from approximately 3.9 billion tokens at the beginning of 2025 to about 1.6 billion by December.  This contraction can be attributed to large holders refraining from distributing their tokens, leading to an accumulation in whale wallets and the removal of tokens from liquid markets due to ETF custody. This decreased supply implies that smaller inflows now carry greater influence. With only 1.6 billion tokens available on exchanges, investments of $20-30 million in daily ETF purchases can have a substantive impact on market supply.  A Key Driver For Price Appreciation  The Vanguard XRP ETF launch is particularly significant in this context, as it locks tokens into regulated custody vehicles that are less likely to be sold frequently.  Unlike tokens held on exchanges that can be quickly moved in and out, ETF custody tends to encourage a buy-and-hold strategy, fostering conditions for gradual price appreciation fueled by sustained institutional demand amid a diminishing available supply. Given that the decision to provide ETF access came late in the year, year-end trading typically focuses on maintaining existing allocations rather than creating new positions.  While the ETF adds credibility to XRP without causing immediate price pressure, its journey to a $3 valuation by January will depend on how swiftly advisory capital mobilizes, the durability of supply compression, and the overall stability of the markets. XRP Price Path To $3 Three potential scenarios present themselves for XRP’s future. The most optimistic scenario sees advisory capital moving quicker than typical, perhaps allowing advisors to integrate small XRP allocations during January’s rebalancing.  In this case, XRP ETF inflows could remain robust, ranging from $40-60 million daily, while the locked-up supply on exchanges supports a price increase that could see the XRP price surpass $2.25, aim for $2.60, and potentially test $3 by the end of January. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Compression Deepens as Analysts Debate if the Next Move Is a Rally or Breakdown The middle-ground perspective suggests a more conventional institutional timing. In this scenario, while the XRP ETF access will gain attention in December, actual allocations might ramp up gradually, leading to a daily influx of about $20-30 million instead of the earlier expected pace.  Here, the XRP price could establish higher lows and breach the $2.25 mark, facing resistance between $2.40 and $2.80. Price fluctuations would focus more on future adoption rather than immediate implications. According to Daodu’s conclusions, and given these circumstances, the XRP price reaching $3 could take until the first or second quarter of 2026 rather than being an immediate milestone.  Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP price started a fresh decline below $1.950. The price is now struggling and faces resistance near the $1.920 resistance level. XRP price started a fresh decline below the $1.950 zone. The price is now trading below $1.90 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.980 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move down if it settles below $1.850. XRP Price Dips Again XRP price attempted a recovery wave above $2.020 but failed to continue higher, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price started a fresh decline below $2.00 and $1.950. There was a move below the $1.920 support level. A low was formed at $1.8550, and the price is now showing bearish signs below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.8550 low. The price is now trading below $1.90 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1.980 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.90 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.920 level. A close above $1.920 could send the price to $1.950 or the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.8550 low. The next hurdle sits at $1.980 and the trend line. A clear move above the $1.980 resistance might send the price toward the $2.050 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.120 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $2.150. More Losses? If XRP fails to clear the $1.90 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.8550 level. The next major support is near the $1.820 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.820 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.7650. The next major support sits near the $1.7320 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.7050. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.850 and $1.820. Major Resistance Levels – $1.950 and $1.980.

XRP’s price action in recent days has led to speculations among crypto traders over whether it could fall below the $2 support zone and how deep any pullback might go before a bottom is established.  Popular XRP analyst Zach Rector addressed this concern shared by many market participants during an interview on the Paul Barron Podcast as to how low XRP could realistically fall before buyers step in and whether a return to the $1 level is still possible under current conditions. Zach Rector Says $1 XRP Is Virtually Impossible Inflows into Spot XRP ETFs have been largely offset by selling pressure on centralized exchanges, keeping the cryptocurrency range-bound just above $2 even as long-term demand builds in the background. This range-bound trading has left the cryptocurrency at risk of losing $2 and breaking further downwards. The question now is whether this downward risk can cause the XRP price to return to $1.  Related Reading: XRP Mirrors 2016 Trend That Led To 69% Crash Before 110,000% Rally Addressing the question from Paul Barron directly, Zach Rector stated that an XRP price move back to $1 is effectively off the table under normal market conditions. He presented such a scenario as something that would only occur in the event of an extraordinary black swan. Current market structure, liquidity depth, and buyer behavior do not support the XRP price falling as low as that level. According to Rector, XRP’s order book on crypto exchanges is now populated by a large base of passive buyers with limit orders already positioned well above $1. He also used his own trade orders to illustrate why he believes XRP is forming a higher long-term floor.  He acknowledged entering an XRP long above $3.40 earlier in the year and confirmed that the position is still underwater. However, he explained that he has consistently dollar-cost averaged lower, bringing his average entry down to around $2.23. Keeping this in mind, Rector predicted a price low to watch out for before the XRP price bounces. Higher Lows Says Support Is Between $1.90 And $1.80 XRP’s price structure over the past year points to a market that is gradually building strength rather than breaking down. Rector pointed to XRP’s price chart on Coinbase, which shows the creation of a sequence of higher lows, with price bottoming near $1.60 in April, recovering to form a higher low around $1.77 on October 10, and then holding even higher at approximately $1.81 in November. Related Reading: Analyst Predicts XRP Price Will Rise To $14 By Frontrunning Bitcoin By Over 600% That pattern is why the $1.90 to $1.80 range is viewed as the most realistic downside zone if XRP breaks below $2 and selling pressure resumes. According to Rector, a dip below $1.90 could open the door for a brief test of $1.80, and this is as low as the XRP price might go before a bounce. Such a move would still fit within the broader higher-low structure that has defined XRP’s price action throughout the year. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP is at the center of the institutional flows, leading the crypto market in streaks of capital inflows even as its price is locked around $2. Recent data shows that money is still entering into Spot XRP ETF products, but despite this steady demand and a clear shift toward bullish sentiment across social platforms, XRP’s spot price has struggled to break higher, and this raises questions as to why inflows and price action appear out of sync. Spot XRP ETFs Are Seeing Relentless Institutional Demand Institutional appetite for XRP has been especially visible through Spot XRP exchange-traded funds. These products have now logged 19 days of uninterrupted inflows, with a fresh capital of $20.17 million added again on Friday.  Related Reading: Silk Road Bitcoins Are On The Move Again, Is The BTC Price Ready For Another Dump? The latest figures from SoSoValue show that these inflows pushed cumulative inflows to $990.91 million, close to the $1 billion mark. Assets under management have also continued to rise, now sitting well above the $1 billion threshold at $1.18 billion. To put this into perspective, Spot Ethereum ETFs ended last week with $19.41 million of outflows This pattern points to deliberate and sustained accumulation of XRP. Institutions appear comfortable building exposure to XRP gradually, taking advantage of its deep liquidity and regulated access through ETF structures. Bullish Social Sentiment Has Not Yet Translated To Price Another notable trend with XRP is that sentiment among retail participants has turned increasingly optimistic in the past few days. Data from market intelligence firm Santiment, which monitors discussions across platforms including X, Telegram, Reddit, and Discord, points to a noticeable increase in positive commentary surrounding the altcoin over the past week. Related Reading: Why This Market Analyst Is Warning Crypto Investors To Stop Buying XRP Santiment data shows that XRP has ranked among the most positively discussed assets of the year, much higher than Ethereum. This increase in positive sentiment has been characterized by traders expressing confidence as the price continues to hold above $2. Particularly, Santiment data shows that last week was the seventh most bullish sentiment week of 2025 for XRP. Retail Staying Optimistic Toward XRP. Source: Santiment Under normal conditions, this combination of strong inflows and improving sentiment would typically suggest a bullish setup. However, sentiment alone does not move markets, and XRP has been range-bound around $2.  The most important thing is the difference between buying and selling pressure. The lack of bullish price action means that persistent sell-side activity from existing holders has been sufficient to absorb incoming demand, and this has kept XRP’s price constrained even as accumulation quietly builds.  The same dynamic applies to ETF flows. Although Spot XRP ETFs have posted inflows for 19 consecutive days, the daily figures are relatively modest. Inflows would need to expand into the hundreds of millions of dollars on a consistent basis for these products to reflect in the XRP price. The strongest signal of improving sentiment right now is XRP’s ability to hold above $2 in the next few trading sessions, rather than any decisive breakout to the upside. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

The narrative surrounding XRP, the digital asset native to the XRP Ledger, has shifted from a speculative cryptocurrency to a recognized digital asset within the global financial system. This shift reflects growing legal clarity and rising interest from financial institutions seeking compliant blockchain-based solutions for payments, liquidity, and settlement.  How Institutional Interest In XRP Continues To Build As XRP gains recognition in regulated financial markets, it’s moving beyond its earlier perception as a speculative digital asset. An analyst known as Skipper_xrp has mentioned on X that this milestone has placed XRP in the conversation alongside traditional assets that institutions already trust. With recent developments from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and rising institutional interest, investors are wondering whether XRP’s growing credibility could be the catalyst for the next major price movement. Related Reading: Not Just Crypto: Research Says XRP Is Moving Into Bank-Grade Payment Infrastructure Meanwhile, tokenization is no longer a theoretical concept; it’s now a tangible reality. The ability to unlock trillions of dollars in real-world assets through blockchain is transforming how the markets will operate. On this front, the REAL token on the XRP Ledger isn’t just participating, it’s leading the change, and opening doors to an unprecedented global market. Ripple recently made the single biggest unlock for XRP since the case against the US SEC, and it has nothing to do with a court ruling. X Finance Bull has provided insight into the CLARITY Act, which legally defines digital commodities under CFTC oversight, eliminating guesswork and excuses from institutions. The real barrier to mass XRP adoption wasn’t tech or liquidity, but a legal risk, and that wall just cracked wide open. Currently, banks can use XRP rails, brokers can move in flow, and corporate treasuries can hold XRP on their books without stepping into uncertainty. This isn’t future potential; it’s the regulatory permission that is required before deploying serious capital. Many tokens don’t fit the mold, but XRP already operates on payment-grade, bank-ready infrastructure designed for real-world settlement, and first in line for real volume. “When institutions get the green light, the token with roads already built will lead,” Xfinancebull noted. A New Gateway Between Asian Markets And Ripple Labs Technical analyst, ChartNerd, revealed that VivoPower International PLC has quietly transformed a standard joint venture agreement into a strategic expansion vehicle with asymmetric exposure. Instead of deploying heavy capital, the structure creates a bridge between Seoul’s institutional crypto markets and Ripple Labs’ private equity, which is aligning with access rather than ownership. Related Reading: Fed Turns On The Liquidity Hose, XRP Ready To Ignite, Investor Claims ChartNerd stated that the play is targeting $300 million in Ripple Lab shares. Furthermore, VivoPower has a capital-light model that delivers substantial upside while minimizing corporate risk. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com

The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

XRP has spent the past several weeks moving sideways around the $2.00 level, even as headlines around Ripple and the broader XRP ecosystem continue to stack up. Related Reading: Dogecoin Holds Demand Zone Above $0.13, What A Bounce Would Do From a $300 million venture fund expansion into South Korea to nearly $1 billion in spot ETF inflows and fresh regulatory approvals, the backdrop appears supportive on paper. However, price action tells a different story. Instead of responding to institutional traction and regional growth, XRP remains locked in a tight range, reflecting a disconnect between developments and market behavior. XRP's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview Institutional Growth Isn’t Translating Into Token Demand Ripple’s expansion into South Korea through a $300 million venture fund has drawn attention due to the involvement of well-established, Seoul-based asset managers. However, market participants are increasingly viewing this move as tied to Ripple’s corporate strategy and potential IPO positioning, rather than direct demand for XRP. Institutional investors tend to prioritize predictable cash-flow or equity-style exposure, limiting the immediate impact such initiatives have on the token’s market dynamics. A similar pattern is visible in the ETF market. Spot XRP ETFs have recorded roughly $990 million in inflows over 30 consecutive days, making them one of the fastest-growing crypto fund segments. Despite this, XRP has fallen more than 12% over the past month. Analysts note that ETF inflows do not always translate into spot market pressure, especially when liquidity is fragmented or offset by broader risk-off sentiment across crypto assets. Technical Pressure and Broader Market Headwinds From a technical standpoint, XRP remains under pressure. The price has retraced to key Fibonacci levels after falling from its yearly high near $3.65. Chart patterns such as a developing death cross and a double-top formation point to downside risk, with support levels around $1.63 and $1.50 in focus if selling continues. Traders describe the current phase as bearish consolidation, with strong resistance clustered between $2.00 and $2.20. These conditions mirror weakness across the wider crypto market. Bitcoin’s decline from earlier highs and drawdowns in major altcoins have reduced risk appetite, often pulling XRP lower regardless of asset-specific news. Liquidity, Bots, and Muted Price Response Market structure may also be playing a role. Analysts point to low trading volumes and heavy arbitrage activity as factors keeping XRP pinned near psychological levels. In thin markets, automated strategies tend to fade moves quickly, preventing follow-through. While some data suggests tokens are gradually moving off exchanges, signaling longer-term holding, short-term price discovery remains dominated by macro flows and Bitcoin-led volatility. Related Reading: Dogecoin (DOGE) Slides Deeper Into Red—Is a Bottom in Sight? Currently, XRP’s lack of movement reflects market mechanics more than a judgment on progress within its ecosystem. Until volume and liquidity shift decisively, headlines alone may not be enough to move the price. Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

Crypto pundit Crypto Wimar has explained why the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP prices crashed, highlighting the continuous selling pressure. The crypto market is also at risk of further downward pressure due to macro factors such as the impending Japan rate hike.  Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And XRP Prices Crashed In an X post, Crypto Wimar revealed that Wintermute has dumped 40% of its holdings over the last three weeks, which has contributed to the crash in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP prices. The crypto pundit further noted that the market maker is still dumping millions in BTC and ETH on Binance, which puts these coins at risk of further declines.  Related Reading: What’s Happening With The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Prices Recently? The Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP prices are also crashing as crypto market investors brace for a Japan interest rate hike by the BOJ at their December 19 meeting. Polymarket data shows that there is currently a 97.4% chance that the BOJ will increase rates by 25 basis points. A Japan rate hike impacts the crypto market as it puts the yen carry trade in focus, with investors moving to sell their assets before the yen strengthens and their debt becomes more expensive.  Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP prices have crashed after every Fed rate cut this year. This similar price action is playing out as the Fed lowered rates by 25 bps last week. These crypto assets had seen a notable rebound prior to the Fed rate decision last week, indicating that the cut was already priced in.  Demand for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP also appears to be dwindling, even among institutional investors. Crypto analytics platform CryptoQuant stated that Bitcoin treasury growth is losing momentum, noting that the accumulation pace is slowing despite the fact that 117 new companies added BTC to their treasuries this year. Ethereum treasury company BitMine is also the only company that has continued to accumulate ETH at an impressive pace amid this market downturn.  BTC At Risk Of Drop Below $50,000 Crypto analyst Titan of Crypto has indicated that the Bitcoin price could still drop below $50,000, which also puts Ethereum and XRP at risk of crashing. In an X post, the analyst raised the possibility that a BTC bear pennant is forming. Related Reading: Why Is The Bitcoin Price Down Again? Analyst Calls Out Trading Desk For Triggering Crashes He noted that this is not a structure that market investors will typically want to see in a bull market. Titan of Crypto added that the structure is still developing, but it is one that is worth monitoring closely.  Meanwhile, the analyst’s accompanying chart showed that the Bitcoin price could drop below $50,000 as soon as February next year. It is worth mentioning that veteran trader Peter Brandt had also earlier predicted that BTC could drop below $50,000 based on his belief that the flagship crypto is already in a bear market. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Young Hoon Kim — a social-media personality who describes himself on X as the “IQ 276” holder — said XRP could rise to $100 over the next five years, offering a fresh bullish target that drew a mix of enthusiasm and criticism across Crypto Twitter. Kim Doubles Down On XRP “Based on my personal view, XRP could potentially reach $100 over the next 5 years. (NFA/DYOR),” the superbrain posted via X on Dec. 14. The post showed roughly 133,300 views. Based on my personal view, #XRP could potentially reach $100 over the next 5 years. (NFA/DYOR) — YoungHoon Kim, IQ 276 (@yhbryankimiq) December 14, 2025 Notably, Kim didn’t stop at the five-year call, either. In an earlier post on Saturday, he said: “In my view, XRP has a strong possibility of reaching a new ATH by the end of this year.” Related Reading: XRP Mildly Undervalued On MVRV: What About Bitcoin, Ethereum? Neither post included a detailed methodology or valuation framework. The reaction, accordingly, centered less on the specific target and more on the absence of supporting analysis — and on Kim’s public persona, which has become part of the conversation around his market calls. Software engineer Vincent Van Code responded by asking for the underlying math in a joking tone: “Ok mr brain, please share with us your calculations. I too agree, I have calcs I shared using my 20 IQ brain.” JD (@jaydee_757), a chart analyst popular in the XRP community, framed the post as momentum-driven: “Sounds like this boy bought the hype lol!” Gordon (@GordonGekko) added: “The smartest man in the world says XRP could hit $100 by 2030. Do you think this is a possible target?” Larger trading and chart-focused accounts were more direct. Ali Martinez (@alicharts) wrote, “You can have the highest IQ and still be dumb AF,” while IncomeSharks asked, “Has one prediction you’ve said come true?” Both comments were posted in response to Kim’s XRP-related statements circulating over the weekend. Related Reading: XRP Whale Activity Spikes At The Bottom – A Classic Pre-Rally Signal The posts are a continuation of a narrative that gained traction at the end of last week. As reported on Dec. 12, Kim’s first ever XRP related post on X — “I buy #XRP from now on” — came after a period of frequent Bitcoin-related posting. Notably, Kim not only posted about XRP but also World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform backed by the Trump family, over the weekend. On Sunday, Kim posted via X: “I personally buy WLFI every day, because I believe it is significantly undervalued based on my own assessment.” Again, there was no explanation or technical analysis. Just a provocant claim. Already on October 24, Kim claimed that WLFI is more valuable than Bitcoin. “As the World’s Highest IQ Record Holder (by World Memory Championships & Official World Record®), I predict WLFI will soon reach a market cap of $5B. WLFI is the only crypto more valuable than Bitcoin,” he wrote. Meanwhile, his Bitcoin price prediction for 2026 is not less sensational. “My analysis suggests that Bitcoin reaching 300K in early 2026 is a logical scenario,” he wrote on Dec. 11. At press time, XRP traded at $1.99. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP price started a fresh decline below $2.00. The price is now struggling and faces resistance near the $2.020 resistance level. XRP price started a fresh decline below the $2.00 zone. The price is now trading below $2.00 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2.020 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move down if it settles below $1.950. XRP Price Dips Again XRP price attempted a recovery wave above $2.120 but failed to continue higher, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price started a fresh decline below $2.050 and $2.020. There was a move below the $2.00 support level. A low was formed at $1.9525, and the price recently started an upside correction. There was a move above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.952 low. However, the bears are active near $2.00 and $2.020. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2.020 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The price is now trading below $2.00 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $2.00 level. The first major resistance is near the $2.020 level or the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.047 swing high to the $1.952 low. A close above $2.020 could send the price to $2.050. The next hurdle sits at $2.080. A clear move above the $2.120 resistance might send the price toward the $2.150 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.20 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $2.250. Another Decline? If XRP fails to clear the $2.020 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.9650 level. The next major support is near the $1.950 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.950 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.920. The next major support sits near the $1.880 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.820. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.950 and $1.920. Major Resistance Levels – $2.020 and $2.050.

Veteran market trader Peter Brandt has reignited debate around XRP after issuing sharp remarks about the token’s most loyal supporters. Drawing from a career that spans more than five decades, Brandt grouped XRP alongside silver when describing markets where bullish belief often holds firm despite repeated price swings and long periods of disappointment. Related Reading: Do Kwon Falls Hard — Terraform Labs Chief Gets 15 Years For Wire Fraud According to people familiar with his comments, Brandt grounded his criticism in personal trading history. He said he has handled thousands of contracts across commodities, equity benchmarks, and digital assets, and argued that the “perma bulls who I find most uneducated and biased are those who trumpet Silver and XRP,” pointing to what he sees as a pattern of investors staying bullish even when price action and broader conditions turn against them. Brandt Highlights Decades Of Experience Brandt’s tone was blunt and personal. He has a long record of public commentary, and his criticisms of XRP are part of a pattern that stretches back years. Earlier this month he called XRP supporters “obsessed” and compared their conviction to that of silver bulls. For 50 years I have traded many thousands of contracts of every commodity, stock indexes and as many cryptos as you can think of The perma bulls who I find most uneducated and biased are those who trumpet Silver and XRP — Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) December 12, 2025 At times he has made bearish forecasts — including predictions that XRP would slide toward zero against Bitcoin — while at other moments he identified bullish chart patterns and set higher targets that were later hit before the market reversed. Community Pushback And Surprises Responses came fast. Zach Rector, a known figure in the XRP space, pushed back on Brandt’s view. Reports disclosed that Bitcoin maximalist YoungHoon Kim said on December 12 that he would start buying XRP — a notable shift for someone who had favored Bitcoin exclusively. Kim has claimed an IQ of 276, a detail many readers flagged as unverifiable, but it was repeated in social posts and prompted discussion. X Finance Bull accepted Brandt’s trading record but suggested that charts alone may miss broader structural moves in crypto markets. Dr. Don Woods, a self-described silver bull, joked that triple-digit returns had left him unbothered by labels of bias or ignorance. XRP: Price Context And Market Moves According to market snapshots tied to the exchanges, XRP traded above $3 at one point before slipping toward the lower end of the $2 region. Volume and broader crypto swings played parts in that move. Brandt’s critics point to that resilience as proof his calls are sometimes off. His supporters say his track record over five decades still deserves weight. Both views are in circulation, and both are being used to argue different investment cases. 10,000 XRP And The Freedom Argument Meanwhile, Edoardo Farina, founder of Alpha Lions Academy, has kept a steady bullish stance. Based on his past posts, he argued that holding 10,000 XRP could put an investor in a special position if prices rise enough. Related Reading: American Bitcoin Makes Big Buy, Adds 416 BTC To Its Stack “It’s hard to understand how free you’ll be,” he wrote in one message that was later shared widely. That claim contains no timeline or clear price targets. It is a conviction play, not a forecast built from disclosed assumptions. The differing views is part of a wider debate about bias, data, and belief in crypto. Some traders treat Brandt’s words as a warning against unchecked optimism. Others treat community pushback as evidence that XRP’s story is not settled and that broader factors — legal, regulatory, and adoption-related — could change the math. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP’s recent pullback to $2 has not changed the broader technical picture, according to a new analysis shared on X by crypto analyst Egrag Crypto. Despite the lack of bullish price action in recent weeks, the technical analysis proposes that the market structure continues to favor an upside continuation rather than the trend ending.  This outlook places the next three to six months in a constructive zone for XRP’s price action, where the probability of further upside is higher than the risk of a downward move. Related Reading: Do Kwon Falls Hard — Terraform Labs Chief Gets 15 Years For Wire Fraud XRP Currently In Consolidation, Not Distribution The assessment of Egrag’s technical analysis is based on XRP’s price action currently ticking a list of boxes that points to the next move being up. The first of these boxes is what the analyst referred to as a regime shift, which occurred after the XRP price made a decisive breakout from a multi-year base around $0.5 last year. This decisive breakout shifted the market from accumulation to expansion. Pullbacks in this phase are usually corrective, not trend-ending. In that context, the current price action can be viewed as part of a natural pause rather than a signal that the larger bullish move has failed. Another central argument in the analysis is that the current price behavior represents consolidation rather than distribution. Egrag Crypto describes the market as being in a compression phase following an impulse, and this is a pause, not a top. Although XRP has spent about 13 months ranging within this structure, the analyst interpreted this as extended consolidation instead of a distribution process. Chart Image From X. Source: @egragcrypto On X EMA Structure Keeps Bullish Bias Intact Another reason as to why the trend is more likely bullish is because XRP is still trading in alignment with its long-term exponential moving average, which remains above the 21 EMA. That relationship preserves the bullish bias, even though price currently sits below the faster 9 EMA, but this only reflects short-term weakness rather than a structural breakdown. Beyond pure chart structure, fundamental developments have added weight to the case for longer-term appreciation. XRP is currently holding $2 as an important support zone, and recent developments have emerged that could increase bullish sentiment. An example is Ripple’s conditional approval alongside other crypto firms for a national trust bank charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Related Reading: Solana’s Long-Awaited Firedancer Launch Sparks 5% Rally Although the outlook is much more bullish, there is always the possibility of turning bearish within the next six months. According to Egrag, this outlook can only turn bearish if XRP records a sustained monthly close below the $1.80 to $1.60 region.  Taken together, the analysis concludes that XRP is more likely to resolve higher than lower over the next three to six months, even if there is price volatility along the way. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP has struggled to create any upside traction over the past few days, with the price rejecting above $2.15 in the middle of the week and now back to lingering just above the $2 level.  A new long-term technical comparison shared by crypto analyst ChartNerd places XRP’s price behavior since its July all-time high of $3.65 into an interesting context, implying that what XRP is doing now resembles a phase from its 2016 market cycle that points to an incoming huge rally. Related Reading: American Bitcoin Makes Big Buy, Adds 416 BTC To Its Stack Repeating 2016 Rejection And ABC Crash Structure According to crypto analyst ChartNerd, XRP’s current structure matches a similar price action that unfolded in late 2016. when price rejected an accumulation supply block and rolled into an ABC corrective move. That correction ultimately produced a 69% flash-wick decline that extended into the first quarter of 2017.  The drop was severe and unfolded over several months, eventually pushing XRP to as low as $0.00240, but it eventually represented the end of the correction rather than the end of the bullish cycle. The chart accompanying the analysis, which is shown below, highlights a similar rejection pattern forming now. This pattern is based on how the XRP price rejected at its most recent all-time high in July. Since then, the monthly price chart has been printing consecutive red candles, with monthly closes consistently below opens. At the time of writing, XRP is about a 44% correction from this all-time high. This means a 69% correction is yet to play out in its entirety. Therefore, if history repeats, a full 69% ABC-style move from the all-time high would drag XRP back below $1 and as low as $0.8. This move is expected to play out into the first quarter of 2026. XRP Price Chart. Source: @ChartNerdTA Potential Drop Could Be A Set-Up For A Much Larger Rally XRP is currently trading at $2.04. Therefore, a deeper pullback below $1 will translate to a 51% decrease from the current price action. The idea of a deeper pullback from $2 is tough to imagine, especially given the inflows into Spot XRP ETFs. In fact, a pullback of that magnitude could test conviction across the market and cause many bullish traders to step aside. However, the technical analysis frames it as a structural reset rather than anything else. In 2017, the post-crash consolidation laid the groundwork for one of XRP’s most explosive rallies on record, ultimately delivering gains in excess of 110,000%. Related Reading: Is Dogecoin Waking Up? Critical On-Chain Metric Explodes Higher If this sequence plays out as expected, then the real bullish opportunity would develop later in 2026. From that reset zone, the chart projects a long-term advance to the 1.618 Fibonacci extension, placing a potential upside target around $27. The visual projection in the chart above shows a clean multi-month expansion zone that delivers a 2,300% gain after the corrective phase.  Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The XRP price has been on a steep downward spiral throughout the second half of 2025, falling from its all-time high of around $3.65. However, finding support at the $2 mark has been a consistent theme during the altcoin’s period of decline. Most recently, the XRP price fell this week from its local high close to $2.20 before bouncing back from the $2 mark. While the coin’s value continues to hover around this psychological price point, below is a look at other relevant levels that could determine its future trajectory. Key On-Chain Levels For XRP In a December 12 post on social media platform X, crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared on-chain insights into the current market outlook for the XRP token. Using Glassnode’s Cost Basis Distribution Heatmap, the market pundit identified three key levels for the XRP price. Related Reading: Crypto Exchange Binance To Assist Pakistan In Tokenizing $2 Billion In Government Bonds The Cost Basis Distribution Heatmap tracks the average cost basis of the total XRP token supply. With the help of a heatmap, this metric highlights different price levels and the density of investors who purchased their tokens within and around these price levels. The deep red shade on the heatmap indicates an investor cluster with their cost basis around the highlighted price regions. These zones often act as dynamic support and resistance, depending on whether the current XRP price is below or above them. Martinez highlighted that the $1.96 and 1.78 zones are the next support cushions for the price of XRP. As seen with recent rebounds around the $1.96 level, the altcoin will likely also bounce back (if it loses the current immediate support) at $1.78, as investors tend to double down and defend their positions by buying more when the price returns to their cost basis, thereby keeping the token’s price afloat. Meanwhile, Martinez noted that the $2.17 level is a resistance zone for the XRP price, as several investors with their cost basis around it are likely to sell when the price returns to this zone. This selling activity, in turn, puts downward pressure on the altcoin and prevents its price from breaking out. Ultimately, this on-chain observation reveals that the XRP price needs to at least break the resistance at $2.17 to kickstart any fresh upward trajectory. On the flip side, a loss of the $1.96 support could see the fourth-largest cryptocurrency fall to as low as $1.78. XRP Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of XRP stands at around $2.01, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the altcoin is down by nearly 2% on the weekly timeframe, according to CoinGecko’s data. Related Reading: Here’s Why Bitcoin’s Reaction To Fed Policy Turns Bearish After Each FOMC Update Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has again predicted that the XRP price could reach $27. This time around, he outlined the technical formation that could spark a parabolic surge for the altcoin as it eyes the $27 target.  How The XRP Price Could Reach $27 In an X post, Egrag Crypto stated that the Linear Regression targets for the XRP price are $3.4, $10, and $27. He further explained that, as of this month, these three major price levels stand out based on the long-term Logarithmic Linear Regression Channel. The analyst then touched on each price target and how XRP could reach there.  Related Reading: XRP Price Needs To Hold This Macro Support For Hope Of Revival Egrag Crypto described the $3.40 target for the XRP price as the mean reversion. He stated that a retest and rejection from $3.40 would be one of the strongest bearish TA signals for the altcoin. The analyst further remarked that this target is based solely on chart structure, not fundamentals. He added that a close above this level means that XRP is officially back in macro bullish territory.  Furthermore, the analyst stated that the $10 target for the XRP price is the upper midline. He explained that this is where full bull expansion normally accelerates and that the target rises with time because this channel is logarithmic. Lastly, Egrag Crypto highlighted $27 as the top of the channel. He noted that multiple long-term confluences point to this target for the altcoin.  Notably, this XRP price prediction comes amid several bullish fundamentals for the altcoin. Ripple was just granted a conditional approval for its national trust bank charter, which could boost XRP’s adoption. XRP also just expanded to Solana with Hex Trust’s launch of its wrapped XRP token for DeFi purposes. Meanwhile, Swiss bank AMINA Bank has integrated Ripple payments, which utilize XRP.   The Major Levels To Watch Haven’t Changed Crypto analyst CasiTrades stated that the major levels for the XRP price haven’t changed. The macro supports are $2.03 and $1.64. On the other hand, the macro resistance is $2.41, which a break above would confirm a bullish scenario for the altcoin. The analyst remarked that if a break above $2.41 happens, the next measured targets stand around $2.75 and $2.90.  Related Reading: Analyst Predicts XRP Price Will Rise To $14 By Frontrunning Bitcoin By Over 600% However, if the XRP price breaks below the macro support at $2.03, CasiTrades predicts that the altcoin could fall below $1.97 and decline towards the $1.64 major support. She reiterated that there is no official confirmation yet on the next potential move for XRP. Interestingly, the world’s largest IQ holder, YoungHoon Kim, stated that XRP has a strong possibility of reaching a new ATH by the end of this year.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.01, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP is in a mild undervalued zone according to the 30-day MVRV Ratio. Here’s how other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum compare. XRP 30-Day MVRV Ratio Shows Negative Returns In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has talked about how the 30-day Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) Ratio is currently looking for the different top coins in the cryptocurrency sector like Bitcoin and XRP. Related Reading: Stellar (XLM) Forms Signal That Last Led To 95% Price Rally The “MVRV Ratio” is a popular indicator that keeps track of the ratio between an asset’s market cap and its Realized Cap. The latter capitalization model calculates the cryptocurrency’s total value by assuming the value of each individual token is equal to the spot price at which it was last transacted on the blockchain. The Realized Cap can be thought of as an estimate of the capital that the investors as a whole used to purchase their tokens. In contrast, the market cap is the value that they are carrying in the present. As the MVRV Ratio takes the ratio between the two, it essentially contains information about the profit-loss balance of the investors. In the context of the current topic, a very specific form of the MVRV Ratio is of interest: the 30-day version. This metric only tracks the profit-loss balance for the traders who got into the market during the past month. Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the 30-day MVRV Ratio for six assets: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, XRP, and Chainlink. As is visible in the above graph, the 30-day MVRV Ratio hasn’t displayed a uniform behavior across the top cryptocurrencies, indicating that the situation of the 30-day buyers is different for the various assets. Ethereum currently has the metric at a positive value of 7.2%. This means that market entrants from the past month are sitting on a gain of 7.2% on the network. Bitcoin also has a positive value, but at just a level of 2.4%, the 30-day traders are more-or-less breaking even. Chainlink also has a very neutral trend with the 30-day MVRV Ratio at a value of -0.3%. Cardano 30-day traders are also in the red, but in its case, the losses are more notable at -4.4%. Finally, new XRP investors are down 6.1%, implying that the network currently hosts the worst trader profitability. This fact, however, may not actually be negative for the cryptocurrency. Generally, the higher investor gains get, the more likely they become to participate in a selloff with the aim of profit realization. This can make a top more probable for the asset when its MVRV Ratio is at a high level. Similarly, a deep negative value can be bullish instead, as it suggests profit-takers have probably become depleted. Related Reading: Bitcoin Lacks Fresh Momentum As Realized Cap Growth Still Declining In the chart, the analytics firm has defined overvalued and undervalued zones based on the 30-day MVRV Ratio. XRP is currently the only one in an undervalued zone, while Ethereum is inside a mild overbought region. XRP Price At the time of writing, XRP is floating around $2.04, up 1.5% over the last 24 hours. Featured image from Dall-E, Santiment.net, chart from TradingView.com

XRP has been under clear pressure in recent sessions, sliding toward its lowest price of the year as the broader crypto market continues to absorb heavy selling. Sentiment remains fragile, and many traders have shifted into defensive positioning while awaiting clearer macro signals. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Refuse to Sell: Historic Signal Emerges As Binance CDD Drops To 2017 Levels According to a new report from CryptoQuant, however, the underlying picture is more complex than the price chart suggests. Despite the short-term decline, XRP whales are becoming increasingly active, showing no hesitation in trading and accumulating even as retail participation weakens. This divergence between whale behavior and market sentiment is noteworthy. Historically, XRP’s most significant recoveries have begun during phases of deep pessimism, when large holders quietly build exposure rather than chase rallies. The latest data confirms this pattern: while price approaches yearly lows, whale-driven transaction volume has risen, signaling that high-value wallets are repositioning rather than exiting. Whale Accumulation and CVD Shift Signal a Potential XRP Bottom The CryptoQuant report highlights that the recent surge in whale activity follows a pattern often observed during market bottoming phases. Large holders rarely accumulate aggressively during strong uptrends; instead, they tend to build positions quietly during periods of weakness, when sentiment is poor, and prices are depressed. Their willingness to buy in the current environment—while XRP trades near yearly lows—suggests strategic positioning rather than speculative momentum chasing. This behavior is typically interpreted as a pre-rally signal. When whales accumulate into weakness, it indicates confidence that current prices offer value and that the downside may be limited. Historically, such phases have preceded meaningful upside moves in XRP, as whale accumulation often absorbs available sell pressure and stabilizes market structure. Supporting this view, the report also points to a notable shift in the XRP Spot Taker CVD, which has turned taker-buy dominant. This means that aggressive buyers are now driving more of the executed volume, reflecting strengthening demand in real time. A taker-buy dominant CVD often emerges before sustained rallies, as it highlights increasing willingness among market participants to buy at the ask rather than wait for dips. Together, rising whale accumulation and a bullish CVD trend paint an increasingly constructive backdrop for XRP’s medium-term outlook. Related Reading: This Whale Isn’t Stopping: $392M Ethereum Long And A Tight Liquidation Price Revealed Price Analysis: Testing Yearly Lows as Structure Weakens XRP continues to trade near its yearly lows, with the chart showing a clear deterioration in trend structure. Price remains pinned below all major moving averages—the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day—indicating that bullish momentum has not yet returned. The persistent rejection at the 50-day moving average throughout November and December highlights the strength of overhead resistance and the absence of sustained buying pressure from the broader market. The $2.00 region, now acting as a key horizontal support, has been tested multiple times over the past month. Each retest shows reduced volatility, suggesting that sellers are no longer driving aggressive breakdown attempts. But demand remains too weak to generate a meaningful rebound. A decisive loss of this level could open the door toward the $1.80–$1.90 support zone. XRP previously consolidated during the early stages of the 2025 rally. Related Reading: Why Ethereum’s Rally Isn’t Overheated – And Where Demand Must Grow Next Volume also confirms the broader downtrend. Selling spikes stand out noticeably, whereas buy-side volume remains muted. This imbalance reinforces the prevailing bearish structure, even as whale accumulation begins to appear on-chain. For XRP to shift out of this downtrend, bulls must reclaim the 50-day moving average and produce higher lows. Until then, the chart signals continued caution. Whale activity must begin translating into visible spot demand, or the risk skews to the downside. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Young Hoon Kim — the social-media personality who styles himself as the “IQ 276” record holder — just gave the XRP crowd a fresh piece of rocket fuel. “I buy XRP from now on,” Kim wrote on X on Friday, in what appears to be his first straight-up XRP shoutout after days of near-constant Bitcoin evangelizing. I buy #XRP from now on. — YoungHoon Kim, IQ 276 (@yhbryankimiq) December 12, 2025 Why The XRP Endorsement Now? And, yeah, the XRP Army did what it always does: it treated the post like a mini event. “The smartest man in the world is buying XRP,” one account, Gordon (@GordonGekko), replied — then immediately stapled the other big narrative of the day onto it: “XRP is now on Solana too. Is this the start of an XRP rally?” That second line isn’t just vibes. Solana’s official account posted “BREAKING: XRP is coming to Solana,” pointing to a wrapped-asset setup that would let XRP trade and move inside Solana DeFi rails. Hex Trust, which is positioning itself as issuer/custodian for the wrapped token (wXRP), says the product is designed to be 1:1 backed and redeemable for native XRP, using LayerZero’s OFT standard and launching “starting with Solana” (with more chains name-checked). Related Reading: Why This Market Analyst Is Warning Crypto Investors To Stop Buying XRP So Kim’s timing, intentional or not, landed right on top of a very convenient distribution channel: “XRP, but DeFi-ready.” If you’re an XRP holder who’s been watching Solana soak up memecoin liquidity and on-chain volume for the past year, that’s an easy story to forward to your group chat. The funny part is Kim’s recent persona has leaned hard into Bitcoin-maxi prophecy. In the last week alone, he made dozens of Bitcoin posts via X. On December 7, he posted: “In my personal view, Bitcoin’s current price is just a temporary discount caused by what seems to be market manipulation. I think any such manipulation may disappear within a week, and then it could start accelerating toward a new ATH.” Just a few days later, on December 10, he wrote: “My analysis suggests that Bitcoin may have set its bottom a few weeks ago, and we could now be entering a true supercycle.” One day later, he added: “”My analysis suggests that Bitcoin reaching 300K in early 2026 is a logical scenario.” Related Reading: XRP Forecast Turns Explosive As Canadian Experts Highlight Massive FinTech Utility Yesterday, Kim posted: “Bitcoin looks ready to break every prediction ever written. The real bull run begins when people think it’s already over,” before adding today: “I think Bitcoin is the money of God” and “In my view, one of the fastest ways to get rich is to stack Bitcoin.” So why the sudden XRP detour? No explanation yet, at least publicly. There’s also the reality that Kim is, politely put, controversial. Korean coverage has described him as being reported as an “IQ 276” holder tied to mind-sports organizations, but the broader profile has drawn scrutiny and debate online, with questions about verifiability and sourcing trailing the “world’s highest IQ” framing. Still, crypto doesn’t really wait for footnotes. A big claim, a big ticker, a hot comment section — and now an XRP-to-Solana headline to glue it together. That’s plenty for a one-day narrative. At press time, XRP traded at $2.04. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.