XRP Whales Accumulate 40M Tokens as Price Faces $3 Resistance

XRP is navigating an environment of volatility as its push toward $3 resistance appears to have stalled amid the broader market correction.

Cryptocurrency XRP is facing buying and selling pressures as its push toward the $3 resistance appears to have stalled amid the broader market correction.

After plumbing lows of $0.7 amid the broader crypto market crash of 2022, XRP has staged a spirited recovery. The token briefly traded above the $1 mark in early December before pushing further to highs of $2.4.

However, XRP has faced selling pressure over the past week, coinciding with a broader market pullback and capital outflows from the Ripple-affiliated token. As reported by Finbold on December 19, XRP recorded a $7 billion outflow in capital in a single day, mirroring the general market trend.

A review of on-chain metrics shared by prominent analyst Ali Martinez on December 24 indicates that XRP whales acquired 40 million tokens within 24 hours. This buying activity follows a period of sustained selling pressure, with large-scale token sales being reported earlier in December.

If history repeats itself, XRP could be gearing up for a potential upward move, as large-scale accumulation by whales has often preceded price growth. For instance, in May 2023, following a period of accumulation by large wallets, XRP price rose by over 60% in a single month.

Regarding potential price action, Finbold reached out to OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) tool, ChatGPT-4o, for insights into how the asset might trade amid the current investor interest.

According to the AI tool, the impact of whale accumulation would likely take effect within a week and could be influenced by external factors such as overall market sentiment.

Over the next 24 to 48 hours, the whale transactions and increased buying pressure may push the price to $2.30 to $2.40. The platform further noted that sustained buying momentum within three to five days could drive XRP to trade between $2.50 and $2.60, with potential consolidation at those levels.

If bullish sentiment continues, XRP may challenge the $2.75 and $3 resistance zones within a week, provided no adverse market events occur. Conversely, in a bearish scenario, the price could retrace and stabilize around $2.15 to $2.20.

Away from whale activity, XRP remains susceptible to market trends, with elements such as the Ripple and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) case being a key influence. Notably, part of XRP’s recent breakout from prolonged consolidation below $1 was driven by the news of Gary Gensler’s exit from the SEC.

As things stand, XRP investors hope for further upward movement if the asset maintains its valuation above the $2 support level. The token recently saw significant capital outflows that pushed it below this critical mark.

XRP could rally further, as it is trading above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) of $1.61 and the 200-day SMA of $0.81, pointing to possible bullish sentiment in the short and long term.

Elsewhere, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI), currently at 55.19, lies in the neutral zone but leans slightly bullish, suggesting that XRP is neither overbought nor oversold. This leaves room for further price movement depending on shifts in market sentiment.