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One of the largest XRP buying campaigns of the second half of 2026 is unfolding on the market. In just 96 hours, large investors have absorbed approximately 1.54 billion tokens from the market.
At the current exchange rate, this amount is valued at $2.2 billion. Against this backdrop, $2.00 per coin has once again become a tangible target.
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Data from the analytics platform Santiment clearly confirms a sharp shift in sentiment among key network participants. The supply distribution chart shows a vertical surge in holdings. The combined balances of whale addresses have broken out of a prolonged plateau in just a few days and surged toward peak levels.
XRP whale accumulation jumps to 9.81 bililon tokens, Source: Ali Martinez / SantimentThe buying spree comes amid the formation of a rare technical pattern, the inverse head and shoulders, on the daily XRP/USD chart. The anatomy of this move is as follows:
Defense zone: Large investors have established strong support around $1.33, forming a solid right shoulder of the pattern.Current base: The token's price is currently holding around $1.40, demonstrating firm stability.Main barrier: The key resistance for buyers remains the neckline at $1.55.The main barrier is $1.55. What happens if XRP breaks through?The market is successfully absorbing massive volumes of incoming liquidity. According to on-chain trackers, a large inflow of XRP to the Binance exchange has been recorded. Under normal conditions, the arrival of such volumes on trading platforms triggers panic and a decline in prices.
However, the current aggressive buying demand is fully absorbing this supply. Tokens are being rapidly withdrawn from exchanges to cold wallets for long-term holding. This factor significantly reduces selling pressure and limits the risk of sudden sell-offs.
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The fate of the large-scale rally is being decided within the current price range. If the current 96-hour momentum allows bulls to secure a daily close above the $1.55 resistance level, the bullish pattern will be confirmed. In that case, the technical setup could open a direct path for XRP toward the psychological $2 mark.
A major accumulation of XRP is taking place, with large investors purchasing roughly 1.54 billion tokens over the past 96 hours. At current prices, this acquisition represents a value of $2.2 billion, marking one of the most significant buy campaigns for the cryptocurrency in the latter half of 2026.
Whale buying sparks optimism for $2 targetSantiment, a blockchain analytics provider, reported that the supply held by key network participants has surged after a period of stagnation. The platform’s charts show a steep rise in the combined balances of so-called ‘whale’ addresses, quickly approaching historical peak levels for XRP ownership.
This surge in activity suggests renewed confidence among major holders, fueling speculation that $2 per coin is once again within reach. The increased concentration of XRP in large wallets coincides with a powerful technical formation spotted on the daily trading chart.
Santiment’s data highlights a sharp reversal in sentiment as leading XRP holders rapidly escalate accumulation, breaking a months-long plateau.
According to chart analysts, XRP has developed an inverse head and shoulders pattern, often seen as a bullish signal in financial markets. The structure is supported by several key price levels emerging over the past week.
Technical pattern and price structureMarket participants have identified a defense zone around $1.33, regarded as the right shoulder base of the formation and an area where large investors have provided significant support. The token is currently stabilizing near $1.40, demonstrating resilience above this level. Meanwhile, resistance remains concentrated at the pattern’s neckline, currently set at $1.55.
Recent on-chain tracking has monitored a substantial inflow of XRP to the Binance exchange, the world’s largest crypto trading platform. Typically, such inflows raise concerns about potential sell-offs; however, the significant demand has quickly absorbed new supply, with many tokens being transferred from exchanges to cold wallets for long-term storage.
This swift withdrawal to cold wallets reduces immediate selling pressure and decreases the likelihood of abrupt price corrections. It also signals a preference among whale investors to hold rather than liquidate their XRP positions in the near term.
The eventual direction of XRP now hinges on its ability to close a daily trading session above the crucial resistance at $1.55. If this threshold is breached and sustained, analysts state that the technical setup would validate the inverse head and shoulders pattern, suggesting a potential move toward the psychological $2 milestone.
Mini dictionary: Santiment, a blockchain data analytics platform, provides real-time insights into cryptocurrency network activity—including supply movements by large holders, known as whales—that help traders and analysts assess market sentiment and underlying trends.
Price LevelRole in Pattern$1.33Defense zone (right shoulder)$1.40Current base$1.55Main resistance (neckline)$2.00Target if confirmed
Carolina, a well-followed cryptocurrency enthusiast on social media, has identified a recurring pattern on the XRP daily chart that previously triggered a significant price increase earlier in the year. This pattern, known as the AMD cycle—Accumulation, Manipulation, Distribution—appears to be unfolding once again, based on her technical analysis.
The AMD Cycle on XRP’s ChartThe initial AMD cycle began in late June, featuring an extended accumulation period when XRP remained above $1. A sudden manipulation phase emerged, briefly pushing the price down to approximately $0.98, before a sharp recovery during the distribution phase sent the coin to a peak of $1.68. Carolina’s current analysis suggests that a second AMD cycle is developing on the chart, mirroring the earlier sequence.
Mini dictionary: AMD cycle, a technical analysis framework describing three phases in asset prices—accumulation (when investors quietly build positions), manipulation (where the price is moved lower, often to cause weak hands to sell), and distribution (when holders sell into upward momentum, often leading to a price surge).
Carolina’s chart shows one AMD cycle completed and a second currently underway. The pattern’s repetition has caught the attention of many traders tracking XRP’s performance in recent months.
Analysis describes the earlier AMD sequence: accumulation above $1, manipulation down to $0.98, and a distribution run that drove XRP up to $1.68 within a few months. Chart patterns suggest this powerful structure may be repeating.
The Manipulation Phase is Now ActiveCarolina states that XRP has entered the manipulation phase, which she describes as “happening RIGHT NOW.” The asset is currently trading at $1.3049. After previously climbing close to $1.70 in the first distribution, XRP pulled back and entered a zone of consolidation near $1.30. This price action, according to Carolina, signals the manipulation stage within the AMD cycle.
In this phase, prices tend to dip lower, applying downward pressure that causes many retail traders to exit their positions. Such conditions, she claims, are necessary to set up the larger distribution rally that often follows.
According to the chart, this period may offer an opportunity for strategic investors, similar to the earlier dip that preceded XRP’s substantial move higher in the first AMD cycle.
Distribution Phase: Potential Upside for XRPThe next expected step is the distribution phase. According to Carolina’s projection, this stage would follow current price activity and could push XRP from levels near $1.30 to a target above $2.30, if the previous cycle serves as a guide. The prior distribution phase saw XRP climb from $0.95 to $1.68, marking one of the strongest rallies for the asset so far this year.
Carolina’s analysis depends on observing structural repetition between the current and previous AMD cycles. The chart highlights a green box to the right, indicating the projected area for upward movement in the anticipated distribution phase. Technical traders are monitoring these signals to determine whether XRP will repeat its earlier breakout performance.
AMD Cycle PhaseFirst Cycle Price RangeSecond Cycle Price Range (Projected)Accumulation$1.00+$1.30 (consolidation)Manipulationdown to $0.98current dip near $1.30Distributionup to $1.68projected to $2.30+Carolina maintains that if the AMD cycle continues to repeat, XRP could experience another round of significant upside. However, she reminds traders that market conditions remain volatile and outcomes can differ from historical patterns.
TLDR: XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 has support from 30 of 35 tracked validators, but activation depends on maintaining at least 80% support through September 29. The feature groups up to eight transactions, allowing asset transfers, payments and platform fees to settle together or fail as one operation. Ripple says asset managers and commercial projects are building around delivery-versus-payment, while partner details have not been disclosed. Developers withdrew Batch V1.0 after a signature flaw, then released V1.1 with redesigned authorization and reviews by Halborn and Common Prefix. Ripple says asset managers are preparing for XRP Ledger Batch V1.1, a payments upgrade for linked transactions. It can group eight XRP Ledger transactions in one operation. The all-or-nothing setting completes every transaction or cancels the group.
The design supports delivery-versus-payment, linking asset transfers with payment. RippleX engineering head Ayo Akinyele said commercial projects already account for XRP Ledger Batch V1.1.
The XRPL Dashboard lists support from 30 of 35 tracked validators. The amendment needs 28 votes to start its countdown. That process began September 15 at 14:06:41 UTC. Activation could follow September 29 if support stays above 80% for fourteen days.
XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 Moves Toward Conditional Activation The vote gives XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 a conditional path toward activation. Validators can change their positions during the countdown. If support falls below 80%, the clock stops. A new fourteen-day period must begin after the amendment regains the threshold.
XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 groups transactions under a parent operation. Users can submit as many as eight linked transactions, with each transaction retaining its details. The all-or-nothing setting prevents partial settlement when one transaction fails.
Unlike a multi-step workflow, the grouped operation gives counterparties a settlement condition. If one leg fails, the ledger does not complete the other leg. That design may simplify settlement for funds, trading venues and token issuers using the XRP Ledger. It also gives developers a way to combine transfers without relying on callbacks or manual reconciliation. The feature does not guarantee adoption, since projects still need testing, compliance and preparation.
That function matters for asset managers building digital markets. A fund can transfer a tokenized asset while receiving payment within the same ledger operation. The use case gives XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 a direct role in atomic settlement.
Akinyele identified delivery-versus-payment as a key use case. The method links asset delivery and payment, rather than asking one party to send first. This can reduce exposure to incomplete settlement during a trade.
Ripple also identified fees as another application. Exchanges, wallets and marketplaces can attach service charges to a customer transaction. The payment and fee can then process as one grouped operation.
RippleX has not named the commercial projects using the feature. Akinyele said more details will follow after partners formally finalize plans and launch timing. He added that activation would move development work closer to production.
Delivery Versus Payment Shapes the Upgrade Use Cases The planned activation follows the withdrawal of Batch V1.0. Researchers found a critical signature-validation flaw in February. Under certain conditions, the code could stop checking signatures early. An attacker could then include transactions from another account without authorization.
Validators had not activated the original amendment when developers withdrew it. The vulnerable code therefore never controlled the live ledger. The flaw exposed no user funds directly.
RippleX used the incident to redesign parts of the signing and authorization model. The replacement shipped in xrpld version 3.3.0 on August 6. Ripple said the code now under consideration matches that release.
The review covered internal adversarial testing and AI-assisted analysis. It also included a Sherlock attack contest. Security firms Halborn and Common Prefix conducted assessments.
RippleX also used internal adversarial testing before seeking validator approval. The company said its wider review covered the work before V1.1 returned to the vote.
The expanded process supports the return of XRP Ledger Batch V1.1 to the validator process. Akinyele said the team raised the review standard, addressed the defect and submitted Batch V1.1 for another validator vote.
The amendment will continue through September 29 under the current schedule. Support must stay at or above 80% throughout the window. Any decline below that level would pause activation and require another countdown after support recovers.
XRP analyst JD has shared a new market outlook following the cryptocurrency’s significant decline from its $3.37 peak to $1.01. JD, known in the XRP community for accurately predicting previous price movements, stated that he previously identified $3.37 as a local high before the sharp drop, and highlighted $1.01 and the $1.25 “grey box” zone as critical support areas during the correction.
Market structure signals potential bottomIn his recent technical assessment, JD pointed to signs of a changing weekly price structure for XRP. He noted that the asset produced a higher high (HH) after the pronounced fall, describing this move as potentially significant for future price direction.
According to JD, the creation of this higher high, alongside the prior low marked by the “grey box” zone, could indicate that a bottom may have been set if the $1.20 to $1.26 support range holds. He highlighted these technical signals on a weekly chart shared with his followers.
JD wrote that XRP created a higher high on the weekly timeframe and suggested that if the grey box was the higher low, this could signify the end of the corrective move.
JD emphasized the importance of these levels by noting the $1.01 area aligns closely with the 0.786 Fibonacci retracement, often watched by chart analysts for reversal points.
Mini dictionary: Fibonacci retracement, a popular technical analysis tool that identifies potential support and resistance levels by measuring price movements relative to specific ratios defined by the Fibonacci sequence.
LevelPrice RangeSignificancePeak$3.37Recent top before crashSupport (Grey Box)$1.20–$1.26Potential higher low regionFibonacci 0.786~$1.01Possible reversal pointAnalyst maintains caution despite bullish signalsWhile JD’s outlook highlights a possible market recovery, he made clear that he remains cautious. He revealed that he has prepared additional buy orders in a separate “pink box” area below the current price levels, indicating that another leg down remains possible if XRP cannot hold current support.
JD connected his present view to his earlier successful prediction of the $3.37 peak and the steep 73% decline. His current attention is directed at maintaining vigilance until price action confirms the market’s intended direction.
JD stated he continues to monitor price behavior closely, with buy orders placed in lower zones as a precaution, underlining his wait-and-see approach despite the latest higher high structure.
He also invited followers to view his detailed trading calls through his Patreon account, where he regularly posts technical analysis updates for the XRP community.
JD’s recent analysis generated wide discussion among XRP supporters and traders. One community member, Freddie Zuiddam, questioned the validity of JD’s previous $3.37 target, suggesting a difference in interpretation. Another participant, John, shared that he prefers an accumulation strategy until he identifies a convincing profit-taking opportunity.
A further comment from Ghost_wolf supported the view that the $1.20 to $1.25 range could act as an attractive buying zone, aligning with JD’s grey box analysis.
Overall, JD’s most recent assessment centers on XRP sustaining its higher-high formation and holding the grey-box support region. The coming weeks are likely to determine whether this technical pattern leads to a sustained reversal or renewed downward pressure.
Crypto analyst Austin Hilton has highlighted recent developments that he believes mark a positive turn for XRP holders and the broader digital asset space. Hilton, a well-known commentator in the cryptocurrency community, shared his optimism on social media following a series of significant market and regulatory events.
XRP gains as crypto market shows resilienceAcross the digital asset market, prices responded positively after a week marked by key legislative and monetary policy developments. Hilton emphasized that XRP traded around 1% higher at the time of his video update, in contrast to a 2% gain in the broader crypto market. As of now, XRP trades at $1.40, reflecting an 8.35% increase in the last 24 hours.
Additional strength was observed in Solana, Zcash, and Hyperliquid, which also recorded gains. Hilton noted that major coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, XRP, and Solana managed to avoid a substantial downturn following several pressure points.
He specifically referenced events including the failure of the CLARITY Act in the Senate, the US Federal Reserve’s recent rate hike, and the Bank of Japan’s interest rate increase. According to Hilton, these could have triggered a sharp decline, but the market’s recovery illustrated investor confidence and robust sentiment.
Despite setbacks like the CLARITY Act not advancing, prices have rebounded and the market has largely discounted the negative news. The resilience of digital assets is, in my view, encouraging for holders.
AssetPrice24h ChangeXRP$1.40+8.35%BitcoinNot specifiedModest gainSolanaNot specifiedPositiveZcashNot specifiedPositiveHyperliquidNot specifiedPositiveRegulatory updates: SEC and CFTC offer new guidanceHilton pointed to regulatory actions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as another source of optimism. He explained that both agencies have begun establishing clearer rules in the crypto industry, reflecting a shift toward more defined regulatory boundaries.
In particular, Hilton highlighted the CFTC’s stance on self-custody wallets. The agency reportedly signaled that individuals who maintain wallets on their mobile phones would not be required to register those wallets, alleviating concerns over potential regulatory hurdles for everyday crypto users.
Hilton connected this proactive approach to earlier expectations that, if the CLARITY Act did not pass in the Senate, regulatory clarity would instead be shaped by the SEC and CFTC. He indicated that their ongoing measures could help shape a more stable environment for digital assets moving forward.
Mini dictionary: CFTC — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is a US government agency responsible for regulating derivatives markets, including futures and certain aspects of cryptocurrency trading.
New guidance by the SEC and CFTC, including their approach to self-custody, is seen as a step toward providing regulatory clarity and safeguarding users in the $XRP and wider crypto ecosystem.
Ongoing political and regulatory risksDespite the current positive sentiment, Hilton cautioned about future legislative uncertainties. He observed that new regulatory measures from the SEC and CFTC do not carry strong legal weight and could be challenged by future shifts in political leadership.
Hilton explained that political changes in the Senate could significantly reshape the environment for crypto regulations, potentially impacting lawmakers who support the industry.
Nevertheless, he maintained a favorable view for the near term, citing recent recovery in digital asset prices and evolving regulatory stances as key factors supporting his optimism. Hilton also noted that the Bank of Japan’s rate decision exerted little immediate pressure on the cryptocurrency market.
Reiterating his investment approach, Hilton described himself as a long-term holder and expressed continued confidence in the market’s prospects given the current trajectory of events.
Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), a solution designed to facilitate global cross-border payments, has been directly compared to the Federal Reserve’s FedNow Service for its round-the-clock liquidity management capabilities. The analysis, conducted by crypto researcher SMQKE, used documentation from both Ripple and the Federal Reserve to examine how each system addresses the challenges of providing instant payments at all hours.
Ripple ODL and XRP in Continuous PaymentsAccording to Ripple’s official documentation, ODL enables customers to transfer funds internationally and exchange between various currencies without the need for pre-funding accounts in each country. By leveraging XRP as its bridge currency, ODL allows for real-time liquidity sourcing and settlement, aiming to lower operational costs and free up working capital for its users.
SMQKE highlighted that ODL’s use of XRP provides continuous, 24/7 liquidity management, aligning with the requirements set for private sector instant payment services like FedNow. Screenshots of supporting documents from both Ripple and the Federal Reserve were provided in the researcher’s X post to underline the point.
Ripple’s documentation notes that XRP plays a central role as a bridge asset within ODL, delivering real-time funds movement and supporting always-on settlement across global corridors.
This approach has attracted attention in the industry, as real-time and cost-effective cross-border settlement remains a key demand for financial institutions and fintechs seeking to modernize payment rails.
FedNow’s Liquidity Management MechanismFedNow, launched by the US Federal Reserve to facilitate instant payments across the country, incorporates a dedicated Liquidity Management Tool (LMT) in its platform. This tool is designed to ensure that financial institutions have the necessary liquidity to process payments throughout the day and night.
The Federal Reserve states that FedNow allows for fund transfers not only between master accounts at the central bank, but also between master and joint accounts. These features target the specific liquidity needs of private-sector instant payment providers, ensuring uninterrupted operations at all hours.
According to documentation, FedNow participants can assign service providers to execute liquidity transfers on their behalf. The process also enables correspondent institutions to settle transfers initiated by participating banks. The Federal Reserve emphasizes the implementation of controls so that the liquidity management feature is used strictly for supporting instant payment operations.
Mini dictionary: FedNow, launched by the US Federal Reserve in July 2023, is a real-time gross settlement service. It aims to enable instant domestic payments 24/7 for participating US depository institutions, supporting the modernization of the American payments ecosystem.
FeatureRipple ODLFedNowLiquidity mechanismXRP-based bridge assetTransfers between central bank accountsOperational hours24/7/36524/7/365Settlement scopeCross-border, multi-currencyDomestic US, central bank moneyPre-funding requiredNoNo for liquidity, yes for account balanceBoth systems emphasize around-the-clock liquidity management to support instant payment settlement. However, Ripple ODL relies on a digital asset (XRP) for cross-border transactions, while FedNow settles liquidity transfers within domestic central bank accounts.
Industry Response and InterpretationThe discussion attracted nuanced commentary from industry participants. Contributor MEPH argued that the true value proposition for both systems is their continuous liquidity infrastructure rather than potential impacts on XRP’s price. MEPH further referenced the XRPL 3.4.0 update and its lending features, suggesting that ongoing validator activation and actual settlement volumes will demonstrate network utility and adoption.
In contrast, Jamie Williamson noted important structural differences in the two systems. Williamson explained that FedNow’s liquidity transfers occur purely within central bank accounts, using US dollars, while ODL utilizes XRP as an intermediary asset between mismatched foreign currencies. This distinction, Williamson argued, sets the two solutions apart in terms of cross-border versus domestic operations.
The comparison underscores ongoing conversations about the role of digital assets like XRP in global liquidity and the differing infrastructure choices in real-time payment systems.
Crypto market watcher Evelyn (@Evelyn31602006) has brought renewed attention to XRP’s recent performance, pointing out that a key price breakout occurred just as she anticipated. Her analysis focused on a persistent descending trendline that began at XRP’s all-time high in July 2025 and consistently deterred price advances for more than a year.
The trendline rejections and breakoutSince reaching its peak in July 2025, XRP repeatedly faced resistance along the same downward trendline, which acted as a ceiling for the asset. Over this period, sellers maintained control, resulting in at least five clear rejections at progressively lower highs. Throughout the first half of 2026, XRP compressed around the $1 range while still respecting this resistance.
In August 2026, XRP decisively breached the trendline. The move was swift, with the token soaring more than 50% in less than three days. However, the rally stalled after the CLARITY Act failed to pass the Senate, which brought renewed selling pressure and pulled XRP below $1.30. Despite the pullback, the price managed to hold above a crucial support level.
The weekly chart showed repeated failures at the descending trendline, confirming its significance until XRP’s August breakout led to a rapid 50% gain before facing renewed headwinds.
Evelyn had previously highlighted the significance of repeated trendline rejections and warned of a coming move. As the breakout materialized, her prediction about a major price shift proved timely.
Evelyn’s next targets for XRPWith the trendline broken, Evelyn charted a detailed price path for XRP’s next moves. She expects the price to retrace from $1.34 down to $1.17, then rebound to $1.90 in the first sequence. From there, she projects the second sequence to propel the asset from $1.90 to $3.10 and, eventually, to $5.20—a new all-time high.
Evelyn stated that XRP should not be expected to drop too soon, suggesting any pullback could be limited and may precede a stronger upward move into 2027.
Evelyn’s track record has drawn attention after a 50% XRP gain followed her previous forecast. The next phases, if realized, would mark significant price milestones for XRP through late 2026 and into 2027.
Mini dictionary: CLARITY Act, a proposed US legislative bill intended to clarify the regulatory status of digital assets, which, if enacted, could have significant implications for cryptocurrency markets and compliance standards.
MovePrice TargetStatusBreakout surge+50% from previous levelsCompletedShort-term pullback$1.17ProjectedFirst rebound$1.90ProjectedSecond sequence$3.10ProjectedAll-time high$5.20ProjectedXRP’s technical setup moving forwardThe long-standing trendline that restrained XRP’s price action for over a year has now been surpassed. A potential pullback to $1.17 would reflect a typical retest of the breakout level, which technical analysts often view as a healthy setup in strong upward moves.
With the trendline now acting as support, further gains remain possible if the structure holds. The $5.20 target represents a substantial climb from the current price and is seen by some analysts as contingent on broader market developments and clarity in regulatory issues.
XRP has long faced allegations that Ripple, the well-known company at the center of its ecosystem, exerts too much control over the network. However, the way the XRP Ledger (XRPL) operates means that Ripple’s influence does not translate into unilateral power to impose protocol changes.
Decentralized Amendment Process Sets Network RulesThe XRPL governs changes to its protocol through a strict amendment process. For an amendment to be enabled, it must receive support from more than 80% of trusted network validators for at least two consecutive weeks. This system is designed to prevent any single organization from dictating major updates or features on the ledger.
Ripple can propose changes and contribute significant technical resources as one of the primary code maintainers for the project. But proposals alone do not guarantee activation. As with all amendments, the wider validator community must endorse any changes that become part of XRPL’s live environment.
Operators maintain their own Unique Node Lists (UNLs), determining which validators they trust. Network consensus results from the overlap between these lists, producing a decentralized decision-making framework that is not vulnerable to control by a single entity, even one as active as Ripple.
This distributed model means that Ripple, despite its scale and expertise, cannot enforce an amendment on its own authority. Validator consensus is always necessary to move forward.
Mini dictionary: Unique Node List (UNL), a list of validators that a node operator trusts to maintain correct network consensus in the XRPL. The overlap between UNLs among nodes is key to reaching agreement without central control.
Recent Upgrade and Lending Feature Highlight the ProcessThe ongoing BatchV1_1 upgrade provides a recent example of the amendment process at work. This change was slated for a projected September 29 activation date, but only reached the final stage after passing the 80% validator threshold. The upgrade did not become active when its code was released; it required strong and consistent validator support.
This process is even more evident in the case of native lending features proposed for XRPL. Although this functionality exists in the current software, it has not yet reached live status because it remains short of necessary validator approval. This scenario shows that inclusion in software code is not equivalent to network-wide adoption.
Reaching the 80% validator threshold signals broad community consensus, but unless support is sustained for two weeks straight, amendments awaiting activation can stall indefinitely, regardless of who contributed the code.
Ripple’s stature in the ecosystem clearly affords it significant influence, thanks to its engineering team, history, and ongoing operation of network infrastructure. Still, validators from around the world retain final authority over what changes become active.
Process StepDescriptionAmendment ProposalChange is submitted by developers, including Ripple engineers or others.Validator VoteValidators review amendment and indicate support or rejection.Threshold PhaseAmendment must reach >80% validator approval for two weeks.ActivationChange becomes live if threshold maintained throughout the period.Decentralization Limits Ripple’s ControlWhile Ripple plays a critical role as a company focused on advancing enterprise blockchain solutions, the amendment process ensures that changes cannot proceed without sufficient community and validator buy-in. This governance method is a core part of XRPL’s design to sustain decentralization.
Influence and contribution are not the same as control; validators, node operators, and independent developers all participate in the governance structure that underpins XRPL.
Disagreements or lack of consensus within the community or validator group can cause amendments to stall, regardless of the level of involvement by Ripple’s engineering team. This dynamic continues to shape the evolution of the XRPL, ensuring that upgrades undergo thorough review before adoption.
Ripple has long advocated for clear regulations to guide U.S. crypto companies, warning that ongoing uncertainty could stifle digital asset innovation. However, hopes for legislative progress suffered a setback when the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate on September 15, falling short of the 60 votes required.
Ripple’s response to the legislative setbackThe company described the missed Senate vote as a significant lost opportunity, stating that the bill could have provided clear guidance for both consumers and the broader digital assets industry. Ripple emphasized that establishing such rules remains essential for industry growth and investor protection.
For Ripple specifically, the failure of the CLARITY Act lands differently than it might have in earlier years. The firm recently weathered one of the sector’s most high-profile legal challenges, as the SEC filed a lawsuit in 2020 focused on the legality of XRP sales. That years-long battle brought uncertainty around the legal classification of XRP, but recent court decisions have given the company and investors greater confidence in the token’s regulatory status.
Broader industry implicationsDespite Ripple’s progress, the larger U.S. digital asset landscape remains unsettled. The CLARITY Act sought to clarify the regulatory boundaries between securities and commodities, giving the CFTC more defined oversight within digital-asset markets. However, the legislation’s failure preserves the current divide between the SEC and CFTC, leaving questions unanswered and the regulatory environment fragmented.
As a direct consequence, the central question for XRP holders has evolved. It is no longer exclusively about whether XRP qualifies as a security; instead, attention has shifted to how exchanges, brokers, tokenized markets, and other crypto businesses will operate under U.S. law without unified legislative guidance.
The uncertainty affected market sentiment. XRP’s price dropped sharply in response to the failed vote, even while U.S. XRP ETFs maintained substantial holdings of around 1.1 billion tokens. This contrast between increased institutional involvement and regulatory ambiguity has added new complexity for investors.
Ripple highlighted the tension between expanding institutional infrastructure for XRP, such as regulated ETFs, and the persistent uncertainty affecting the rest of the U.S. crypto market as Congress once again failed to deliver comprehensive rules.
Ongoing coverage from industry analysts has underscored how the unresolved split in authority between the SEC and CFTC remains an obstacle to national policy clarity for digital assets.
Next steps for regulation and market adaptationThe setback for the CLARITY Act does not mean federal agencies have paused activity. The SEC has already proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, seeking to outline a framework for certain investment contracts involving crypto, while the CFTC is continuing its work within the commodity and derivatives sector.
In an environment where a single Federal Reserve decision or a major altcoin listing can trigger rapid market shifts, investors have increasingly sought integrated solutions for tracking data and news efficiently. Many are now turning to privacy-first platforms like CryptoAppsy for real-time charts, customizable price notifications, market news, and access to macroeconomic trends—all consolidated on one interface and available without creating an account.
Looking at the XRP ecosystem, Ripple now enjoys a stronger regulatory position thanks to its recent legal progress. However, the wider industry is still navigating the division of authority between agencies, unresolved treatment of stablecoins, and questions over tokenized assets on U.S. exchanges.
Another key development is the growth of regulated investment products for XRP. While these have drawn substantial demand, analysts have noted that ETF-driven interest has not yet propelled XRP back to its previous all-time price levels. The performance of XRP underlines that institutional adoption and legal clarity do not always result in immediate price recovery.
Overall, Ripple and market participants continue to call for comprehensive national rules as fragmented oversight persists and the landscape remains in flux.
Although Ripple has achieved greater legal certainty for XRP, investors and businesses across the U.S. crypto sector still await clear, unified regulations to guide long-term growth.
Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP) rose for a second straight day, reaching its highest level since Tuesday and climbing 15% from this week’s low. The rebound could continue after the token formed a bullish flag pattern and as inflows into its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) kept rising.
XRP Price Rebounding Amid the Crypto Market RallyXRP token continued rising on Saturday as the crypto market rally intensified. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price crossed the important resistance level of $81,000, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) jumped above $2,600. The market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies jumped to $2.8 trillion, while the Altcoin Season Index has continued to soar.
XRP’s fundamentals are also improving. For example, spot XRP ETFs continued to add assets this week, a sign that American retail and institutional investors expect it to keep rising. The funds have added $41 million in inflows this month, continuing a winning streak that started in April this year.
Ripple USD (CRYPTO: RLUSD) has continued to add assets this month. The stablecoin now has $2.37 billion in assets, with $1.03 billion being on the XRP Ledger and the rest being on Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH). This performance is a sign that XRPL’s utility is growing.
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Ripple Labs believes that RLUSD will continue growing, driven by key areas like corporate treasury, payroll, and cross-border payments. A surge in usage will lead to more fees, which will translate into more XRP burns.
XRP price has also jumped because of the rising volume and open interest. Its 24-hour volume rose by 2.7% to $4.07 billion, with its futures open interest rising to over $2.7 billion.
Ripple Price Technical Analysis Points to More GainsTechnicals, especially on the daily chart, suggest that the XRP price has more gains to go. It formed a morning star candle on September 16. This pattern is made up of a small body and small upper and lower shadows, and is one of the most bullish reversal signs in technical analysis.
The token is in the process of forming a bullish flag pattern. This pattern happens after a strong rally followed by a descending channel. It is now trading along the upper side of the descending channel.
XRP is about to form a golden cross pattern as the spread between the 50-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA) narrows. Therefore, this pattern points to a strong bullish breakout, potentially to last month’s high of $1.70. A move above that level will point to more gains to $2.
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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued Staff Letter 26-25, significantly expanding its no-action relief for passive software providers that facilitate access to regulated derivatives markets. This move, highlighted by crypto analyst Levi Rietveld on September 17, has drawn attention within the digital assets industry, particularly among $XRP holders and developers.
CFTC clarifies stance for developersPreviously, the CFTC’s relief for such software developers was limited to Phantom Technologies, which in March received similar protection through Staff Letter 26-09. The latest letter now extends this relief to all developers building passive front-end software that connects users to regulated derivatives venues.
Under the updated guidance, developers can operate without being required to register as introducing brokers, provided they adhere to a set of specific conditions. These conditions include not holding or controlling customer funds, not exercising discretion over the routing or execution of individual orders, and refraining from providing trading instructions or signals.
Additionally, software providers must disclose any conflicts of interest and ensure compliance with record-keeping requirements. The relief spans various products, covering event contracts, perpetual contracts, and other instruments under CFTC jurisdiction.
Passive developers connecting users to CFTC-regulated derivatives markets now have an avenue to operate free of introducing broker registration, given they do not control funds, provide trading signals, or exercise trade discretion. This applies to all qualifying software providers, a significant expansion from the previous single-company arrangement.
Implications for $XRP developersThe change carries notable implications for the $XRP ecosystem. By formally classifying software providers as technology developers rather than financial intermediaries, the letter effectively reduces compliance risks for those integrating $XRP-based tools into derivatives-facing applications.
Rietveld stated that the new standard addresses longstanding concerns among $XRP holders, who have sought clarity on regulatory obligations related to integrating their token into broader financial infrastructure.
The CFTC’s decision was not prompted by any single industry request, but instead came as a proactive measure to clarify the regulatory environment. The agency listed itself as the requester of the letter, making it clear that the initiative was self-driven. This signals ongoing efforts by the CFTC to provide wider, market-wide regulatory clarity without delays associated with legislative processes.
Broader regulatory contextThe announcement arrives shortly after the failure of the CLARITY Act, which did not secure the necessary Senate votes to advance further. With formal legislation facing hurdles, regulatory agencies have moved to fill the void. CFTC Chair Michael Selig has publicly committed to working with the SEC to establish clear frameworks for digital assets, and the issuance of Staff Letter 26-25 is seen as progress toward that objective.
While some Democratic lawmakers have signaled an intention to continue discussions on the CLARITY Act, industry skepticism over future negotiations lingers. For now, the CFTC’s move provides an interim framework for software developers and market participants as agencies prepare for permanent rulemaking.
The no-action relief outlined in the letter will remain in place until the CFTC finalizes formal rules. Selig has already directed his staff to begin drafting those new regulations.
Amid evolving regulatory standards, close attention to technical and market trends becomes essential for investors and developers. In fast-moving sectors like the meme token market, shifts in internet culture can rapidly drive massive interest and trading volume. As highlighted by Fomo App, a recent example saw a $99 “Niu Lai” token investment balloon to approximately $370,000. In these dynamics, the importance of monitoring not just prices but timing and individual token movements is clear. Fomo App centralizes social feeds, investor rankings, and trading alerts, offering a comprehensive view of meme token activity and investor behavior.
This development provides exactly what many $XRP holders have sought: a clear distinction between building technology and acting as a financial intermediary, reducing barriers for innovation in derivatives-linked tools.
Ripple has introduced the XRPL AI Starter Kit, a comprehensive development toolkit designed to enable artificial intelligence agents to autonomously initiate payments using XRP and RLUSD on the XRP Ledger. This move places Ripple, a blockchain-based payment solutions provider, at the forefront of bridging the gap between AI-driven economic actors and practical payment infrastructure.
XRPL AI Starter Kit enables autonomous paymentsThe XRPL AI Starter Kit empowers developers to create agent-focused payment applications utilizing XRP, Ripple’s native digital asset, as well as RLUSD, its dollar-backed stablecoin. This toolkit integrates directly with the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP), an open standard for machine-to-machine payments that was jointly developed by payments company Stripe and Europe-based remittance provider Tempo.
With this integration, AI agents can perform recurring payments and manage wallets not only on the XRP Ledger but also across multiple blockchains. The kit supports the x402 payment standard and provides tools for creating wallets, checking balances, and initiating transactions autonomously.
Mini dictionary: RLUSD is a stablecoin issued by Ripple, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. It is specifically designed to provide stability and facilitate efficient payments on the XRP Ledger ecosystem.
Ripple’s Senior Vice President at RippleX stated that XRPL was built for this kind of autonomous payment future, emphasizing that x402 support enables agents to conduct payments with XRP and RLUSD immediately.
The Machine Payments Protocol offers more than basic transaction capabilities. It introduces a session-based approach, allowing an agent to pre-approve spending limits and continuously stream micropayments without generating separate on-chain transactions for each payment. This design enables recurring agent payments at scale.
FeatureXRPL AI Starter KitTraditional Payment SolutionsRecurring/Automated PaymentsYes, via MPP/x402Limited support, manual approval commonMulti-Blockchain SupportYesUsually noAutonomous Wallet ManagementYesNoStablecoin IntegrationRLUSD includedVariesRipple strengthens ecosystem partnershipsRipple’s integration with Stripe and Tempo extends beyond technical collaboration. In July 2026, Ripple became a Premier Member of the x402 Foundation, joining a roster of major enterprises such as Coinbase, Circle, Shopify, Stripe, and American Express.
The x402 protocol was initially developed by Coinbase and is currently governed by the Linux Foundation. It has processed more than 120 million transactions, settling over $41 million in volume across 14 separate blockchains.
This development highlights a broad industry effort to standardize AI-driven payments, bringing together leading payments, fintech, and blockchain firms within a common framework.
Ripple’s network reach has continued to expand. Mastercard has included Ripple as a partner in its Agent Pay for Machines initiative, making Ripple one of over 30 launch partners in Mastercard’s agentic commerce network. Ripple is now actively integrated with the x402, Machine Payments Protocol, and Mastercard’s agentic stack.
Mini dictionary: x402 is a payments protocol for automated and recurring machine-to-machine transactions, originally created by Coinbase and now overseen by the Linux Foundation. It is used by AI agents for seamless multi-blockchain payments and wallet management.
XRP and RLUSD in autonomous commerceThe integration of AI agents with XRPL highlights a shift in payment infrastructure requirements. Fast, cost-efficient, and automated settlement processes are necessary to support workflows and transactions between machines and agents without human intervention. The XRP Ledger addresses these needs with rapid transaction finality, transparent fees, and a built-in decentralized exchange.
RLUSD complements this system by providing price stability for operations requiring predictable billing, such as automated invoice settlement and international payouts. Since the XRP Ledger allows agents to hold either XRP or RLUSD, seamless conversion between these assets is possible through its native decentralized exchange capabilities.
Digital Asset Investor, a well-known pseudonymous figure in the cryptocurrency community, has shared a bold prediction for XRP, suggesting significant price appreciation if Bitcoin achieves major milestones in the coming years.
Linking Bitcoin’s Growth to XRP PotentialIn a recent video, Digital Asset Investor discussed a scenario in which XRP could reach between $10 and $50, contingent on the trajectory of Bitcoin’s price. This projection is tied to forecasts by Ric Edelman, a prominent financial analyst and founder of Edelman Financial Engines, who anticipates that Bitcoin could hit $500,000 by 2030.
Digital Asset Investor argued that should Bitcoin attain the $500,000 level, XRP could trade in the $10 to $20 range. If Bitcoin advances further, potentially surpassing $1 million, the estimate for XRP rises to between $20 and $50. He emphasized the importance of these milestones for XRP holders, instructing viewers to “write it down” as a reminder of the potential impact of Bitcoin’s growth on leading altcoins.
Digital Asset Investor stated that if Bitcoin goes to $500,000, “you’re talking about a $10 to $20 XRP.” He further added that a $1 million Bitcoin would likely boost XRP to between $20 and $50.
Ric Edelman’s $500,000 Bitcoin ProjectionRic Edelman’s $500,000 Bitcoin target is grounded in the assumption that a broad cross-section of global investors will allocate 1% of their assets to Bitcoin. Edelman described this outlook as conservative, noting that his projection is “kind of low compared to many others.” Other analysts set even higher targets, forecasting that Bitcoin could reach between $1 million and $5 million by 2035. Edelman’s estimate, by contrast, is based on predictable adoption trends rather than speculative scenarios.
Edelman, whose firm specializes in wealth management and financial planning, has frequently commented on cryptocurrency investing and digital asset adoption in mainstream finance.
Mini dictionary: Ric Edelman – A financial advisor and author, founder of Edelman Financial Engines, recognized for public commentary on personal finance, investment trends, and digital assets.
XRP’s Price Trajectory: A Tiered ThesisThe forecast offered by Digital Asset Investor relies on the pattern seen in previous crypto market cycles, where substantial increases in Bitcoin’s price have also driven significant rallies among leading altcoins. He estimates that if Bitcoin reaches $500,000, XRP could climb to $10–$20, and if it surpasses $1 million, XRP might eventually reach between $20 and $50—representing a potential increase of more than thirtyfold from the current valuation.
Some community members have responded with both optimism and skepticism, debating whether these XRP targets are realistic or understated. Comments have ranged from suggesting that the estimate may be too conservative to doubting that such price levels can be reached within the next ten years.
Bitcoin Price TargetXRP Projected Price$500,000$10–$20$1 million or higher$20–$50 Community reactions varied, as some called the projection a lowball and others raised doubts about XRP’s chance to reach these levels in the next decade.
Countdown to 2030 and Investor OutlookEdelman’s 2030 timeline sets a clear framework for monitoring Bitcoin’s performance and its broader impact on the market. With around four years remaining, the price movements of both assets will be closely watched by investors. Digital Asset Investor connects XRP’s possible surge directly to Bitcoin achieving these ambitious benchmarks, underscoring the expectation that broader market gains could translate into outsized opportunities for major altcoins.
Crypto analyst Dark Defender released a new technical outlook for XRP, projecting strong future gains even after the recent defeat of the CLARITY Act in the US Senate. The forecast points to a sequence of potential price surges, reaching as high as $10.1101, regardless of the bill’s status.
Technical analysis points to major breakoutAccording to Dark Defender’s latest analysis, XRP is currently finishing a corrective ABC pattern, with Wave (C) finding support near the 50% Fibonacci level at $1.2939. Price action is consolidating around $1.3921, which aligns with both the 61.80% and 70.20% Fibonacci levels—$1.3798 and $1.4445, respectively.
From this base, the analyst’s chart signals the beginning of a five-wave Elliott Wave impulse. The third wave points to a notable move, targeting the 361.80% Fibonacci extension at $7.0786. A pullback is anticipated in Wave (4), which could see XRP drop to $4.1043, before the fifth and final wave potentially drives the asset up to $10.1101 at the 427.20% extension.
Pricing patterns indicate the “road to $7, first,” with a breakout forming irrespective of the CLARITY Act’s passage. The analysis pins the immediate price zone as the starting point for this projected surge.
WaveTarget LevelFibonacci Level(C)$1.293950%Current Zone$1.392161.80%-70.20%(3)$7.0786361.80%(4)$4.1043–(5)$10.1101427.20%Elliott Wave Theory, as used in this analysis, is a technical analysis method that aims to forecast financial market trends by identifying recurrent wave patterns formed by collective investor psychology.
Mini dictionary: Elliott Wave Theory, a market analysis framework developed by Ralph Nelson Elliott in the 1930s, is used by traders to identify cycles in securities prices based on wave patterns believed to reflect investor sentiment shifts.
Senate rejects CLARITY Act but analyst’s outlook holdsThe CLARITY Act, a crypto regulatory bill, was recently voted down in the US Senate, failing to achieve a simple majority with 49 votes in favor and 50 against. Notably, Democrats who were involved in negotiating the legislation opposed the bill during the final vote, joined by four Republican senators. Senator Cynthia Lummis highlighted that delays in passing crypto legislation could postpone further regulatory clarity until at least 2030.
Despite the bill’s failure, Dark Defender maintained that the expected wave pattern for XRP would emerge regardless. He had previously asserted that XRP’s price action was not dependent on the outcome of the CLARITY Act vote and stood by this analysis following the Senate’s decision.
The CLARITY Act may have stalled, but the projected technical formations for XRP remain unaltered, according to Dark Defender, with the asset expected to follow the outlined impulse trajectory.
Dark Defender is known among the crypto community for providing detailed technical outlooks on XRP, often utilizing Elliott Wave Theory and Fibonacci analysis. His projections focus on chart patterns and market psychology rather than short-term regulatory news.
Mini dictionary: Dark Defender is a crypto analyst who shares chart-based technical analysis and predictions for XRP, often under the handle @DefendDark on X (formerly Twitter).
XRP’s future price actionXRP is currently trading just above key Fibonacci support levels identified in the analysis. If the projected Elliott Wave impulse plays out, Wave (3) could take XRP up to $7.0786, with the chart suggesting this rise may occur by October. This move would represent a new record for XRP.
A corrective decline is forecasted in Wave (4) for November, targeting $4.1043. Following that, Wave (5) is expected to push the price toward $10.1101, according to the technical roadmap. The analyst’s outlook asserts that XRP remains positioned for this major move, undeterred by the legislative setback in the Senate.
The stalled progress of the CLARITY Act in the US Senate has sparked renewed attention on how digital asset regulation may move forward. Financial strategist Levi, known for his market commentary, urged XRP holders not to lose sight of key regulatory developments taking place beyond Congress.
Regulators press ahead despite legislative gridlockLevi said in a recent video that even as the CLARITY Act faces major hurdles, regulatory work is continuing. He emphasized that the bill’s delay in the Senate does not stop federal agencies from shaping the digital asset landscape within the authority they already possess.
Levi pointed to recent comments from Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig, who confirmed that the agency intends to continue developing a regulatory structure for cryptocurrencies without waiting for new laws. Selig, as head of the CFTC, oversees the regulation of US derivatives markets and is directly involved in how digital assets are treated under federal oversight.
Levi explained the significance of this approach for the wider crypto market, saying that investor uncertainty around regulations remains a major concern, especially for assets like XRP.
Levi stated that with the CLARITY Act facing delays in the Senate, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig has indicated the agency is advancing work on a digital asset regulatory framework using current authority.
Levi outlined the different roles played by Congress and regulatory agencies. While new legislation would require congressional approval, the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are able to act independently within existing mandates. He noted that cooperation continues between these agencies on digital asset oversight, and this collaboration is expected to carry on regardless of legislative outcomes.
The CLARITY Act was designed to bring new guidelines for digital asset classification and compliance, but its failure to move forward has not stalled regulatory progress entirely. Levi suggested that ongoing inter-agency coordination is likely to shape the near-term regulatory landscape for the industry.
Mini dictionary: CLARITY Act – Proposed US legislation aimed at clarifying the legal and regulatory status of digital assets, particularly to define whether cryptocurrencies should be treated as securities or commodities.
XRP firmly under the spotlightLevi linked the current regulatory environment to the outlook for XRP, highlighting that persistent regulatory ambiguity continues to weigh on the asset’s market perception. He argued that if the CFTC and other agencies make progress on a regulatory framework, XRP could become a focus for both retail and institutional investors looking for greater certainty.
“Now, even with Congress hitting a roadblock, the regulators are still moving,” Levi said, adding that the ongoing efforts by agencies could deliver incremental clarity for digital assets. He described the delay of the CLARITY Act as a setback, but not a full retreat from digital asset rulemaking in the US.
Levi indicated he will be closely monitoring developments affecting XRP, especially as the regulatory landscape is expected to evolve further regardless of the stalled legislation.
Levi’s comments are aimed at investors in XRP, a digital asset designed for fast cross-border payments on the XRP Ledger network. He encouraged holders to monitor regulatory trends beyond the fate of the CLARITY Act, as federal agencies like the CFTC and SEC could still drive significant policy changes affecting XRP’s market status.
CLARITY ActCFTC ApproachRequires congressional approvalUses existing regulatory authorityDelays in the SenateRemains active with current lawsPotential to redefine asset classesFocus on immediate regulatory oversightWhile the regulatory outlook remains uncertain, Levi maintains that investors should closely track actions by federal agencies that may influence XRP and the broader crypto sector, regardless of legislative developments in Congress.
XRP price rose 3.51% to $1.43 over 24 hours as institutional demand strengthened across cryptocurrency markets.
The sector’s total value increased 1.5% to $2.79 trillion during the same period.
Bitcoin price hovered at $81,000, and Ethereum price soared towards $2,600, which is enhancing overall market trust among investors and traders of digital assets.
The XRP price has strengthened with the overall cryptocurrency market as network activity and large-holder accumulation accelerated this week.
XRP Ledger Transactions Climb As XRPScan data show, 2,344,225 transactions were completed by XRP Ledger in the last 24 hours. This value was an 8.9% change over the last day and suggested increased usage over the network.
Source: XRPscan The increase in the number of transactions occurred after the XRP regained its popularity in the market, but the activity should be maintained in the long term to prove increased adoption. The growth indicates that more assets were transferred or users were interacting more with applications that were running on the XRP Ledger.
Whale Accumulation Raises Breakout Hopes Big XRP holders bought approximately 1.54 billion tokens in 96 hours, worth about 2.2 billion. This massive acquisition revitalized the hopes that whale demand could justify further progress in case the broader market mood is positive.
$2 BILLION IN XRP BOUGHT BY WHALES
Whale activity on the XRP network has surged over the past 96 hours.
Large holders appear to have accumulated roughly 1.54 billion $XRP, worth around $2.2 billion.
That’s a significant accumulation spike that could soon translate into price… https://t.co/cBssFmv3wQ pic.twitter.com/Ty3ukakDvi
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) September 19, 2026
However, exchange data showed whale inflows to Binance reached 1.6 billion XRP during the past 30 days. It was the largest since March 2026, generating ambiguity about the intentions of large holders.
CryptoQuant The deposits to exchanges may be in advance of trading or sales, and accumulation typically indicates confidence in future price increase.
Derivatives Demand Expands As Open Interest Surges 10% The volume of XRP derivatives has risen 2.73% to $5.13 billion, indicating more involvement in the most recent market session. The open interest increased 8.12% to $3.24 billion as traders added outstanding positions in the futures markets.
The open interest was increasing more rapidly than the volume, and indicated increased speculative exposure and not just short-term transactions. Greater leverage will enhance the momentum on an upswing, but it will also increase the volatility on sudden reversals.
Source: Coinglass data The larger recovery came after a number of macroeconomic and regulatory events that have recently rattled cryptocurrency traders. These were increases in Federal Reserve rates, the unsuccessful Senate vote on the CLARITY Act, and increased Bank of Japan rates.
The market participants are currently observing the ability of network growth, whale demand, and positioning of derivatives to sustain further XRP strength.
Will XRP Price Surge $1.50 This Week? The four-hour set up positions XRP price within an increasing channel following a rebound of the $1.28 area. Price is now facing imminent resistance at about $1.45.
A tested break above $1.45 would reveal $1.50 as the next price. Further pressure can then push the price to $1.60.
The relative strength index is 65, still below the 70 overbought level. This reading encourages moving but indicates the lack of space until overheating.
XRP/USDT 4-hour chart: TradingView The Chaikin Money Flow is at 0.18, and the capital flows positively. Sustained inflows could help XRP price challenge the channel’s upper boundary.
The $1.45 failure could bring XRP price back to $1.40. Further pullback may challenge $1.36 at the bottom of the channel.
TLDR: XRP price trades at $1.41 today, up 6.25% over 24 hours, with $4.31 billion in trading volume, CoinGecko shows. XRP still has not reclaimed its monthly 21 EMA, the key level analysts are tracking for bullish momentum. A monthly close above $1.63 to $1.65 plus the falling wedge break would confirm a stronger bullish setup. Losing the monthly 50 EMA lifts the odds of XRP returning to the 100 EMA, last cycle’s macro bottom zone. The XRP price is trading near $1.41 after a 6.25% daily gain, with volume above $4.31 billion. CoinGecko data also shows XRP has gained 3.30% over the past seven days.
The move has placed XRP near a technical decision zone highlighted by several market analysts. EGRAG Crypto says confirmation remains essential before treating the broader monthly structure as bullish.
On the monthly chart, EGRAG identifies the 21 EMA, 50 EMA and 100 EMA as key trend levels. The 21 EMA remains unreclaimed, while the 50 EMA continues holding price.
XRP price on CoinGecko XRP Price Faces Multiple Technical Resistance Levels The 100 EMA previously acted as a macro bottom. EGRAG notes XRP revisited that average three times during the previous cycle. The current cycle has recorded one such touch so far.
This framework matters because moving averages can separate short-term momentum from longer-term market structure. They do not predict outcomes alone. Instead, traders use them to monitor where trend probabilities may change.
XRP price is also testing a structure that could determine its next major move. ChartNerd says XRP has broken from descending resistance and moved through the 0.382 Fibonacci level.
$XRP is breaking out of its descending resistance structure and pushing through the key 0.382 FIB level, but the real test lies ahead 👇🏼
Price now faces two major zones between $1.45 and $1.51, the 0.5 and 0.618 FIB pockets, which have historically acted as strong decision… https://t.co/ze8qn2oJw2 pic.twitter.com/0qqCLJeMjt
— 🇬🇧 ChartNerd 📊 (@ChartNerdTA) September 19, 2026
The analyst places the next major Fibonacci zones between $1.45 and $1.51. These represent the 0.5 and 0.618 retracement levels, respectively.
The 50-week EMA near $1.51 adds another technical reference to that resistance area. A sustained move through this zone would provide stronger confirmation for traders watching continuation.
Failure around those levels would leave XRP exposed to a return toward its recent range. That would keep the broader breakout setup unresolved.
What Could Confirm the Next XRP Price Move? For investors, the distinction between a breakout and confirmation is important. A single move above resistance can fail if buyers cannot sustain higher-timeframe closes.
EGRAG’s framework requires three conditions before the bullish setup gains stronger confirmation. These include a monthly close above the 21 EMA, a falling-wedge breakout, and a 0.382 Fibonacci reclaim.
#XRP – Technical Analysis Is Probability, Not Certainty 🎲:
📒 NOTE: Technical analysis is not about predicting the future with certainty because:
👉 Markets are chaotic
👉 Nonlinear
👉 Probabilistic
🔔 The job is to identify the levels where probabilities begin to shift.
And… pic.twitter.com/5g6xpgBLDc
— EGRAG CRYPTO (@egragcrypto) September 19, 2026
The 0.382 Fibonacci level sits around $1.63 to $1.65 on EGRAG’s monthly analysis. That zone therefore becomes another important reference beyond the nearer $1.45 to $1.51 resistance.
Crypto Patel uses broader levels, identifying $1.70 and $3 as major resistance zones. The analyst also identifies $1 and $0.60 as major support levels.
The current price action therefore leaves XRP between several important technical thresholds. Traders can monitor whether price converts resistance into support through sustained higher-timeframe closes.
On the downside, confirmed higher-timeframe closes below the 50 EMA would change the technical picture. EGRAG says that could increase the probability of another 100 EMA retest.
The key mechanism is confirmation across several independent technical levels. XRP price strength above moving averages, Fibonacci resistance, and chart structure would strengthen the breakout case.
Key Highlights XRP surged approximately 7% to reach $1.41 with spot trading volume exploding to $1.36B within 24 hours Short positions totaling $8.05M were liquidated during a squeeze as Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000 A golden cross pattern is forming, with the 50-day MA trailing the 200-day MA by just 2% Institutional interest remains strong with US spot XRP ETF inflows exceeding $1.7B Technical analyst Ali Charts projects a potential 35% surge to $2 if XRP clears $1.55 resistance XRP price experienced a notable weekend rally, advancing approximately 7% to settle at $1.41. Trading activity intensified dramatically, with spot market volume reaching $1.36 billion across a 24-hour period—representing a nearly 90% single-day increase.
XRP Price The upward momentum was primarily driven by a significant short squeeze event. Approximately $8.05 million worth of short positions faced liquidation as Bitcoin successfully pushed beyond the $80,000 threshold, creating upward pressure across the altcoin market.
Long positions weren’t completely spared, experiencing roughly $2.36 million in liquidations. The broader cryptocurrency market witnessed approximately $300 million in total liquidations as Bitcoin climbed past $81,000.
XRP futures contracts generated $5.71 billion in volume—exceeding spot volume by more than four times. When derivatives markets demonstrate such significant dominance over spot trading, rallies often face reversal risk once leveraged positions unwind.
This weekend’s price action occurred in the absence of significant fundamental catalysts. XRP had previously declined toward the $1.23–$1.30 range during early September following the Senate’s 49-50 failed cloture vote on the CLARITY Act.
Chart Patterns and Price Projections Technical analyst Ali Charts (@alicharts) shared analysis indicating XRP may be developing an inverse head-and-shoulders formation on daily timeframes. His focus remains on price action near the neckline positioned around $1.55. According to his analysis, a confirmed breakout above this resistance level could spark a 35% advance toward the $2 price target.
XRP TARGETS $2
On the daily chart, $XRP appears to be forming the right shoulder of an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern.
If the setup continues to develop, I’m watching for a move toward the neckline near $1.55.
That’s the key level.
A confirmed breakout above $1.55 could… pic.twitter.com/HQfEkWiDoj
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) September 18, 2026
XRP is simultaneously approaching a golden cross formation. The 50-day moving average currently trades approximately 2% beneath the 200-day moving average—marking the narrowest separation since August 2024.
Golden crosses occur when the 50-day MA climbs above the 200-day MA and typically signal bullish long-term momentum. Worth noting, however, is that all 16 of XRP’s historical golden crosses eventually transitioned to death crosses within a 12-month timeframe.
🔴 XRP nears golden cross as bitcoin dominance slides to 59%
XRP's 50-day moving average sits roughly 2% below its 200-day average, the closest point since August 2024. A golden cross—when the 50-day crosses above the 200-day—is considered a bullish signal, though XRP's track… pic.twitter.com/ErVIjeiOrr
— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) September 18, 2026
Among the ten crosses that maintained duration, five delivered returns ranging from 85% to over 1,000%.
Institutional Flows, Large Holder Movements and Market Updates US spot XRP exchange-traded funds have accumulated more than $1.7 billion in total net inflows. This represents the most compelling evidence of institutional participation in the current market environment.
Meanwhile, approximately 1.6 billion XRP tokens transferred into Binance from whale-sized wallets throughout the past 30 days, reaching a six-month peak. CryptoQuant analysts suggested this activity might indicate portfolio rebalancing rather than outright selling—though Binance reserve levels have climbed to a 69-day high.
Bitcoin’s dominance metric declined below 59%, marking a one-month low. Capital has been rotating into alternative cryptocurrencies, with tokens including UNI, NEAR, and ARB posting approximately 30% gains within 24 hours.
Ripple has integrated both XRP and RLUSD into Stripe and Tempo’s artificial intelligence-powered payments infrastructure. The Moscow Exchange plans to introduce XRP perpetual futures contracts on September 22.
Following the unsuccessful CLARITY Act vote, Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty commented: “Ripple and $XRP stand on settled ground.”
Critical resistance levels to monitor as the trading week begins include $1.45 and $1.50.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
A major player on the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid has capitulated. A trader operating under the address "0x9c2a...f6a8" (internal rating: Grade D) fell into a classic trap and was forced to buy back approximately 450,000 XRP tokens from the market to cover a short position.
Through four consecutive orders in a narrow price range around $1.44, the trader reduced the short position from 2.42 million to 1.96 million XRP. Each closure resulted in a realized net margin loss.
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This was not a planned exit, but forced short covering — an emergency exit from the trade to preserve the remaining margin as the price held firmly at a key level.
Support too strong: How XRP forced major players to change their plansA look at the XRP/USD daily chart leaves little room for doubt. After a prolonged decline in the first half of the year, when the token fell below $0.90, the bulls took full control. A powerful V-shaped rebound broke through the key 200-day moving average (200 MA), which had long served as a concrete ceiling for the price.
This was followed by a sharp vertical surge to $1.65. The Hyperliquid short seller apparently waited out this peak, betting on a deep pullback toward $1.20. However, the market had other plans: XRP entered a consolidation phase, and as the price firmly held $1.44, this level became the point of control (POC) — the price level with the highest traded volume — and a new solid support zone.
XRP/USD daily chart showing breakout above 200 MA and consolidation at $1.44 POC volume node, Source: TradingView You Might Also Like
The indicators also aligned perfectly: while the price held its newly established levels, the daily oscillator cooled completely from overbought territory to a neutral reading of 53. In market terms, this signals hidden strength — the indicators cooled down, but the price did not fall. Realizing that upward pressure could continue and that the conditions were in place for another breakout, the whale chose to realize a loss rather than wait for another squeeze toward $1.65.
The situation on Hyperliquid offers a local snapshot of broader changes. Bearish positioning in XRP is rapidly losing its economic appeal: large buyers with A+ ratings have also become more active in the trade feed, opening long positions.
The token is holding firmly above key high-volume price levels, and if other traders trapped in short positions follow this whale's example, a chain reaction could begin, quickly pushing XRP back toward targets around $1.60–$1.65.
Crypto analyst Dark Defender has released a detailed three-month XRP/USD chart suggesting that the digital asset could reach $333 in a future Elliott Wave cycle. The analysis extends from 2013 to projections as far as 2030, incorporating both historical data and future estimates.
The Elliott Wave structure and XRP’s pathDark Defender identifies a completed five-wave corrective phase for XRP, marking the period from 2018 to late 2024 as a sequence labeled A to E. The analyst indicates that this correction concluded when XRP posted a 500% rally, breaking above $3 for the first time since 2018.
Following this correction, the chart positions the current price action within a larger bullish impulsive structure referred to as “Grand Wave 3.” Dark Defender counts the start of a new impulse from the (E) low, with Wave (1) reaching an all-time high of $3.65, followed by a retracement in Wave (2) down to $1. This pullback went below the prominent support zone between $1.88 and $2.90, intersecting key Fibonacci extension levels.
At present, XRP trades near $1.3073. A significant breakout occurred in late August, which, according to the analyst, may have marked the end of Wave (2) and the beginning of Wave (3). This phase could lead to a substantial upward move, targeting $333, which aligns with the 161.8% Fibonacci extension of the full impulsive wave count.
No matter how you approach it, the target stays the same. Grand Wave 3 builds on the 3-month time frame towards $333.
Dark Defender sets the timeline for the $333 target before 2028, emphasizing that this projection remains unchanged across multiple analytical perspectives.
Fibonacci levels and key price targetsThe analysis features several critical price points established through Fibonacci extension methodology. Notable levels include $18.23 at the 361.8% extension, $36.77 at the 423.6% level, and $74.40 at the 141.4% mark. These levels are presented as possible intermediate resistance zones or points of consolidation during the anticipated broader rally toward $333.
Fibonacci LevelXRP Price Target141.4%$74.40161.8%$333.12361.8%$18.23423.6%$36.77Intermediate resistance at these levels could influence price movements during the ongoing advance. The primary focus, however, remains on the $333 long-term projection.
The role of trend channels in XRP’s price structureThe chart analysis includes two ascending parallel trendlines that span the history of XRP from 2013 onward. Price movements have historically respected the lower channel multiple times, and the projected bullish pattern keeps XRP within this channel structure. The analysis suggests that as XRP progresses through the higher waves, the upper trendline may extend above $1,000 by 2030, once Wave (5) is completed.
Dark Defender is a prominent independent crypto market analyst known for chart-driven approaches to price targets and frequent public updates on X (formerly Twitter).
Mini dictionary: Elliott Wave Theory, an analytical framework used by traders to predict price cycles in financial markets by identifying recurring wave patterns. This method is commonly applied to cryptocurrencies to forecast major market swings.
Regardless of trading strategy, Dark Defender reiterates his stance: “No matter how you approach it, the target stays the same.” This reflects his long-held expectation that XRP could achieve the $333 mark during its Grand Wave 3.
XRP Tests $1.41 Fibonacci Level as $1.45–$1.51 Resistance Zone Comes Into Focus.
XRP is trading around $1.42 on the chart after advancing from the lower boundary of a descending parallel channel. Price has reached the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement at $1.4074, placing it directly around a key resistance area shown on the chart.
XRP resistance levels as XRP trades around $1.42 The Fibonacci structure is measured between $1.2522 and $1.7004. Above the 0.382 level, the next two retracement levels are $1.4592 at the 0.5 Fib and $1.5128 at the 0.618 Fib.
XRP Faces Resistance Between $1.45 and $1.51 The chart therefore places XRP’s next resistance pocket between approximately $1.459 and $1.513. The 50-week EMA is also reported near $1.51, putting it close to the 0.618 Fibonacci level.
XRP has spent roughly five weeks consolidating after rebounding from the lower portion of the descending channel. The latest move lifted price from around $1.29–$1.30 to $1.42, bringing it back to the channel’s descending upper boundary.
The broader Fibonacci range identifies $1.7004 as the upper reference level. From the chart price of $1.4206, XRP would need to rise approximately 2.7% to reach $1.4592, 6.5% to reach $1.5128, and 19.7% to revisit $1.7004.
On the downside, $1.4074 is the first displayed Fibonacci level below the current price, while $1.2522 marks the base of the measured Fibonacci range.
The chart therefore defines the immediate technical structure through four principal levels: $1.4074, $1.4592, $1.5128, and $1.7004.
To Reach $1.70 To reach $1.70, the chart shows two major resistance levels in between: $1.4592 (0.5 Fib) and $1.5128 (0.618 Fib). The $1.51 area is particularly significant because the 0.618 Fib coincides with the 50-week EMA cited in the setup.
A sustained move above $1.5128 would place XRP above the highlighted $1.45–$1.51 resistance pocket. From there, the next major level displayed by the Fibonacci structure is $1.7004, approximately 19.7% above $1.4206.
XRP Ledger has seen activity on its network pick up sharply following a major rebound in the price of XRP amid a broader crypto market rally.
With sentiment now suddenly turning bullish again, the network has recorded over 2.34 million transactions during the last day, signaling growing adoption across the crypto space.
XRP ledger sees 8.9% surgePer the latest onchain data from XRPScan, the XRP Ledger has witnessed a massive increase in the number of transactions processed on its network as of September 18.
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Notably, the XRP Ledger processed up to 2,344,225 transactions over the last 24 hours, marking an increase of about 8.9% from the transactions executed the previous day.
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More impressively, the data further showed that the figures recorded are substantially above the network's 30-day average of about 2 million transactions.
It is important to note that the uptrend in the number of activities on the XRP Ledger has remained consistent in recent days, since it recorded 2,117,620 transactions on September 16. This highlights an increase in network usage as XRP regains momentum after the impact of the failed CLARITY Act faded.
XRP rebounds above $1.43Over the last day, XRP witnessed a major price breakout, surging by about 8% during the period to reclaim $1.43 as momentum begins to build again.
This massive price rally has stirred confidence among traders, triggering the spike in transaction activity as it has faded off losses incurred from the Senate's CLARITY Act rejection.
XRP Moves Above $1.40 as XRPL Expands Lending Infrastructure for On-Chain Credit.
XRP is back above the $1.40 level as attention also turns to new infrastructure being developed on the XRP Ledger for lending, tokenized assets, and institutional credit.
Clarissa Yorke, Partner/KOL Manager at AgencyLaser and followed by 2.3 million users on X, said XRP is becoming “interesting again,” pointing to the combination of XRP’s latest price move and the expansion of financial infrastructure on XRPL.
XRP is getting interesting again.
While price is pushing back above $1.40, XRPL just rolled out its latest upgrade with new lending infrastructure designed to bring more credit activity onchain.
That's the part I'm watching.
More stablecoins, tokenized assets, lending and…
— Clarissa Yorke (@ClarissaYorke) September 18, 2026
Yorke highlighted stablecoins, tokenized assets, lending and liquidity as areas expanding the XRP Ledger’s use cases beyond its historical focus on payments.
XRP Ledger Adds New Lending Features The network-side development comes through XRP Ledger version 3.4.0, released on September 16. The release includes the LendingProtocolV1_1 amendment, which extends XRPL’s Lending Protocol and Single Asset Vault framework with closed-ended vaults and cash-basis accounting.
The underlying Lending Protocol is designed to enable fixed-term, uncollateralized loans on XRPL. Capital can be pooled from depositors through a Single Asset Vault and deployed through loans with predetermined terms. Borrower underwriting and credit-risk assessment take place off-chain, while loan origination and management are handled through the ledger.
The protocol divides participants into three main groups: loan brokers, depositors and borrowers. Loan brokers create vaults and manage associated loans, depositors supply assets to the vault, and borrowers receive funds and make repayments according to their loan terms.
Closed-Ended Vaults Introduce Defined Lending Cycles One of the principal changes in LendingProtocolV1_1 is the introduction of closed-ended vaults. These vaults operate through three predefined stages: subscription, investment, and redemption.
During the subscription phase, assets can be deposited into the vault. During the investment phase, deposits and withdrawals are restricted while capital can be deployed into loans. During the redemption phase, new loans can no longer be created, and depositors can withdraw their share of the proceeds as the structure winds down.
The dates controlling these stages are established when the vault is created and cannot subsequently be changed, according to XRPL documentation.
XRP, RLUSD and Tokenized Assets Can Be Used in Vaults Single Asset Vaults can hold XRP, trust-line tokens or Multi-Purpose Tokens (MPTs). XRPL documentation specifically identifies trust-line assets such as RLUSD as an example in its institutional lending framework.
Vaults can also be configured as either public or private. Public vaults permit broader participation, while private vaults can restrict deposits to accounts holding the required credentials through XRPL’s Permissioned Domains framework.
This provides infrastructure through which lending pools can incorporate identity and access requirements while remaining connected to on-chain loan operations.
Upgrade Changes How Interest Is Recorded LendingProtocolV1_1 also introduces cash-basis accounting for new vaults.
Under the previous model, scheduled interest could be recognized when a loan was originated. Under the new system, interest is recorded as income only when the relevant payment is actually received. As a result, vault accounting reflects realized interest rather than the full amount of future scheduled interest.
The lending design also includes optional first-loss capital, which can provide a buffer against loan defaults. The capital does not eliminate credit risk, but it can absorb part of a loss before depositor assets bear it..
XRP Price Returns Above $1.40 The infrastructure update coincides with XRP trading back above $1.40. Yorke connected the price development with the broader expansion of XRPL infrastructure, stating that the XRP story is becoming larger than payments as stablecoins, tokenized assets, lending and liquidity develop within the ecosystem.
The XRP story is becoming much bigger than just payments.
The two developments remain separate measurable factors: XRP is trading above $1.40, while XRPL version 3.4.0 adds new technical infrastructure for closed-ended lending vaults and cash-basis accounting.
The upgrade itself does not establish future XRP demand or price performance. What it does establish is an expanded set of ledger-level capabilities for credit origination, pooled assets, lending and controlled participation in financial applications on XRPL.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
XRP has regained the $1.50 level following a sharp selloff that pushed its Relative Strength Index (RSI) to the lowest point in 13 years. This move places the cryptocurrency’s technical signals back into focus, as traders and analysts assess whether an important reversal may be underway.
Technical signals under scrutinyIn recent days, XRP’s two-week RSI dropped to a reading described by analyst Cryptollica as unprecedented since 2011. While XRP was trading around $1.30, this extremely low RSI reading signaled that selling pressure had intensified to rarely seen levels. Such RSI lows, however, do not guarantee a price bottom; assets can stay oversold or experience further declines.
XRP’s RSI reached its lowest point in 13 years at the same time the price managed to defend the $1.29–$1.30 support area, overlapping with longer-term technical levels watched by market participants.
The subsequent rebound to $1.50 represents a nearly 15% recovery from the recent low. This uptick suggests that buyers became active once XRP approached historically significant support, potentially signaling a shift in short-term sentiment.
Still, analysts remain cautious. A single rally off support does not confirm the start of a durable uptrend. If XRP can turn $1.50 from resistance into support, attention may focus on whether it can push toward the next area of interest, which lies in the $1.60–$1.65 range. A move back below $1.50, however, could suggest that the recovery was just a relief rally rather than the beginning of a new upward phase.
Upcoming XRPL network upgradeBeyond price action, XRP traders are also monitoring developments within the XRP Ledger, the decentralized blockchain network powering the asset. The BatchV1_1 amendment is scheduled for possible activation on September 29, as long as validator support remains above the required threshold. The upgrade is designed to allow multiple transactions to be grouped together, supporting atomic batches. In atomic batches, every transaction must succeed for the batch to process; if any transaction fails, the entire group is rolled back.
Mini dictionary: Atomic batch, a group of transactions processed together so that if any transaction in the group fails, the entire batch is not executed. This increases reliability for complex operations on blockchain networks.
Industry observers suggest that this BatchV1_1 upgrade will enhance the XRP Ledger’s capabilities, potentially paving the way for more complex applications and services to be built on the network.
ETF demand and price disconnectWhile technical and network developments capture the community’s attention, demand for XRP exchange-traded funds persists as another important factor. Despite substantial cumulative inflows into XRP-related ETFs, the asset’s price remains significantly below previous records.
The relationship between inflows to XRP ETFs and long-term price recovery continues to draw industry analysis, especially as price performance has not mirrored the rise in ETF investment.
This dynamic highlights the complex interplay between institutional demand, investor sentiment, and market fundamentals that currently shapes XRP’s prospects.
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is preparing for the activation of its BatchV1_1 protocol amendment, currently on track for September 29, pending sustained validator approval above the required threshold. BatchV1_1 introduces a significant functional change, enabling the processing of multiple transactions as a single group.
Validator approval and activation processUnlike most traditional software updates, protocol amendments in XRPL require more than developer initiative. To become part of the network’s rules, any new feature must receive support from at least 80% of trusted validators for two consecutive weeks. This decentralization ensures that upgrades reflect consensus among the network’s guiding participants rather than decisions from a single company such as Ripple.
If BatchV1_1 secures this supermajority support continuously over the next weeks, its activation date will remain set for September 29. This process gives the broader XRPL community and ecosystem developers advance notice of the pending upgrade.
Technical details and functionality of BatchV1_1According to the official XRP Ledger documentation, BatchV1_1 will allow accounts to bundle up to eight separate transactions into a single batch submission. These transactions can be structured so that their execution is interdependent.
A standout feature of this update is atomic execution. This means that either every transaction in a batch succeeds together, or the entire group fails, preventing partial execution that could leave contracts or trades incomplete. This capability paves the way for support of atomic swaps and other complex financial operations consisting of multiple, linked steps.
Mini dictionary: Atomic execution, in blockchain, refers to a process where multiple operations are performed all at once or none at all. If any part of the grouped operation fails, the entire set is rolled back, ensuring consistency and preventing partial, potentially problematic outcomes.
With BatchV1_1, developers can tie multiple XRPL transactions together, ensuring that they all succeed or all revert, which addresses many multi-step transaction use cases such as cross-asset swaps and institutional settlement flows.
Security improvements and previous attemptBatchV1_1 is the second attempt to bring batch transaction functionality to XRPL. Earlier this year, the original Batch amendment was halted after researchers identified a critical security flaw. The vulnerability could have allowed malicious actors to perform unauthorized transactions from other accounts without owning their private keys.
XRPL developers acted quickly, disabling the vulnerable feature before it reached mainnet activation. The corrected BatchV1_1 amendment addresses these security concerns, and its pending implementation marks the feature’s return after a comprehensive fix.
The return of batch transactions with enhanced safeguards makes the upcoming upgrade a particularly notable event in XRPL’s broader 3.3.0 cycle as the protocol moves deeper into tokenization and institutional settlement capabilities.
Ongoing upgrades and ecosystem developmentThe BatchV1_1 amendment is part of a larger series of protocol upgrades under XRPL version 3.3.0. The network is simultaneously advancing in areas such as tokenization, institutional settlement, and native lending services.
Work is also ongoing for XRPL Lending v1.1, which is undergoing its own validator approval process. RippleX, the developer-focused arm of Ripple, has pointed to XRP collateral as a potential institutional credit use case, further expanding the network’s reach into financial services.
Ripple says asset managers are preparing for XRP Ledger’s next payments upgrade. (Wildbook/Unsplash)Summary
Ripple says asset managers and other commercial projects are preparing to use Batch V1.1, which can group up to eight XRP Ledger transactions so they all settle or all fail.The upgrade could support delivery-versus-payment transactions and allow exchanges, wallets and marketplaces to process service fees alongside customer payments.Batch V1.1 is expected to activate shortly after Sept. 29 if validator support remains above 80 percent, following a redesign and extensive security review prompted by a critical flaw in the original version.Ripple says asset managers and other commercial projects are preparing to use an XRP Ledger feature that can make several linked transactions settle together, as a rebuilt version of the upgrade approaches activation following an extensive security review.
The feature, called Batch V1.1, can combine as many as eight transactions into a single operation. Its all-or-nothing mode ensures that every transaction succeeds or the entire group is canceled, avoiding cases in which one side of a deal settles while the other fails.
“We’ll be sharing more once the feature is live, including work with key asset managers,” Ayo Akinyele, head of engineering at RippleX, said in comments shared with CoinDesk.
“Batch allows multiple transactions to be grouped together so they either all execute or none do,” Akinyele said. “That is particularly important for use cases like delivery-versus-payment, where the asset and payment need to move atomically.”
Delivery-versus-payment links the transfer of an asset to its payment. Instead of trusting one party to send first, the ledger completes both legs together or neither of them.
Batch could also let exchanges, wallets and marketplaces attach their service charges directly to a customer transaction. A payment and the platform’s fee could be processed as one operation rather than through separate transfers.
“Some projects are already being built with Batch in mind, so activation would allow that work to move closer to production,” Akinyele shared. “We’ll share more on specific partners and launch timing as those plans are finalized.”
The amendment has support from 30 of the XRP Ledger’s 35 tracked validators, above the 28 votes required to enter its activation countdown.
Feature arrives after earlier flaws fixedThat countdown began Sept. 15 at 14:06:41 UTC. Batch V1.1 is projected to activate shortly after the same time on Sept. 29, provided support remains at or above 80% for the full 14-day window. Validators can change their votes, making the date conditional.
The approaching activation follows a security failure that caused developers to withdraw the original version.
Researchers found a critical flaw in Batch V1.0’s signature-validation process in February. Under certain conditions, the code could stop checking signatures early and allow an attacker to include transactions from another account without its owner’s authorization.
Read More: XRP Ledger upgrade brings back features once pulled over critical bugs
The amendment was still being considered by validators and had not activated, meaning the vulnerable code never governed the live ledger and no funds were exposed.
Meanwhile, RippleX did more than patch the individual error before returning the feature for another vote, Akinyele said.
“We used it as an opportunity to go much deeper on the implementation, redesign parts of the signing and authorization model, and significantly expand the security review,” he said.
The replacement shipped in xrpld version 3.3.0, released Aug. 6. That implementation is the same code validators are now voting to activate, according to Akinyele.
The review included internal adversarial testing, AI-assisted analysis, a Sherlock attack contest and assessments by security firms Halborn and Common Prefix.
“The bigger point is that we established a very high bar,” Akinyele added. “We found a serious issue in V1.0 before activation, stopped it, redesigned and hardened the implementation, expanded the review considerably, and only then put V1.1 back in front of validators.”
The amendment will remain in its countdown through Sept. 29. If validator support drops below 80% before then, the clock stops and a new 14-day window must begin after the proposal regains the required majority.
12345678910The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: Asia Pacific
The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: Asia Pacific
As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
Sep 15, 2026
As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
Why it matters:
As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
XRP Ledger has experienced a significant rise in network activity as the price of XRP rallied sharply amid a broader uptrend across the cryptocurrency market.
Network activity hits new highsRecent data from XRPScan, a leading blockchain explorer for the XRP Ledger, revealed that the network processed 2,344,225 transactions in the last 24 hours. This marks an increase of 8.9% compared to the previous day.
The latest figure is notably higher than the Ledger’s 30-day average of approximately 2 million daily transactions, indicating a marked uptick in user activity.
The continued growth in network transactions has been consistent over recent days. For instance, on September 16, the XRP Ledger reported 2,117,620 transactions, suggesting a persistent upward trend as market sentiment becomes more optimistic surrounding XRP.
Analysts have pointed out that this resurgence follows a period where negative sentiment lingered after the US Senate rejected the CLARITY Act. With the recent rebound, network participants appear to regain confidence.
Mini dictionary: XRPScan, an independent blockchain explorer, tracks transactions, blocks, and other activity on the XRP Ledger, providing real-time statistics and historical data for users and analysts.
XRP price stages significant reboundThe XRP token itself has witnessed a substantial price breakthrough, jumping approximately 8% over the past day and reclaiming the $1.43 mark. This price rally comes as momentum returns to XRP, erasing some of the losses sustained during regulatory uncertainty connected to recent legislative developments.
Traders have responded to the rebound by increasing activity on the network, reflected in the sharp spike in transaction volume. The price recovery has helped restore optimism among many market participants.
XRP Ledger processed more than 2.34 million transactions in the last 24 hours, outpacing its 30-day average and signaling renewed adoption as XRP regains bullish momentum.
Impact of recent legislative backdropThe return of positive sentiment follows the fading impact of the failed CLARITY Act, a proposed US legislative measure focused on digital asset regulation. Market watchers believe the network’s renewed activity and rising XRP prices suggest that previous headwinds from this legislation are lessening.
As the broader crypto market continues its upward trend, XRP Ledger’s surge in both network activity and price is drawing attention from investors looking for signs of adoption recovery and enhanced network engagement.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
XRP has declined 25% from its August peak, but cryptocurrency analyst Dark Defender has continued to highlight technical and structural developments that may shape the asset’s long-term outlook.
XRP Exchange Reserves and RLUSD ActivityThrough several posts on X, Dark Defender noted that exchange reserves for XRP have dropped to a seven-year low, currently around 1.7 billion XRP. He described this decline as a significant data point, arguing that reduced reserves on exchanges may indicate less selling pressure in the market.
Dark Defender also emphasized the activity of RLUSD on the XRP Ledger, reporting that 88% of all RLUSD liquidity is now present on the network. RLUSD is a regulated US dollar stablecoin designed for use on blockchain platforms, with a growing footprint in digital asset trading.
Additionally, he brought attention to the XRP Ledger’s roadmap for introducing quantum-safe cryptography, targeting implementation by 2028. Quantum-safe cryptography is expected to protect distributed ledgers from potential threats posed by quantum computers, which could theoretically break conventional cryptographic algorithms.
Mini dictionary: Quantum-safe cryptography, also known as post-quantum cryptography, involves cryptographic systems designed to defend against attacks from quantum computers, which could undermine widely used encryption standards.
In his commentary, Dark Defender remarked,
“These facts tell you what the next decade is being built for.”
Technical Structure and Elliott Wave AnalysisFocusing on market structure, Dark Defender classified the current action in XRP as Wave 2 in his Elliott Wave analysis. The Elliott Wave theory is a technical charting approach that seeks to identify long-term price movements according to repetitive cycles of investor psychology. He suggested that the corrective move in progress is a natural part of this broader structure.
The analyst further expressed optimism for a significant price increase in the subsequent phase, which he labeled as Wave 3. He wrote,
“Wave 3 does not ask for permission,”
highlighting his view that the coming move could be rapid and substantial.
Dark Defender’s recent technical chart projects a target of $333.1167 for XRP, coinciding with the 161.80% Fibonacci extension, a level frequently cited in the Elliott Wave theory for strong upward price targets.
WaveFibonacci Extension LevelProjected Price TargetWave 3161.80%$333.1167Intermediate361.80%$18.2275Intermediate423.60%$36.7676Intermediate141.40%$74.3956Long-Term XRP OutlookAccording to Dark Defender, the decline in XRP price is part of a larger technical structure within a long-term rising channel. As mapped in his chart, the projected sequence includes an advance to the $333 target in Wave 3, a corrective Wave 4, and a final surge in Wave 5.
Despite the recent 25% drop, the analyst connected ongoing ecosystem developments and technical indications to a positive outlook for XRP. His recent posts continue to cite both on-chain data and his Elliott Wave-based forecast as supporting evidence for potential growth.
Crypto market commentator X Finance Bull has advised $XRP holders to look past the most recent debates surrounding the CLARITY Act, highlighting significant advances in the digital asset’s regulatory journey in the United States.
Key court ruling and regulatory clarityX Finance Bull emphasized Judge Analisa Torres’ landmark 2023 decision, which established that XRP, as a token, is distinct from the investment contracts tied to some of Ripple’s sales practices. Following this ruling, both Ripple and the SEC chose not to pursue further appeals in August 2025, allowing the court’s findings to stand.
He also pointed to the joint move by the SEC and the CFTC on March 17, 2026, when both agencies introduced a formal crypto taxonomy. Their framework explicitly named XRP as a digital commodity, laying the groundwork for how regulators will approach similar tokens in the future.
These steps, according to X Finance Bull, help explain why Evernorth CEO Asheesh Birla does not view the CLARITY Act as essential to XRP’s regulatory clarity. Instead, Birla described the legislation as an accelerator that could speed up institutional adoption, rather than defining XRP’s status outright.
Market-structure legislation may serve as a catalyst for accelerating XRP’s institutional uptake, but the foundation for XRP’s regulatory clarity has already solidified with key court decisions and agency classifications.
Institutional prospects and Evernorth’s strategyX Finance Bull noted that the next phase in XRP’s trajectory may focus on how regulated institutions use the asset within traditional finance. Topics such as institutional custody, deepened liquidity, and the possible roles of XRP in lending, tokenization, and onchain markets were brought to the forefront.
Further, X Finance Bull referenced SEC filings from Evernorth, where Birla described the CLARITY Act as a spark for corporations and institutions to enhance their use of decentralized finance technologies. Evernorth is reportedly building an institutional decentralized finance ecosystem based on XRP, aiming to expand its applications across enterprises.
Evernorth’s corporate plans include holding at least 473 million XRP at closing, with industry figures David Schwartz and Brad Garlinghouse named as strategic advisers, and Stuart Alderoty linked to the firm’s board.
In rapidly evolving markets, traders report that a single announcement from the Fed or an unexpected altcoin listing can shift sentiment instantly. As market participants seek an edge, privacy-focused aggregation tools like CryptoAppsy are gaining attention. Such platforms integrate real-time charts, portfolio tracking, smart price alerts, curated coin news, and crucial macroeconomic indicators into one interface—all without requiring an account—allowing investors to make faster decisions and reduce friction between applications.
Legislative setbacks and future directionX Finance Bull connected the recent rejection of the CLARITY Act in the Senate with subsequent regulatory moves. Two days after the bill failed to progress, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins announced the Innovation Exemption, offering temporary permission for tokenized U.S. stock trading through permissioned onchain venues. Atkins stated that while legislative progress stalled, regulatory agencies could still provide interim solutions.
Congressional gridlock may slow new laws, but agencies like the SEC and CFTC continue to make incremental changes that guide the industry’s path forward.
Evernorth’s S-4 registration statement has now become effective, and Armada shareholders are scheduled to vote on September 30 regarding the proposed business combination. If finalized, the merged entity could begin trading under the ticker XRPN.
In sum, X Finance Bull shifted focus from debates about XRP’s legal status to the growing infrastructure regulated institutions could build around the asset. The commentator underlined that core questions about XRP are transitioning away from regulatory uncertainty toward the scale of financial activity and adoption the token can support as institutions deepen their involvement.
Zcash (ZEC) spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew $98.2 million in the week ending September 18, the largest inflow among 14 crypto products. Ethereum (ETH) funds posted the only outflow at $140 million.
The weekly totals mask a volatile round trip. Both Ethereum and Bitcoin (BTC) products sold off hard midweek, and only one of them recovered in time.
Two Bad Days in Washington, Then a Scramble BackBoth complexes opened the week in the green. Bitcoin ETFs took in $160.04 million on Monday, while Ethereum products added $121.02 million.
That reversed on Tuesday, when the Senate rejected cloture on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act by 49-50. Bitcoin funds lost $450.33 million that session, their worst of the week.
Then the Fed raised rates 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4% on Wednesday, its first increase since 2023. Bitcoin shed another $295.98 million, and Ethereum lost $224.11 million.
Bitcoin turned on Thursday and pulled in $433.03 million on Friday, recovering the $746.31 million it lost across the two policy sessions. Its weekly total landed at $6.2 million, the smallest absolute figure in 141 weeks of trading.
Ethereum took longer to turn. Its outflows ran for three straight sessions and totaled $404.82 million before a $143.80 million Friday, leaving the week short.
Weekly net flows across 14 spot crypto ETF products, week ending September 18. Source: BeInCrypto/SoSoValueFollow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
A Four-Week-Old Fund Outdraws Everything ElseMeanwhile, the Zcash ETF has now logged four consecutive positive weeks since launching in late August, taking in $271 million in total. Assets jumped 40.5% last week to $914.5 million.
That makes Zcash the third-largest altcoin ETF product, behind XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) and ahead of nine others. Trading volume reached $11.42 billion, or 32.5% of all spot crypto ETF turnover.
Solana added $13.2 million, extending a streak to 12 straight positive weeks. XRP took in $9.6 million, roughly half the previous week’s $19 million.
Hyperliquid (HYPE) flipped to a $3.1 million inflow after losing $26.4 million. Chainlink (LINK), Avalanche (AVAX), Tron (TRX), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), and Hedera (HBAR) together drew under $4.8 million, while BNB and Polkadot (DOT) recorded no flows at all.
Net flows across all 14 products totaled negative $5 million, against a 4.89% rise in combined assets to $123.9 billion. Whether buyers chase the rebound or keep sitting it out should show in next week’s figures.
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Altcoin leverage remains below its risk threshold, according to crypto market intelligence platform Glassnode in a post on X.
Source: Glassnode on X When the altcoin market’s Open Interest comes to within a few percentage points of Bitcoin’s [BTC], the altcoin market can be considered overextended. As it stands though, these conditions are far from being met.
Now, some of the market’s most popular leading alts, Solana [SOL], Cardano [ADA], and Ripple [XRP], have had bullish runs in recent weeks. Which of them has the potential for the best returns for the rest of September?
All three alts showcase a bullish structure Source: SOL/USDT on TradingView Solana’s daily structure was flipped bullishly when the $98.41-swing level was breached. In recent weeks, SOL saw rejection from the $110-resistance area and briefly fell below $100.
The bulls were able to defend the $95-$100 demand zone and drove prices higher. The next resistance to watch is at $119.6, a former support turned resistance from late 2025.
Source: ADA/USDT on TradingView Cardano has also been on a bullish run since its structure shift in July. The altcoin has set a series of higher highs since then. The retracement earlier this week saw ADA retest the $0.19-support level.
The reaction from there has been encouraging though, and Cardano may be primed to challenge the $0.23 and $0.255 resistance levels.
Source: XRP/USDT on TradingView Like the other two, XRP also had a bullish structure at press time. Unlike the other two though, XRP was pushing into a long-term supply zone that has repeatedly driven the bulls back.
For this reason, it is possible that XRP would struggle to be the most bullish token among the three for the rest of the month.
Is Solana’s run done? Solana has recorded the highest returns since Wednesday, around 16%, compared to 14% and 11% for Cardano and XRP. Additionally, only Solana has managed to breach the highs set towards the end of August, when Bitcoin began to pull back and dragged the altcoin market down with it.
This seemed to indicate that XRP and ADA have room to catch up to SOL, making them likely to return greater profits this month. And yet, it is Solana that has proven bullish momentum by making new local highs.
Therefore, so long as Bitcoin does not suffer a steep pullback, the leading altcoin among the trio, SOL, is likely to continue to register better returns.
Final Summary Altcoin market leverage was relatively low compared to BTC’s Open Interest, indicating that altcoins still have room to make gains. Among Solana, Cardano, and XRP, SOL appeared the most likely to continue its strong bullish momentum.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
XRP has staged a sharp rally, pushing above the $1.40 level and wiping out millions of dollars worth of bearish positions in the process.
The Ripple-linked cryptocurrency is currently trading near $1.402, up roughly 8.4% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data. The move has taken XRP’s market capitalization to around $88 billion.
The sudden price jump caught traders betting against XRP off guard.
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Over the past 24 hours, approximately $10.41 million worth of leveraged XRP positions were liquidated. Short traders accounted for $8.05 million of that amount, compared with just $2.36 million in long liquidations.
In other words, roughly 77% of all XRP liquidations during the period came from bearish positions.
The imbalance has been even more dramatic over shorter time frames. During the past four hours, XRP recorded around $1.06 million in liquidations, with shorts accounting for approximately $1.02 million.
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This suggests that XRP's rapid move higher triggered a wave of forced buying as exchanges automatically closed leveraged short positions that could no longer meet margin requirements.
When shorts are liquidated, traders effectively have to buy back the asset they had bet against. If enough positions are closed at once, this can add additional upward pressure to an already rising market, creating what is commonly known as a short squeeze.
XRP derivatives activity surgesThe rally has also been accompanied by a substantial increase in speculative activity.
XRP futures trading volume has reached roughly $5.51 billion over the past 24 hours, compared with only about $1.29 billion in spot trading volume.
That means futures volume is more than four times larger than spot volume, highlighting just how heavily derivatives traders are participating in the latest move.
Open interest, which represents the total value of outstanding futures contracts that have not yet been closed, currently stands at approximately $3.05 billion.
Rising open interest alongside a rising XRP price generally indicates that traders are adding fresh leveraged positions rather than merely closing existing ones.
Several major exchanges have experienced particularly strong increases in XRP futures activity.
Binance recorded roughly $1.54 billion in XRP/USDT futures volume, up more than 68%, while OKX volume surged nearly 81% to approximately $613 million. Bybit recorded about $631 million, up more than 71%.
Kraken's XRP futures volume jumped more than 150%, while Coinbase saw an increase of nearly 120%.
Traders lean bullishPositioning data also shows a bullish tilt among traders on some of the biggest derivatives platforms.
The Binance XRP/USDT long-to-short account ratio currently stands at 2.37, meaning there are more than twice as many accounts positioned long as short.
The ratio among Binance's top traders is even higher at approximately 2.76 based on accounts, while their position-based ratio stands at 1.77.
OKX also shows a strong long bias, with its XRP long-to-short account ratio at around 2.13.
The increasingly bullish positioning comes after a powerful month for XRP.
Despite remaining down roughly 24% since the beginning of the year, XRP has gained almost 40% over the past 30 days and about 23% over the past three months.
The latest breakout above $1.40 now puts the focus on whether XRP can sustain the rally once the immediate short-liquidation pressure fades.
For now, the combination of rising prices, expanding open interest and surging futures volume shows that leverage has become a major part of XRP's latest advance. That can help amplify further gains if momentum continues, but it can also increase the risk of violent liquidations in the opposite direction if the price suddenly reverses.
Clearpool Finance is expanding its institutional credit infrastructure by leveraging the XRP Ledger, as announced on social media. This initiative aims to enhance the XRP Ledger’s capabilities beyond its traditional roles in payments and exchange activity. Clearpool’s new lending products, including those tied to native credit standards such as Single Asset Vaults and the Lending Protocol, are still under development. The move suggests an intention to integrate real-world assets and institutional lending into the XRP Ledger’s ecosystem, potentially increasing its utility and adoption.
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Key Takeaways Market activity suggests participants may view Clearpool’s initiative as potentially enhancing XRP’s utility, which could be supportive of higher XRP valuations. The XRP price prediction market shows a notable increase in the probability of XRP reaching $1.60, indicating some market optimism. Current market pricing still reflects caution, with relatively low probabilities for higher price thresholds like $3.00. What to Watch Market participants will likely pay close attention to the development progress of Clearpool’s infrastructure on the XRP Ledger. Key events that could influence market views include successful activation of Clearpool’s products, potential partnerships announced by Ripple, and legislative developments regarding crypto regulation in the U.S. Observers will also monitor broader crypto market conditions, as these could affect XRP’s price movements.
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Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h October 1 2026 0.8% — — View market → October 1 2026 1.3% — — View market → October 1 2026 5.2% — — View market → October 1 2026 10% — — View market → October 1 2026 0.5% — — View market → October 1 2026 1.4% — — View market → October 1 2026 3% — — View market → October 1 2026 5.6% — — View market → October 1 2026 29% — — View market →
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
The XRP token has come very close to confirming a major inverse head-and-shoulders reversal structure on the daily chart. According to analysts, including well-known chart tracker Ali Martinez, a price close above the key resistance level could officially launch a bullish roadmap targeting $2.00.
The entire chart structure has been forming throughout the summer and looks mathematically precise:
Left shoulder: June consolidation.Head: the absolute bottom at the August lows around $1.00.Right shoulder: the current plateau in the $1.32–$1.36 range.XRP daily chart displaying an emerging inverse head-and-shoulders pattern targeting $2.10. Source: Ali Martinez via X.comThe main trigger right now is the so-called neckline at $1.55. As soon as a daily candle closes above this resistance, the pattern will be considered technically complete. The clean geometry of the pattern projects a move of roughly 35%, directly toward the psychological $2.00 level.
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The situation is also being fueled by the moving averages: the 50-day EMA has moved extremely close to the 200-day EMA, with a gap of less than 2%, signaling the potential formation of a classic medium-term golden cross.
Market absorbs liquidity faster than whales bring it in: What to know about XRPWhile technical analysis points to potential upside, on-chain data from CryptoQuant adds hard economic context to the story. Over the past 30 days, large investors have transferred a six-month record of 1.5–1.6 billion XRP to Binance.
In exchange practice, such volumes are often deposited for margin collateral, derivatives contracts, or over-the-counter transactions rather than for immediate selling on the open market.
The very fact that the arrival of this enormous amount of liquidity has not triggered panic, while XRP's spot price continues to hold firmly within the boundaries of the right shoulder, points to strong positioning among buyers. The market is successfully absorbing this supply, creating a foundation for a potential shortage of coins once whale inflows begin to decline.
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Buyer confidence is also being supported by a stable news backdrop. The U.S. Senate's rejection of the CLARITY Act on September 15 was a negative signal for the market, but the CFTC continues to treat the token as a digital commodity, largely removing it from most SEC claims.
At the same time, Ripple is expanding the network's fundamental utility. The beta testing of XRP Ledger integration into Stripe and Tempo infrastructure, which began on September 17, opens a clear niche for the token in instant micropayments between autonomous AI programs.
The roadmap to $2.00 is ready, but the fate of the rally is being decided within the current price corridor. The key task for bulls is to defend right-shoulder support at $1.32–$1.33. If a daily close confirms a breakout above the $1.55 neckline, the launch of the projected 35% move will become a matter of technical execution.
XRP spot volume surged to approximately $1.36 billion in 24 hours this weekend. Price climbed roughly 7% to reclaim the $1.41 mark.
According to CoinGlass, XRP spot volume printed $1.36B, while total tracked turnover on CoinMarketCap approached $4.9B, up roughly 90% in a day.
Shorts Squeezed, But Futures Still Dominate the Tape The rally was not a clean breakout. It was a squeeze. Reports state that XRP wiped roughly $8.05 million in short positions.
The move came as crypto prices surged as Bitcoin reclaimed $80,000, sparking a broad short squeeze across the market.
Longs absorbed only about $2.36 million in losses by comparison. Meanwhile, $300 million in leveraged crypto liquidations swept the broader market as Bitcoin broke $81,000, dragging altcoins higher.
That context matters for investors. Futures volume on XRP was still around $5.71B, more than four times XRP spot volume.
When futures run that far ahead of spot, a rally can unwind quickly if leverage flushes. Notably, XRP futures volume surged to a six-month high in August, a pattern that preceded prior volatility episodes.
This weekend’s move also did not arrive with fresh fundamentals. XRP slid toward the $1.23–$1.30 zone earlier in September after the Senate CLARITY Act cloture vote failed 49–50.
The XRP price outlook after the CFTC push was already uncertain heading into the weekend. Saturday’s pop is a relief rally off that flush, not a new fundamental catalyst.
ETF Inflows Provide a Floor, Whale Deposits Add Uncertainty The strongest institutional signal on the board is not price. It is the ETF data. US spot XRP ETFs topping $1.7 billion in inflows represent the clearest proof of institutional demand available right now.
21Shares has flagged a gap between XRPL utility growth and token price performance. That gap may close over time, but it has not closed yet. Notably, 1.6 billion XRP whale inflows to Binance over the past 30 days hit a six-month high was recorded a few days ago.
CryptoQuant analysts noted this could reflect reallocation rather than an outright dump. Still, with Binance reserves near a 69-day high, the overhang is real. A stall in price here could trigger further selling from those positions.
On the utility front, Ripple adding XRP and RLUSD to Stripe and Tempo’s AI agentic payments keeps the network’s real-world case building in parallel.
Separately, the Moscow Exchange is set to launch XRP perpetual futures on September 22.
That adds a fresh derivatives venue, and more potential leverage, just as XRP spot volume is trying to hold meaningful ground above $1B.
Meanwhile, Ripple’s legal position remains intact. After the CLARITY Act vote fell short, Ripple CLO Stuart Alderoty was clear:
“Ripple and $XRP stand on settled ground.” As Ripple’s lawyer confirmed, XRP already has clarity, the 2023 Torres ruling and the March 2026 SEC–CFTC read remain the two pillars holding that status in place.
The investor question now is simple. Can XRP spot volume stay above $1B into the trading week while ETF creations remain positive and Binance whale reserves stop climbing?
If yes, $1.45 and then $1.50 are live tests. If no, this weekend’s move joins a series of high-beta bounces inside the $1.23–$1.50 range that has defined September for XRP spot volume watchers.
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RippleX, the team behind the XRP Ledger’s reference server software, has shipped xrpld version 3.4.0, adding two new amendments that extend the network’s native lending features. The release, published on the XRPL Foundation’s GitHub repository on September 17, introduces the LendingProtocolV1_1 and fixCleanup3_4_0 amendments and retires fixAMMOverflowOffer, according to the release notes.
Closed-Ended Vaults and Cash-Basis Accounting The headline change is LendingProtocolV1_1, which extends the existing LendingProtocol and SingleAssetVault amendments. The update introduces closed-ended vaults, a structure that moves through three phases — subscription, investment and redemption — that determine when assets can be deposited, when loans can be originated and when assets can be redeemed. Once the amendment is enabled, new loan brokers can only be created against closed-ended vaults. The release also shifts vault accounting to a cash basis, so interest is recognized as income only when payments are actually made, rather than being booked at the moment a loan is originated.
Bundled Fixes and a Retired Amendment The release also carries fixCleanup3_4_0, which bundles several amendment-gated fixes. The asfDisallowIncomingTrustline flag now applies to OfferCreate, so an account without a trust line can no longer use an offer to receive tokens from an issuer that set the flag. Deleted domain offers are excluded from the Permissioned DEX invariant, and AMMClawback is patched to avoid silently recovering zero when integer rounding floors an amount. The amendment also lets the clawback bypass the owner-reserve check when it must auto-create a paired asset holding. Separately, fixAMMOverflowOffer is retired and folded permanently into the protocol. The work extends earlier XRPL amendment releases, including the Batch V1.1 amendment RippleX shipped in September.
Operators Told to Upgrade Version 3.4.0 also moves the xrpld DEB and RPM packages to packages.xrplf.org, now signed with an XRPLF key, and urges anyone running an XRP Ledger server to upgrade as soon as possible to ensure service continuity. As with other XRPL changes, the new amendments do not activate immediately. LendingProtocolV1_1 and fixCleanup3_4_0 remain gated behind the network’s validator-voting process, so the code ships now while activation depends on the amendment process. The release is the latest in a steady stream of XRPL updates, which recently added support for Stripe and Tempo’s AI payment standard.
Why the Lending Upgrade Matters Cash-basis accounting changes how vault income is reported: interest is only realized when a borrower actually pays, which reduces the risk of a lending protocol overstating earnings before cash arrives. Closed-ended vaults, with their defined subscription, investment and redemption phases, give lenders and borrowers a clearer structure for when capital can enter and leave. For the wider XRP Ledger ecosystem, the release signals that native DeFi tooling remains an active development priority, even as each change stays gated behind validator approval.
AUTHOR
Tokoni Uti is a Lagos-based writer with several years of experience. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Free Press and the San Diego Free press among others. She is a graduate of Bowen University.
XRP has come close to confirming a significant inverse head-and-shoulders reversal pattern on its daily chart, with many analysts highlighting the importance of a daily close above the $1.55 resistance level. Market observers including chart specialist Ali Martinez have stated that such a close could open the path toward a bullish target of $2.00.
Technical structure reveals bullish potentialThe chart for XRP has developed a structurally clean inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, formed over several months. The left shoulder appeared during the consolidation phase in June, while the head formed at August’s lowest point near $1.00. The right shoulder is represented by the current trading zone, which has been holding around $1.32 to $1.36.
A breakout above the neckline at $1.55, confirmed by a daily closing price, would indicate technical completion of the pattern. According to pattern theory, this points to a projected price increase of about 35%, which would take XRP toward the $2.00 psychological zone.
Additional confirmation comes from moving averages: the 50-day exponential moving average has approached the 200-day EMA, with the gap between them falling to less than 2%. This development signals a possible golden cross, a classic medium-term bullish indicator in technical analysis.
Mini dictionary: Golden cross, a technical event where a short-term moving average crosses above a long-term moving average, often seen as a bullish signal.
On-chain data and whale activityOn-chain analytics from CryptoQuant, a platform specializing in blockchain intelligence, show that large holders have transferred between 1.5 and 1.6 billion XRP to Binance over the past month, marking a six-month high in such flows. In most cases, these transfers are used for margin collateral, derivatives activities, or over-the-counter deals, rather than immediate open-market sales.
Despite the influx of significant liquidity, XRP’s spot price has held within the established right-shoulder range. Analysts point out that the market has absorbed this supply well, which may set the stage for a future shortage if whale inflows decrease.
Regulation and network developmentsRegulatory conditions remain a key element of XRP’s story. After the U.S. Senate rejected the CLARITY Act on September 15, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) still classifies XRP as a digital commodity, largely distancing it from claims brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Meanwhile, Ripple has continued to develop practical applications for XRP. The company is beta testing the integration of XRP Ledger with Stripe and Tempo, both global payment infrastructure providers. This pilot started on September 17 and positions XRP for use in fast microtransactions between artificial intelligence systems.
Mini dictionary: Ripple, a technology company focused on digital payments and creator of the XRP Ledger, which is a decentralized blockchain platform designed for fast, low-cost transactions.
XRP’s bullish reversal structure targets the $2.00 level if a daily close confirms a breakout above $1.55, with the golden cross and strong buyer positioning providing additional technical support to the move.
For this scenario to materialize, bulls must defend the right-shoulder support zone at $1.32 to $1.33. Market participants are watching closely for a decisive daily close above $1.55, which would officially trigger the projected 35% upside move.
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee voted 28 to 21 in favor of H.R. 8957, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, moving the legislation forward on September 16. This bill proposes the creation of two separate crypto-related reserves at the Treasury Department: a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.
Key features of H.R. 8957Under H.R. 8957, Bitcoin will be held in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which requires the government to hold these assets for at least 20 years. Other digital assets, including tokens beyond Bitcoin, will be placed in the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.
Federal agencies that currently possess any form of digital assets must report their holdings within 60 days of the bill’s enactment, with the Treasury mandated to assume custody within 30 days after those disclosures.
To promote transparency, the legislation calls for public quarterly Proof of Reserve disclosures. These reports are intended to ensure that government-held cryptocurrency assets can be monitored and audited by the public and market participants.
House Financial Services advanced H.R. 8957 with a 28-21 vote, bringing both the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, which covers assets like XRP, one step closer to reality. This marks the first formal congressional progress for such legislation.
XRP’s status in the government crypto stockpileXRP is specifically identified for inclusion in the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. President Donald Trump named XRP, along with Solana and Cardano, when outlining his administration’s initial crypto reserve proposal. His executive order from March 2025 laid the legal groundwork, but H.R. 8957 provides the statutory measures needed for permanence.
The bill’s recognition of XRP as a government-held digital asset separates it from most other cryptocurrencies that lack official acknowledgment. This marks the first occasion XRP has been officially recognized in a congressional vote related to digital asset reserves.
Long-term effects and market contextThe presence of XRP in the Digital Asset Stockpile builds a formal institutional basis for the token’s long-term significance, suggesting a level of acceptance within U.S. governmental policy frameworks. The inclusion of protection laws also prevents agencies from selling, encumbering, or disposing of digital assets, including XRP, during the transition to Treasury custody.
Congressional acknowledgment of XRP as part of a strategic reserve grants it a new level of legitimacy with both institutional and retail market participants, as agencies will be required to report and maintain these assets under strict transparency rules.
Meanwhile, traditional financial markets are experiencing a shift as Wall Street increasingly explores Web3 infrastructure. Investors are turning to platforms such as 1stepSwap, which enables direct ownership of U.S. equities, gold, and silver within crypto wallets by tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) and providing rapid price discovery across markets—bypassing traditional brokers and intermediaries in the process.
Next steps for the billDespite this legislative progress, H.R. 8957 is not yet law. The bill must still pass a full vote on the House floor, followed by Senate approval, before it can be presented to the President for signature. At this stage, the timeline for those further votes remains unconfirmed.
This vote follows the recent Senate decision to reject the CLARITY Act, adding renewed attention to digital asset policy. The inclusion of XRP and other tokens in formal reserve structures will remain under close observation as the legislation advances through the next phases of Congress.
XRP is making moves to reclaim higher price levels, buoyed by renewed technical optimism and fresh institutional interest. The cryptocurrency is trading at $1.32, showing a 1.54% increase over the past 24 hours, with a 24-hour trading volume of $4.02 billion and a total market capitalization of $83.03 billion.
Key resistance looms at $1.55Analyst Ali Martinez, a well-known figure in crypto market commentary, has flagged the formation of an inverted head-and-shoulders pattern for XRP on the daily chart. According to Martinez, the pattern’s neckline sits at $1.55—a price that now represents a critical resistance level for the token. A confirmed breakout above $1.55 could validate a technical upside target near $2, with Martinez citing a 35% potential move upon confirmation of the pattern.
XRP’s price action centers on whether buyers can push the token through the crucial $1.55 resistance, which, if breached, validates the inverted head-and-shoulders pattern and opens the path to $2.
Despite recent gains, XRP remains below this resistance zone. Technical indicators reinforce the significance of $1.55 in the near term, as current price movements have not yet overcome this hurdle.
Technical outlook and momentum indicatorsOn the technical front, XRP’s price sits beneath the midpoint of the Bollinger Bands at $1.36755, while the upper and lower bands are placed at $1.45947 and $1.27564, respectively. A decisive move above $1.36755 may strengthen short-term sentiment and set the stage for a test of the $1.45 level, before potentially approaching the $1.55 neckline.
Price LevelRole$1.55Neckline resistance (inverted H&S pattern)$1.36755Bollinger Bands midpoint$1.45947Upper Bollinger Band$1.27564Lower Bollinger Band / support$2.00Technical target if breakout confirmedA drop below $1.27564 would undermine the current recovery, while upward momentum could resume if XRP reclaims higher bands. The MACD indicator currently suggests lingering downward momentum, with a MACD value of -0.01967 and the MACD line remaining below the signal line. A bullish crossover in the MACD would further support a positive scenario for XRP.
The technical setup remains in focus as traders monitor the $1.55 level for clues on the next significant move.
Evernorth secures $30 million for XRP-linked activitiesEvernorth, a treasury management company specialized in the XRP ecosystem, has announced a major funding milestone. The firm agreed to issue $30 million worth of 4% convertible senior PIK notes maturing in 2031 to NH Investment & Securities, acting on behalf of Kyobo AIM Corporate Finance General Private Investment Trust No. 3. The financing is contingent on the successful completion of a planned SPAC merger.
A portion of these funds could be allocated to acquiring XRP tokens or supporting related initiatives within the XRP ecosystem. However, the financing does not guarantee an immediate or direct $30 million purchase of XRP.
Evernorth’s planned Nasdaq listing through its SPAC merger marks a critical step for the company. Its registration statement was declared effective in August, and shareholders of merger partner Armada will vote on the deal by September 30. Once the merger finalizes, the combined entity will trade as XRPN.
The Evernorth transaction reflects growing institutional engagement with the XRP asset and associated markets.
Mini dictionary: Evernorth, an XRP-focused treasury management company, is moving toward a Nasdaq listing via a merger with Armada. Its business is tied to facilitating institutional use of the XRP token and promoting related financial solutions.
Market outlook remains conditionalThe prospects for XRP’s advance toward $2 rely both on technical factors and the unfolding institutional narrative. A breakout above $1.55 may energize bulls and validate the inverted head-and-shoulders move, while failure to close above this threshold could cap XRP’s recovery in the near term.
Meanwhile, institutional developments such as Evernorth’s financing and SPAC merger may foster additional interest in the asset, pending completion of required approvals and corporate milestones.
In summary, XRP’s current outlook is shaped by both technical dynamics around the $1.55 level and institutional shifts such as Evernorth’s proposed capital raise and public listing.
Dr. Kamilah Stevenson, host of a YouTube program focused on wealth education, is urging XRP investors to pay close attention to developments in Tokyo, specifically the Bank of Japan’s upcoming interest rate decision. She argued that decisions made by the Japanese central bank could have a far-reaching impact on global risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, equities, and bonds, rather than political news in Washington.
Yen carry trade risks and market reactionsStevenson explained that the yen carry trade remains a fundamental strategy among global investors. In this approach, market participants borrow Japanese yen at relatively low interest rates and invest the proceeds in higher-yielding assets elsewhere. This activity often includes stocks, bonds, and digital assets like XRP.
If the Bank of Japan moves to increase interest rates, the cost of borrowing yen rises. Stevenson noted that when this happens, investors might rush to unwind their positions in risk assets to repay yen-denominated loans. Such a shift can trigger broad-based selling across various markets, not just within a single asset class.
She emphasized that if prices decline in tandem across different risk assets, the catalyst is likely broader monetary policy and funding conditions, rather than any change in the underlying fundamentals of assets like XRP.
Mini dictionary: Yen carry trade, a financial strategy in which investors borrow Japanese yen at low interest rates and invest in assets abroad with higher returns. A sudden rise in the yen’s interest rate can force investors to sell those assets to repay their loans, causing market volatility.
“A bank on the other side of the world could do more damage to your XRP than major domestic political events,” Stevenson stated, portraying the Bank of Japan meeting as a potentially vital market event for global investors with exposure to assets like XRP.
Historical precedent and market interpretationStevenson recalled market volatility in August 2024 following a previous Bank of Japan announcement, which led to sharp declines in both stocks and cryptocurrencies over several days. She pointed out that, in the aftermath, many XRP holders blamed the asset’s drop on crypto-specific issues, overlooking the wider influence of macroeconomic events such as a shift in carry-trade dynamics.
“It’s not that anything changed about those assets, but the money holding them can be drawn back to Japan if the borrowing costs increase,” she said, highlighting the interconnected nature of global financial markets.
Dr. Stevenson clarified that her assessment is not a firm prediction but rather a conditional scenario. She mentioned that if financial markets have already factored in an anticipated rate hike, the reaction could be muted. However, an unexpectedly large increase or aggressive new signals might prompt more intense selling. Conversely, a rate move that is less hawkish than predicted could bring some relief to risk assets.
Advice for XRP investorsStevenson suggested that XRP holders should differentiate between asset-specific developments and broader macroeconomic shocks. If markets witness simultaneous pullbacks in cryptocurrencies and equities, she suggested the root cause is likely changes in global funding rather than news related to Ripple or any single participant in the crypto space.
She also recommended that long-term investors consider placing limit orders to manage potential downturns, prioritize secure custody solutions, and explore tax-advantaged options such as Roth IRAs for crypto holdings. Stevenson additionally advocated for institutional-grade custody arrangements to improve overall security and manage risk.
She cautioned that any surprise Bank of Japan move raising the cost of yen funding could have ripple effects extending across markets, illustrating how cryptocurrency pricing remains closely tied to global liquidity and leverage conditions.
Macro analyst Jim Willie said in a recent podcast interview that a brewing bond market crisis, tied partly to geopolitical tension from the Iran war, could push countries toward using neutral settlement assets instead of US Treasuries for trade between each other.
He argued that as nations grow wary of holding debt from countries seen as devaluing their own currency through heavy money printing, they’ll look for alternatives that don’t carry that political baggage, and that’s where he sees XRP potentially stepping in.
Why He’s Watching the DTCC Closely
Willie pointed to a recent announcement from the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which confirmed Stellar’s XLM would help manage settlement for certain stocks and bonds, including instruments tied to the S&P 500 and Russell 2000. But he flagged something the announcement didn’t cover. Derivatives settlement, a market he estimated at roughly $4 trillion a year, with no confirmed asset assigned to handle it yet.
Math Behind His XRP Theory
Willie ran simple numbers to illustrate the scale of what he’s describing. If even 1% of that $4 trillion annual derivatives market were routed through XRP, that works out to $40 trillion a year, or roughly $3 trillion a month in transaction volume. He argued that kind of throughput simply isn’t realistic at XRP’s current price, suggesting it would require the token trading at $1,000 to handle that volume in a functional way.
Worth Noting
Willie’s remarks are speculative commentary, not confirmed DTCC policy. The DTCC has not announced any plan involving XRP for derivatives settlement, and Willie’s $1,000 price projection is his own extrapolation rather than data from Ripple, the DTCC, or any regulatory source. As with any forward-looking price target from an independent commentator, it should be treated as one analyst’s theory rather than established fact.
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