For the time they promised it to us, this XRP rocket. Victory against the SEC? It’s done. Partnerships? Multiple. ETFs? Launched. And yet, Ripple’s crypto struggles to take off sustainably. What was supposed to be a fireworks show looks more like a damp fuse. Behind the nice announcements, the market speaks another language: that of disengagement. And the more days pass, the more the dream of “XRP to the moon” looks like a joke among nostalgic traders.
On the charts, XRP attempts a last stand. Between December 26 and 28, its price climbs up to $1.87, supporting a support at $1.86. One might believe in a recovery. But behind this rise hides a less flattering reality: transaction volume dropped by 37% in just 24 hours. A detail? Not really. Because in the crypto sphere, volume is the thermometer of conviction.
During festive periods, markets slow down, that’s true. But history shows that some assets take advantage of liquidity troughs to surprise. This is not the case for XRP. The rise of precious metals wasn’t enough to energize the crypto community, even less the Ripple traders.
This volume drop could well betray a growing disinterest or strategic fatigue. And when the action is discreet, it’s often because capital has fled. Far away. Toward projects perceived as more dynamic. The paradox? XRP rises… but alone. In an empty room, applause doesn’t resonate.
Beyond bullish candles, the indicators send a very different message. The RSI, for example, displays a marked bearish divergence. Simply put: the price rises, but momentum weakens. No need to be an expert to understand that such imbalance often announces a sharp reversal.
Added to this is another worrying indicator: the Open Interest on Binance, dropped to $450 million. A low since November 2024. This figure reflects the number of derivative contracts still open. A drop of this magnitude? It signifies a massive disengagement of leveraged traders. Not a strategy. A flight.
Another hot spot: the $1.80 level, now a tension zone. Breaking this symbolic threshold downwards could trigger a cascade of automatic sales, reinforcing the bearish scenario. A true test of resilience for Ripple.
And in the rest of the crypto ecosystem? No better. Bitcoin plays hopscotch below $90,000, unable to break decisively. Altcoin season? On hold. And investors, they watch the horizon, finger on the “exit” button.
Promises are no longer enough. In the crypto universe, hype doesn’t replace use cases. Coinbase summarized it well: we are entering a phase where real activity will weigh more than marketing stories. And in this new equation, projects like Ripple will have to prove more than press releases and ETF announcements.
The year 2025 had started well for XRP. Closure of the dispute with the SEC, strategic acquisitions, product launches. Even artificial intelligences – ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity – made their predictions. But over the months, momentum diluted. Technical supports gave way one by one. Optimism dwindled.
And this is not specific to XRP. Other cryptos, albeit robust, also struggle to rally crowds. Year-end volatility acts as a trust reveal. Or its absence.
Crypto loves surprises, but at this year-end, fatigue seems to be affecting the troops. Meanwhile, even XRP ETFs, after 30 positive days, now record outflows. Seasonal fatigue or strategic repositioning? In any case, the timing is no coincidence. Once again, collective psychology precedes the charts.
