- Ripple flashing a buy signal is notable, but in the current macro and sector environment, it’s not enough.
- XRP’s failure to capture rotational flows puts it at risk of slipping into a liquidity trap.
Not every macro pump translates into price action, and Ripple [XRP] is the perfect case study.
With May starting strong — spot ETFs, futures ETFs, and the end of the legal saga, XRP still can’t seem to break past key resistance levels, trailing its rivals on the weekly timeframe.
FOMO clearly hasn’t kicked in yet. XRP held across Binance has seen a sharp uptick, rising from 2.73 billion on the 6th of May to 2.84 billion at press time. That’s approximately a 4% increase in under a week.
Could the problem be capital rotation? With ETH/BTC flexing and liquidity sprinting toward hotter narratives, XRP might just be getting left out in the cold.
The silent struggle limiting Ripple’s breakout
No doubt, this cycle has crowned Ethereum the unexpected alpha. Hence, pulling in both retail apes and institutional whales.
As AMBCrypto flagged, smart money is already front-running the top, stacking bags as ETH smashes through the $2,500 supply wall.
Meanwhile, XRP edges toward its $2.50 ceiling, but it’s more like a game of tug-of-war than a moonshot. With the RSI chilling below 80, it’s a far cry from the Q4 rally’s “overcooked” levels above 85.
So, instead of a breakout frenzy, it’s shaping up as cautious accumulation, not the explosive price discovery we might expect. This sentiment is reinforced by the XRP/ETH pair.
Source: TradingView (XRP/ETH)
The Q2 cycle for the XRP/ETH pair has been a total dud, validating AMBCrypto’s earlier thesis: Ethereum is clearly the market’s darling, with Ripple stuck on the sidelines as capital rotates away.
However, the pair is now approaching a key support level.
Back in early March, this same level triggered a 30%+ rally, sending XRP shooting up to $2.90 in one explosive move – definitely something to keep a close eye on in the coming days.
Is the tide finally shifting?
While retail flow is still dragging its feet, XRP’s whale cohort (wallets >10k XRP) has been quietly loading up. In fact, it has cracked past 301k wallets to notch a fresh all-time high.
What’s more, unlike Ethereum’s LTH NUPL (Net Unrealized Profit/Loss), which plunged deep into capitulation during its $1,400 cycle low, Ripple’s long-term holders remain in the green.
Translation? While ETH’s base cracked under pressure, XRP’s diamond hands are flexing conviction, not concern.
Source: Glassnode
Consequently, with XRP/ETH approaching historic support and ETH looking overheated, the next capital rotation could trigger serious upside.
If retail inflows follow the whales, XRP might finally have the fuel to smash through the $2.50 resistance with intent.
