XRP (XRP-USD) briefly climbed above $3 earlier today, tapping as high as $3.08 before cooling off. The jump was partly driven by short bursts of volume on Korean exchanges and some last-minute optimism around Ripple’s ongoing legal saga. But despite the early jolt, XRP couldn’t keep the gains. The token drifted back below the key $3 level, settling closer to $2.98 by the afternoon.
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That slight pullback might seem minor, but psychologically, the $3 threshold has become a battlefield. Traders are watching it like a heartbeat monitor. A strong hold above it could trigger renewed confidence, but a failure to stay there opens the door to more volatility.
And right now, confidence is hard to come by.
Whales Hit the Sell Button
One of the main pressure points this week has been heavy whale activity, and not in a good way. Analysts flagged over 720 million XRP moved in recent sessions, with much of it ending up on exchanges. That kind of volume is rarely a good omen. It tells us large holders are moving their chips off the table, either to cash out or brace for more turbulence.
The charts are also offering little relief. The TD Sequential indicator, which has a track record of catching trend reversals, just flashed a fresh sell signal. Traders see it as confirmation that XRP’s rally is getting tired. If that $3 floor gives way, technical setups suggest a slide toward $2.80 is in play, with even deeper support zones lurking near $2.48.
Some bulls hoped the whale dumping might be a last flush before a rebound. But so far, that theory hasn’t played out.
Whale Withdrawal Sparks a Glimmer, Then Fizzles
On-chain trackers caught a $58 million XRP transfer off a major exchange, hinting that at least one whale was pulling out of the sell zone. That outflow briefly fueled hopes of a recovery. XRP snapped up to $3.07 in a flash, seemingly encouraged by the supply drop.
But the move was short-lived. Selling pressure returned almost immediately, and XRP failed to hold its gains. The rally fizzled out, and that $3 zone turned into quicksand.
That pattern, brief strength followed by fading momentum, is becoming a theme. And unless the underlying drivers shift, rallies like this one may continue to collapse under their own weight.
Legal Clouds and Big Predictions Compete for Attention
Beyond the charts, sentiment is being shaped by something even less predictable: the legal calendar. The SEC’s looming decision on Ripple’s appeal remains the biggest wildcard. If the court sides with Ripple or signals a resolution is near, XRP could get a jolt of clarity and maybe even institutional inflows. But if the situation drags, or worse, turns negative, the market could punish the token further.
Meanwhile, the forecasts keep flying. Some machine learning models suggest XRP could climb as high as $5 by year-end if everything lines up. But such projections are built on assumptions that currently feel distant. We would need bullish courts, stronger ETF flows, and fading whale resistance for that price level to clear.
At the time of writing, XRP is sitting at $3.0819.
