preferred on
Points of Focus
- XRP is testing the critical $1 support level as bearish momentum persists.
- A close below $0.97 could expose XRP to further downside.
- XRP ETPs attracted $253.6 million despite falling assets under management.
XRP (XRP) is trading near $0.99, placing the token’s psychologically important $1 support level under renewed pressure.
The test comes despite strong institutional inflows and rapid growth in stablecoins and tokenized assets on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
The contrast illustrates XRP’s central challenge: Expanding infrastructure and investment-product demand have yet to translate into stronger price momentum or broader onchain activity.
XRP remains trapped below major MAs
The near-term technical picture remains bearish. XRP is trading below its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day exponential moving averages (EMAs), currently positioned around $1.07, $1.15, and $1.34, respectively.
This concentration of overhead resistance suggests sellers retain control following the recent pullback. The relative strength index (RSI) near 36 also points to weak momentum, while a marginally negative moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) histogram indicates that downside pressure has not fully subsided.
The Bollinger Bands provide tighter levels to monitor. XRP is below the midpoint near $1.03, while the lower band sits around $0.97. A decisive close below $0.97 could invalidate the current stabilization attempt and expose the token to further losses.
Conversely, recovering $1.03 would be an initial sign of improvement. XRP would then need to break $1.07 and $1.15 before targeting stronger resistance around $1.30-$1.34.
ETF inflows fail to offset falling activity
Global XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted $253.6 million during the second quarter, rising from $174.8 million in Q1.
Nevertheless, quarter-end assets under management fell 17.1% to $1.99 billion as XRP’s 19.9% quarterly price decline outweighed the new capital.
Underlying market activity also weakened. Centralized exchange spot volume fell 53.5%, perpetual futures volume declined 44%, and XRPL’s native decentralized exchange volume dropped 35.9%.
Total ledger transactions decreased 6.5%, while average daily active addresses fell 10.7%, reinforcing the disconnect between institutional inflows and network usage.
XRPL growth has not created direct XRP demand
XRPL-native stablecoin supply surged by 195% to $825.5 million, led by a 257% increase in RLUSD supply. Tokenized real-world assets also reached $4.46 billion.
However, these figures do not automatically generate proportional XRP demand.
— Blockworks (@Blockworks) August 18, 2026
Stablecoin transactions use XRP for small fees and account reserves, but most transferred value remains denominated in stablecoins.
For a durable recovery, XRP needs infrastructure growth to produce deeper liquidity, sustained transactions, and broader token utility. Until that happens, defending $0.97-$1 remains the immediate test.
Share
Most read articles
