XRP whales buy 71M as price hovers at $1.36

Technical squeeze signals

According to analyst Dark Defender, who specializes in chart analysis, XRP continues to oscillate within a broad Elliott Wave formation on the two-week timeframe. Despite a prolonged sideways movement, technical signals suggest the bullish trend remains intact. In particular, the price is caught between key support and resistance levels—what analysts refer to as a “compression triangle” or “apex”—which often precedes a decisive breakout.

Mini glossary: The Elliott Wave Theory, widely used in technical analysis, posits that financial markets move in predictable wave patterns. Investors use these waves to anticipate potential trend reversals.

In the short term, XRP’s primary support zone stands between $1.31 and $1.36. This region has repeatedly proven robust during recent dips against selling pressure. On the upside, $1.47 is highlighted as a crucial resistance, with $1.88 and $3.56 as subsequent targets. Analysts argue that if these resistance levels are cleared in succession, a strong trend continuation could follow.

According to CoinCodex data, XRP’s price is currently hovering near $1.36, maintaining balance at this critical support level.

Whale activity and caution among retail investors

Widely followed crypto analyst Ali Martinez noted on social media that major investors accumulated over 71 million XRP in the past week. Such significant buying, especially during periods of low volatility, often signals a strategic move to establish long-term positions. With individual investors remaining cautious, whale activity has drawn heightened attention.

Market data reveals a rise in withdrawals of XRP from exchanges. The shifting of tokens into private wallets points to a potential reduction in circulating supply. When combined with a technical squeeze, similar scenarios have often triggered sharp price swings in the past.

Analysts emphasize that, “The divergence between price movements and wallet behavior should be monitored closely, as this can provide an early indication of a meaningful supply decrease in the market.”

Institutional interest and derivatives market moves

Another key factor influencing XRP’s next move is surging institutional interest in the derivatives market. Over the course of the year, CME Group logged a total trading volume of $62.87 billion in XRP futures contracts. This uptick reflects mounting attention from institutions and large-scale investors toward XRP on regulated platforms.

Mini glossary: CME Group is among the world’s largest derivatives exchanges, offering a range of cryptocurrency futures contracts to institutional investors. High trading volumes on CME are widely considered a marker of market maturity and growing institutional participation.

In summary, a convergence of technical compression, aggressive whale accumulation, and rising institutional futures trading is laying the groundwork for significant price action in XRP. The cryptocurrency’s next decisive move will likely be shaped by how these pressures resolve in the near term—whether yielding a breakout or extending the current sideways trend.