XRP jumps 8% as crypto short squeeze and Ripple developments draw attention

Key takeaways

  • XRP rose more than 8% in 24 hours as the broader crypto market rallied.
  • Its trading volume increased 55% to approximately $4.7 billion.
  • Crypto-wide short liquidations reached about $665 million; that figure is not specific to XRP.

XRP outpaces major cryptocurrencies

XRP gained more than 8% over 24 hours amid a broad cryptocurrency rally. Trading volume rose 55% to approximately $4.7 billion, equivalent to about 5% of XRP’s circulating market value.

The higher volume shows that trading activity increased alongside the price. It does not, by itself, establish how much of that activity came from new buyers rather than sellers closing positions.

A wider short squeeze may have contributed to the move. Across the crypto market, short liquidations climbed to approximately $665 million, according to the figures cited in the report. Liquidations force some traders betting on falling prices to close their positions, which can amplify a rally.

XRP’s gains also come as Ripple continues to expand its payments business and develop uses for the XRP Ledger.

The report points to a newly released developer kit for building AI agents that can make payments using the ledger and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. It also describes Stripe as potential supporting infrastructure for that use case. The scale of any resulting payment activity remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, two XRP Ledger proposals under consideration could help establish a framework for lending that uses XRP as collateral and RLUSD for settlement. Their eventual effect depends on approval, implementation and adoption.

RLUSD’s market capitalization was near $2.4 billion in the figures cited by the report. Growth in the stablecoin may increase activity in Ripple’s ecosystem, though it does not guarantee a corresponding rise in XRP’s price.

XRP faces $1.50 breakout test

The technical analysis in the report identifies a breakout from a descending flag pattern on XRP’s daily chart. 

The next test is $1.50: a sustained move above that level would strengthen the case for a rise toward $1.80.

XRP/USD Daily Chart

The analyst also projects a medium-term target of $2.10 based on the pattern’s measured move, implying roughly 41% upside from the price used in that forecast.

Those targets remain conditional. After a sharp rally and substantial short liquidations, XRP will need continued buying interest to hold its breakout and advance through $1.50.

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Avalanche price eyes 90% rally as tokenization demand lifts AVAX

Key takeaways

  • AVAX surged nearly 50% in one week, reaching an eight-month high of $10.82 on Sunday.
  • Institutional tokenization developments involving ICE, New York Life Investment Management, Aave and Janus Henderson have boosted sentiment.
  • Avalanche’s Helicon upgrade is scheduled for Sept. 22 and will reduce the minimum staking period from 14 days to 48 hours.

Avalanche’s AVAX token has climbed nearly 50% over the past week, reaching an eight-month high of $10.82 on Sunday as institutional tokenization developments renewed demand for the cryptocurrency.

One of the rally’s leading catalysts involves Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. ICE has reportedly spent about a year testing Avalanche as it explores infrastructure for round-the-clock trading of tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds.

ICE has not selected Avalanche or announced a commercial partnership. However, Ava Labs President Charley Cooper said the company remains actively engaged with the network.

The development has strengthened expectations that Avalanche could play a role in bringing traditional financial assets onchain.

New York Life plans tokenized fund on Avalanche

New York Life Investment Management provided another institutional catalyst by announcing plans to launch its first tokenized fund on Avalanche through Centrifuge.

The offering will bring the firm’s U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Strategy onchain, giving eligible investors access to exposure tied to high-yield corporate debt.

Other financial companies are also expanding their involvement with Avalanche. Aave is developing an institutional real-world asset lending market on the network, while Paxos has added support for AVAX and USDC.

Asset manager Janus Henderson has also joined Avalanche as a validator, further strengthening the network’s institutional credentials.

Together, these developments reinforce Avalanche’s positioning as a blockchain for tokenized funds, credit products and other real-world assets.

Avalanche’s upcoming Helicon upgrade provides an additional potential catalyst for AVAX.

Scheduled for Sept. 22, the upgrade will reduce the minimum staking lockup period from 14 days to 48 hours. The change could make staking more flexible by allowing participants to commit their tokens for substantially shorter periods.

Helicon will also modify validator requirements and reward structures. Lowering the time commitment may encourage more users to participate in network validation, although the full impact will depend on how validators respond to the revised economics.

The timing of the upgrade, alongside growing institutional interest, has added momentum to AVAX’s recovery.

Falling wedge points to $19–$20 target

AVAX’s weekly chart is showing a potential long-term recovery setup after the price rebounded from the lower boundary of a large falling wedge that has developed since its 2021 peak.

Falling wedges are generally viewed as bullish reversal patterns when the price rebounds from the lower trendline and eventually breaks above descending resistance.

The latest recovery started around the $5.80–$6.50 region, a historical support zone that has repeatedly attracted buyers. AVAX subsequently climbed above its 20-week Exponential Moving Average near $7.97, strengthening the case for a broader recovery within the wedge.

If the rebound continues, the next major upside target lies between $19 and $20. The wedge’s descending upper trendline is converging in this area with the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement level near $19.86.

A move from approximately $10.50 to that resistance zone would produce an estimated gain of 85%–90%.

Before AVAX can approach $19, it must overcome resistance around its 50-week EMA. A rejection from this moving average could slow the recovery or send the token back toward lower support levels.

AVAX/USD Daily Chart

The broader bullish setup would weaken if AVAX loses the wedge’s lower trendline and falls decisively below $5.80. That level currently serves as the primary invalidation point for the recovery thesis.

AVAX’s outlook therefore remains constructive while it holds above the reclaimed 20-week EMA and maintains the wedge’s lower support. 

However, the projected move toward $19–$20 remains conditional on the token clearing intermediate resistance and sustaining institutional-driven demand.

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XRP holds $1.30 as falling futures interest signals weak demand

Key takeaways

  • The failed CLARITY Act vote and the Federal Reserve’s rate increase have weighed on sentiment.
  • XRP futures open interest fell from 2.25 billion to 2.12 billion tokens, signaling softer speculative demand.
  • The 50-day and 100-day EMAs provide support between $1.28 and $1.26.

Ripple’s XRP remained under bearish pressure on Friday, trading just above $1.30 as buyers attempted to defend a cluster of short-term moving-average supports.

The token has struggled since rising to $1.50 on Monday. Sentiment weakened after the U.S. Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act and the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%.

Higher interest rates can reduce liquidity and weaken demand for risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. However, the Fed’s decision was widely anticipated, limiting the immediate market reaction.

Ripple highlights XRP’s existing legal clarity

Despite the legislative setback, Ripple maintains that XRP already has a meaningful legal advantage following the company’s lengthy court battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ripple said the litigation established that XRP is not inherently a security, giving the company and token firmer legal footing even without a comprehensive U.S. digital-asset framework.

The company acknowledged that the CLARITY Act could have offered greater certainty across the broader crypto industry. Still, it argued that XRP remains on “settled ground” compared with many other digital assets.

Derivatives activity has weakened alongside XRP’s fading price recovery. Futures open interest fell to 2.12 billion XRP on Friday from 2.25 billion the day earlier. It has also retreated considerably from the 2.78 billion XRP recorded on August 15.

Falling open interest indicates traders are closing leveraged positions or becoming less willing to establish new ones. If the decline continues, XRP may struggle to attract the speculative demand needed for a sustained move back toward $1.50.

The token nevertheless displayed some resilience following the Fed’s expected rate increase. 

XYO co-founder Markus Levin noted that the central bank’s improved growth outlook suggests policymakers do not believe the U.S. economy is approaching a severe downturn.

However, the effects of higher borrowing costs could emerge gradually as financial conditions tighten.

XRP bulls defend the $1.26-$1.28 support zone

XRP remains above the 50-day and 100-day exponential moving averages, which provide support around $1.28 and $1.26, respectively.

The 200-day EMA at approximately $1.36 represents the first major resistance. A decisive break above that level could improve momentum and reopen the path toward $1.50.

Technical indicators currently point to consolidation with a bearish tilt. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator has fallen further below zero, while its expanding negative histogram suggests bullish momentum is weakening.

XRP/USD Daily Chart

Meanwhile, the Relative Strength Index stands at 49, slightly below its neutral midpoint.

A daily close below the $1.26-$1.28 support cluster would strengthen the bearish outlook and potentially trigger a deeper correction. 

Conversely, holding this zone and reclaiming $1.36 would provide an early sign that buyers are regaining control.

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XRP recovers but weak derivatives data limits bullish conviction

Key takeaways

  • XRP’s long-to-short ratio stands at a bullish 1.06 as funding rates turn negative. 
  • XRP holds above its 50-day and 100-day EMAs at $1.284 and $1.255.
  • A daily close above the 200-day EMA at $1.353 could place $1.90 in focus.

XRP extended its recoveries on Thursday after finding support at important technical levels. However, conflicting funding rates, long-to-short positioning, and on-chain signals indicate that traders remain uncertain about whether the rebounds can continue.

XRP traded near $1.30 while holding above its 50-day and 100-day exponential moving averages. A close above the 200-day EMA at $1.353 is required to strengthen its recovery.

XRP traders show mixed positioning

XRP’s long-to-short ratio rose to 1.06 on Thursday, approaching its highest level in more than a month, according to CoinGlass.

A ratio above one means traders hold more long positions than shorts, signaling a moderately bullish positioning bias.

Funding rates complicate the derivatives outlook for both tokens. XRP’s funding rate turned negative on Wednesday and stood at -0.0040% on Thursday. 

Negative funding means short-position holders are paying longs, indicating that bearish positioning has become more aggressive.

This conflicts with XRP’s bullish long-to-short ratio and highlights the lack of consensus among futures traders.

CryptoQuant’s summary indicators point to cautious conditions across XRP’s spot and futures markets.

XRP is showing signs of overheating, while its futures market reflects sell-side dominance. Increased activity from retail traders could also introduce additional volatility if leveraged positions become crowded.

Taken together, the metrics suggest that XRP has not attracted enough consistent demand to confirm a sustained recovery.

XRP holds above the $1.25–$1.28 support zone

XRP traded near $1.30 on Thursday, maintaining a neutral and range-bound technical structure. The token remains slightly above its 50-day EMA at $1.284 and its 100-day EMA at $1.255. These moving averages create a broader demand zone between approximately $1.25 and $1.28.

The Relative Strength Index stands near 46, signaling neutral-to-weak momentum. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator remains below zero, showing that bullish pressure has yet to recover fully.

XRP/USD Daily Chart

A break below the moving-average support cluster could expose the psychological $1 level.

The 200-day EMA at $1.353 represents XRP’s most important near-term resistance. A daily close above this level would improve the technical outlook and could open a path toward the next major horizontal resistance near $1.90.

Failure to clear $1.353 would keep XRP trapped within its current range and leave the $1.30 area vulnerable to another pullback.

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Ethereum reclaims $2,431 as buyers absorb rate hike and regulatory setback

Key takeaways

  • Ethereum gained 1.7% and reclaimed the important $2,431 level.
  • US spot Ethereum ETFs lost $365.5 million across Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • A break above $2,544 could target $2,626, while major support sits near $2,269–$2,282.

Ethereum (ETH) gained 1.7% over 24 hours and reclaimed $2,431 despite the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate increase in three years and the CLARITY Act’s failure to advance in the US Senate.

Exchange outflows, renewed buy-side activity in perpetual futures and short liquidations suggest that crypto-native traders are buying the pullback. 

However, continued outflows from US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds indicate that institutional demand remains weak.

Ethereum holds above $2,400 after Fed rate hike

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest-rate range by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4% on Wednesday.

The unanimous 12–0 decision was widely anticipated, with markets assigning a probability above 90% to the increase before the meeting. Most Fed officials also expect another rate hike before the end of 2026.

Higher interest rates generally pressure cryptocurrencies by raising borrowing costs and increasing the appeal of yield-bearing assets. 

However, Ethereum remained above $2,400, suggesting that traders had largely priced in the decision.

The CLARITY Act’s failure to secure the 60 Senate votes required to invoke cloture also produced only a temporary decline before buyers returned.

More than 152,000 ETH left cryptocurrency exchanges on Tuesday, marking the largest daily net outflow since June, according to CryptoQuant.

Inflows briefly exceeded withdrawals on Wednesday, but the metric subsequently returned to net outflows.

Large exchange withdrawals can suggest that investors are moving ETH into private wallets rather than preparing to sell it. They also reduce the supply immediately available for trading, potentially supporting prices if demand remains steady.

However, exchange flows can reflect transfers between custodians and do not always represent outright buying.

Ethereum’s taker buy-sell ratio has returned to buy-side territory after briefly signaling stronger selling on Tuesday.

The ratio compares market-buying volume with market-selling volume in perpetual futures. A reading above one indicates that buyers using market orders are more aggressive than sellers.

Liquidation data also points to improving sentiment. Ethereum recorded $221 million in liquidations on Tuesday, with long positions accounting for 88% of the total.

Over the subsequent 24 hours, liquidations declined to $87.6 million. Short positions accounted for $45.4 million, suggesting that rising prices forced some bearish traders out of the market.

Open interest remained close to 13 million ETH across two days, while funding rates returned to positive territory after briefly becoming negative.

Institutional flows present a less constructive picture. US spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $224.1 million in net outflows on Wednesday, following $141.4 million in withdrawals on Tuesday, according to SoSoValue.

The products therefore lost a combined $365.5 million across two sessions. Continued ETF selling contrasts with the accumulation signals visible on cryptocurrency exchanges and in derivatives markets. 

This divergence suggests crypto-native buyers may be absorbing the decline while traditional investment vehicles face redemptions.

ETH reclaims the 20-Day EMA

Ethereum has recovered above the $2,431 horizontal level and its 20-day exponential moving average, both of which provided important support during the past month.

Momentum indicators remain neutral. The Relative Strength Index stands at 53, while the Stochastic oscillator is near 26. These readings suggest consolidation rather than overbought conditions.

ETH/USD Daily Chart

Immediate resistance sits at $2,544. A sustained breakout could allow ETH to target $2,626 and then $2,786.

If Ethereum loses $2,431, the 50-day EMA at $2,282 and the 200-day EMA at $2,269 form the next major support zone. Lower levels include $2,172, the 100-day EMA at $2,163, and horizontal support at $1,961.

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