📌 During the first quarter of 2026, XRP lost over $30 billion.
– In many ways, the decline reflected XRP’s close correlation with bitcoin (BTC), which was roughly 0.84 during that period. When bitcoin fell below $70,000 in early February, its lowest level since the end of 2024, XRP picked up momentum, moving about 1.8 times faster and taking the broader altcoin market with it.
The wave of selling was exacerbated by over $2.2 billion in liquidations, triggering a cascading decline as stop-loss orders accelerated the collapse and broke important support levels.
At the same time, the impact of the spot XRP ETFs launched in November 2025 began to fade. Although the seven funds had raised a combined $1.44 billion by the end of March, inflows slowed to their lowest level in February, signaling waning interest.
Technical indicators exacerbated the weakness as XRP broke through its 200-week EMA, a death cross was formed, and the asset repeatedly failed to hold at $1.60 and $2.05. Notably, seasonal patterns also played a role, as February is traditionally an unfavorable month.
Overall macroeconomic pressures, including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, rising oil costs and Fed policy uncertainty, further reduced the risk appetite for cryptocurrencies.
In the meantime, technical oscillators suggest that XRP may be laying the groundwork for potential gains after weeks of stabilization.
In this regard, analysis from Ali Martinez in a March 31 post on X points to an ascending triangle on the monthly chart, a pattern that is usually interpreted as a bullish trend continuation signal characterized by a rising support line and established resistance.
According to this analysis, XRP price dynamics show increasing demand: buyers are entering at higher values, while sellers are trying to lower quotes. Key levels include historical support near $0.11, a consolidation zone between $0.90 and $1.60, and meaningful resistance at $3.32 – the historical high of 2018.
additionally, the analysis includes upside targets at $27.17 and $48.12, which are based on technical forecasts rather than past price swings.
If the pattern persists, XRP could provide a short-term entry opportunity near upside support, while a break above resistance would likely trigger a stronger bullish momentum.
In the longer term, this pattern indicates a stable upward trend, although it remains dependent on general market conditions, particularly the impact of bitcoin on altcoins.
Invest in crypto-assets and 3,000 other instruments, including stocks and precious metals.
0% commission on stocks – buy in bulk or in installments starting at $10. Other fees apply. Learn more at etoro.com/trading/fees.
Automatically replicate the trades of top traders in real time.
Bitcoin