Market analysts are closely watching the XRP price as recent movements test key support levels. A new technical analysis has highlighted a critical price zone that is currently helping contain further downside pressure on XRP. Over the past few months, the cryptocurrency has struggled to reclaim its previous highs, recently crashing below the $2 psychological level amid increased volatility and market uncertainty. 

XRP Key Support Contains Downside Risks

Crypto analyst Skipper shared a new technical update on XRP this week, highlighting current market dynamics and a critical support level that could help prevent further downturns. The analyst noted that XRP recently broke below $1.93, signaling heightened selling pressure and ongoing market repositioning.

Notably, XRP’s decline below $1.93 comes amid broader market weakness, as the cryptocurrency has struggled to hold key levels. Spot market data show the cryptocurrency is currently trading at $1.85, reflecting a significant drop of about 2.7% in the last 24 hours and more than 7.8% over the past seven days. 

XRP’s choppy price action has also kept it pinned below many resistance zones. However, Skipper reveals that sustained trading below $1.88 keeps the cryptocurrency’s downside pressure intact in the near term. The analyst also notes that the next meaningful area where buyers may attempt to stabilize price sits around $1.85. 

Despite ongoing Spot ETF inflows since its launch in November, Skipper noted that XRP’s short-term price action appears more driven by technical positioning than fundamental developments. He also highlighted that XRP’s market supply has contracted significantly, dropping by 45% from approximately 3.9 billion tokens at the beginning of 2025 to about 1.6 billion tokens by December. This reduction in supply could influence XRP’s price dynamics and overall market scarcity. 

XRP Faces Continued Downtrend Amid Market Weakness

In a subsequent post, Skipper reported that the XRP price fell 5% as the crypto market experienced fresh selling pressure with major altcoins extending recent declines. The analyst stated that the token had dipped to lows of around $1.81, reflecting growing investor risk aversion. Moreover, despite being one of the top-performing assets earlier in the year, XRP now risks slipping further.

According to Skipper, XRP has been in a steady downtrend since July 2025, with each price bounce weaker than the previous one. He emphasized that bulls must reverse this downtrend to restore a positive outlook, which would require XRP to rise above the $2.27 high from the last weak bounce in late November. 

The analyst also noted that in past cycles, when XRP breaks below the 50-week Simple Moving Average (SMA) and stays there for roughly 50 to 84 days, a strong rally typically follows. He disclosed that the price has now spent approximately 70 days below its 50-week SMA, placing it within the same historical window.

A crypto analyst has issued a stark warning to the SOL community, predicting that the Solana price could crash below $5. The expert’s bearish thesis is based on an extensive review of US federal court documents, suggesting that ongoing legal challenges and potential flaws in the Solana blockchain could lead to the end of the cryptocurrency. 

Analyst Predicts Solana Price Crash And Annihilation

A crypto analyst who calls himself ‘NoLimit’ on X has released a report that has sent shockwaves through the Solana community. He shared court documents suggesting SOL could be nearing its end, with a potential price drop below $5 over the next two years. Currently trading at $122, this would represent a staggering 95.9% decline. 

In his post, NoLimit revealed that he had spent more than 12 hours analyzing court documents, claiming that the findings are highly concerning to Solana. The report highlights recent developments in a US federal court where a second amended class action complaint has been allowed to proceed. 

The analyst noted that the lawsuit involved Pump.fun, Solana Labs, and several other entities linked to the Solana ecosystem. He stated that the court’s decision to proceed shows there is enough evidence to pursue legal actions, putting SOL’s operations under significant scrutiny. 

The allegations focus on insiders seemingly gaining unfair advantages during meme coin launches. According to NoLimit, Plaintiffs claimed that Solana’s validator system and transaction-priority tools allowed certain players to buy tokens faster and cheaper. At the same time, retail investors were left at a disadvantage as prices exploded and collapsed minutes or seconds later. The analyst notes that many investors had experienced this same issue on Pump.fun. 

NoLimit disclosed that the lawsuit contends these outcomes, in which insiders sell for profit and retail loses everything, were not accidental but rather a result of the system. The complaint directly ties the alleged insider behavior to SOL, not just to the apps built on the blockchain. If this argument gains legal traction, the analyst notes that it could position the crypto network as a platform for risky coin launches, a host for bad actors, and a contributor to potential market manipulation. 

NoLimit also warns that if regulators or courts determine that these meme coin launches operate like unregistered securities or that Solana’s infrastructure enabled unfair access, the chain’s core narrative of being fast, cheap, and permissionless could become a liability. Such a development could scare off institutional investors and large-scale funds, possibly leading to the end of Solana. 

Solana Legal Troubles Put Market Trust At Risk

NoLimit warns that the most alarming part of Solana’s present legal issues is the potential impact on institutional confidence. According to him, nearly half of SOL’s circulating supply is controlled by ecosystem-linked institutions, insiders, early investors, VCs, and foundations. He emphasized that a mass sell-off from these holders could trigger a severe market reaction. 

The analyst highlighted that the key concern is what could happen if trust in SOL collapses. He stated that in crypto markets, trust drives prices, not fundamentals, and when it breaks, crashes can be substantial. Past cases like FTX, Luna, and Celsius show how quickly liquidity can disappear and valuations can plummet. 

XRP’s weekly chart has entered a technical zone that has repeatedly acted as a turning point in recent years. A recent analysis shared on the social media platform X highlights a recurring relationship between XRP’s price behavior and its 50-week simple moving average, a long-term trend indicator closely watched by traders. 

Instead of focusing on XRP’s short-term volatility, which has been bearish, the analysis zeroes in on how extended periods below this moving average have coincided with the end of downside phases and the beginning of rally expansions.

The 50-Week SMA And Why It Matters For XRP Cycles

Technical analysis of XRP’s price action on the weekly candlestick chart, which was posted on the social media platform X by Steph, reveals a repeating cycle around the 50-week simple moving average (SMA). 

This analysis is interesting because the 50-week simple moving average functions as a structural divider between bearish compression and bullish continuation on higher timeframes. In XRP’s case, previous cycles show that brief dips below this level have not been as significant as sustained stretches beneath it. 

The XRP price chart below tracks how long XRP stayed below the 50-week SMA before a change in momentum. In the first instance in 2017, XRP spent roughly 10 weekly candles, equivalent to about 70 days, under the moving average before staging a sharp upside move. 

A similar pattern appeared in the 2021 cycle, where the duration was shorter, with 49 days, but still acted as an inflection point on the weekly chart. However, the most aggressive move highlighted on the chart came in the 2024 period, where XRP traded below the 50-week SMA for about 84 days before posting a much larger rebound of about +850%.

XRP Sitting Inside The Same Window Once Again

According to the analysis, XRP is currently approaching about seventy days below the 50-week SMA, placing it squarely within the same historical window observed in prior cycles. Particularly, Steph noted that XRP has now spent roughly 70 days below the 50-week SMA again, and this places an outlook on what to look for in the next price action.

Resulting price action in the past has seen XRP rallying anywhere from 70% in 2021 to 850% in 2024. If XRP resolves to the upside again from the current structure, history suggests the initial signal would be a decisive weekly reclaim of the 50-week SMA, followed by continuation rather than an immediate rejection.

Crypto pundit ChartNerd has revealed that the XRP price is currently at a critical support, where the altcoin is set to decide its potential next move. The pundit urged XRP investors to remain patient as they await economic headwinds that could impact the price action.  

Pundit Points Out Level XRP Investors Should Keep An Eye On

In an X post, ChartNerd pointed to the multi-month support at around $1.8, noting that over the last 13 months, the XRP price typically rallies into the trading range resistance when the altcoin approaches that support territory. The analyst’s accompanying chart showed that the altcoin could bounce from this range to above $3, as it had historically. 

However, ChartNerd noted that with economic headwinds such as the potential BOJ rate increase, he questioned if this time could be different. He advised investors to hold on to their hats as they await a decision on the altcoin’s next move. The price and the broader crypto market have notably declined ahead of a potential rate hike by the Bank of Japan. 

This move by the BOJ could cause a liquidity squeeze and also spark a sell-off among market participants, which is what XRP and other crypto investors look to be pricing in. However, several fundamentals still paint a bullish picture for the altcoin, including the fact that the XRP ETFs just crossed $1 billion in net assets. They have also yet to record daily net outflows since they launched last month. 

A Drop To As Low As $1.64 Is Still On The Cards

Crypto analyst CasiTrades has predicted that the XRP price could drop to as low as $1.64, likely the final low of this correction. She noted that the token is in the subwave Wave 3 down, with momentum and RSI making new extremes. The analyst added that the next key levels to watch are $1.73 for potential short-term relief and $1.64, which is the macro .618 support. 

CasiTrades stated that there is a chance that the XRP price reaches $1.64 directly in this wave 3 down without a relief first. She noted that there won’t be a need for a second test of the area as support if that happens. The analyst expects a strong bounce from $1.64 that would likely open the door for a powerful move back to as high as $3. 

CasiTrades also mentioned that she expects this to play out by December 19, with a major time fib landing there. She remarked that this is the market making its decision right at the final moment and that this correction will end very soon. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.84, down almost 4% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

The Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are down today as the crypto market remains in a phase of extreme fear. This latest crash came amid BlackRock’s move, which sparked fear of a sell-off from the world’s largest asset manager. 

The Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are down today following BlackRock’s transfer of 2,257 BTC and 74,973 ETH to Coinbase, indicating plans to offload these coins. Notably, the BTC and ETH ETFs recorded outflows on December 16, likely why the asset manager moved these coins to redeem shares for its IBIT and ETHA ETFs, which were sold that day. 

Bitcoin and Ethereum Prices Decline Amid BlackRock’s Transfer

These Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have continued to record mixed flows, which have partly contributed to declines in BTC and ETH prices. Notably, the Bitcoin price had surged to around $90,000 yesterday from an intraday low of around $87,000, before retracing below $87,000 about an hour later. This immediately sparked theories of manipulation, with some crypto pundits revealing that BlackRock wasn’t the only one selling. 

Related Reading: The Bearish Structure That Puts Bitcoin Price At $92,550, And Then $82,000

Crypto pundit Kruse claimed that Binance first bought nonstop for over 30 minutes to pump the price, then started dumping millions of BTC and ETH to liquidate longs. He noted that the Bitcoin price pumped about $3,300 in 30 minutes, with $106 million in shorts wiped out during that period. 

Following that, BTC printed another volatile hourly candle to the downside, which flushed out $52 million in longs. A similar price action had also played out for the Ethereum price. Kruse declared that this wasn’t random volatility but rather liquidity hunting. The pundit further warned that this is how leverage gets punished in crypto. He then reiterated that the volatile Bitcoin and Ethereum price actions weren’t random, indicating the market is being manipulated. 

Onchain Sleuth Tracer also accused Binance of being responsible for the Bitcoin and Ethereum price declines. He claimed that the crypto exchange pumped and dumped millions of BTC to liquidate traders, with $194 million in shorts and longs liquidated in one hour. 

BTC And ETH To Hit New All-Time Highs Next Year?

Crypto asset manager Bitwise has predicted that the Bitcoin price will break the four-year cycle and set new all-time highs in 2026. The asset manager alluded to factors such as the Bitcoin halving and interest rate cycles as what will drive this rally for the flagship crypto. The firm also remarked that crypto booms and busts fueled by leverage are weaker than in past cycles. 

Bitwise also stated that institutions are likely to allocate more to Bitcoin ETFs, which is why they expect the Bitcoin price to reach new all-time highs next year. Furthermore, the firm noted that the pro-crypto regulatory shift will continue to allow companies to adopt crypto at a faster rate. The crypto asset manager also predicted that the Ethereum price could reach a new all-time high if the CLARITY Act passes.

A new XRP price outlook from a crypto analyst outlines its recent breakdown below $2 and the factors that could influence its next moves.  According to the analysis, Bitcoin’s ongoing retracement and key support levels could trigger a stronger correction for XRP. However, this projected downtrend is expected to pave the way for a reversal to higher target levels.

XRP Price Outlook Tied To Bitcoin Retracement

While the broader crypto market continued to trend lower, crypto market expert Tara shared a fresh technical analysis on XRP. On Tuesday, she stated in an X post that the current XRP price structure shows it is completing a deeper pullback compared to Bitcoin, which is still progressing through its corrective phase. According to her, this mismatch is likely to create irregular price behavior for XRP in the near term.

Tara noted that XRP recently touched the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement level near $1.95 after crashing below $2 last week. On the other hand, Bitcoin’s price is only halfway to a similar Fibonacci level. She notes that Bitcoin’s gradual retracement could slightly disrupt XRP’s price movements. However, if BTC pushes for its 0.382 retracement near $88,800, the analyst believes that it could eventually serve as a major catalyst for renewed strength in XRP. 

In her analysis report, Tara highlighted key downside levels for XRP traders to watch closely. She disclosed that a breakdown below $1.916 could open the door for a short-term move toward $1.90, where the Lower Time Frame (LTF) support sits. She further added that another test near $1.88 remains possible as long as XRP continues to trade under $2.0.

Notably, Tara has marked $2 as a key resistance zone that could cap any recovery attempt from XRP. She notes that a move back to this level would likely depend on Bitcoin pushing higher during its retracement. 

The accompanying chart clearly shows XRP trading in a downtrend on the 4-hour timeframe with price remaining below short-term Moving Averages (MA). Fibonacci levels also highlight $1.95 as a complete retracement area, while deeper support zones cluster between $1.90 and $1.88. The RSI indicator at the bottom of the chart is hovering in the lower range, suggesting weakening momentum but also the potential for a relief bounce if support holds. 

XRP Short-Term Rally Stays Under $2.30

Responding to questions under her X post, Tara provided insights into XRP’s price outlook, focusing on both short- and long-term expectations. She noted that the $2 level only represents the LTF resistance for XRP, while the real barrier lies much higher at $9. Currently trading around $1.91, a move to $9 would reflect a more than 374% price increase. 

Given XRP’s downtrend and broader market uncertainty, Tara has indicated that a rally to $9 is unlikely in the near term. She also dismissed claims that the cryptocurrency could crash to $1 this December. Instead, she shared her bullish expectations, suggesting that XRP could reach no higher than $2.30 before the year runs out.

XRP has recorded another win as institutional investors continue to adopt the altcoin. The CME exchange announced that it has rolled out another XRP product, which could boost its adoption and drive more inflows into its ecosystem. 

CME Launches Spot-Quoted XRP Futures

In a press release, the CME announced that it has launched Spot-Quoted XRP and SOL futures, which it stated will complement the existing Spot-Quoted Bitcoin and Ethereum futures already on the platform. The derivatives exchange further revealed that these products are available to trade across the four major U.S. equity indices. 

CME also noted that the Spot-Quoted XRP futures contracts allow investors to trade futures positions in spot-market terms with the added benefit of a longer-dated expiry. It is worth mentioning that the exchange had launched its XRP futures earlier this year, a product which it has on several occasions revealed has gained a lot of interest. 

CME specifically revealed that the XRP futures contracts were the fastest contract ever to reach $1 billion in open interest. Meanwhile, the exchange had, in October, rolled out options trading for the XRP futures amid the significant demand they were seeing. The launch of the Spot-Quoted product provides another boost for the altcoin, which could see more institutional flows into its ecosystem. 

XRP has also seen demand in the spot market as the spot ETFs recently became the fastest to reach $1 billion in assets since Ethereum. SoSo Value data shows that these funds currently hold $1.16 billion in net assets, which accounts for almost 1% of the altcoin’s market cap. These funds, as a group, have also recorded a cumulative net inflow of just over $1 billion, highlighting the demand for them in just over a month since the first XRP ETF launched.  

Ripple CEO Spotlights Institutional Demand For XRP

In an X post, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse highlighted institutional demand for XRP, noting that these funds have yet to record a daily net outflow since launching on November 13. These funds have also outperformed the Bitcoin and Ethereum products, as they continue to see mixed flows. Meanwhile, the Solana ETFs are behind in net assets, despite launching before XRP.

Ripple executive Reece Merrick also echoed a similar sentiment to Garlinghouse, stating that this was “clear institutional demand” for the altcoin. Meanwhile, the funds have also continued to see demand globally, with a CoinShares report revealing that XRP investment products took in $46.91 million last week. They have now recorded a month-to-date net inflow of $292 million, only behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.91, up over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

XRP now finds itself trading around the $1.90 region due to an extensive pullback in the past 30 days. The question is now whether this pullback is a structural weakness or a necessary reset within a larger bullish structure. 

A technical analysis shared by crypto analyst Tara focuses on this exact moment, highlighting why the current level could be far more important than it looks on the surface.

XRP Tests A Macro Fib Support Zone Around $1.88

XRP’s price action in the past 24 hours saw it declining to an intraday low of $1.88, according to data from CoinGecko. However, technical analysis shows that this move has pushed the price action to a major macro support level around $1.88, which is defined by an important macro 0.5 Fib retracement on higher-timeframe charts. This zone has previously acted as a pivot, just like the bounce on November 21, which pushed the XRP price back to $2.26 within 48 hours. 

The chart included in the analysis, which is shown below, illustrates multiple Fibonacci confluences clustered between roughly $1.88 and $1.86, and this further adds to the idea that this region is structurally significant rather than arbitrary. From a price-action perspective, XRP’s current pullback has been orderly, with no sharp breakdowns below this support as of now, and sellers may be losing momentum as price compresses into this level.

What A Bounce Or Breakdown Could Mean From Here

Tara noted that moments like this tend to feel the scariest for traders, precisely because the price is sitting on support rather than moving away from it. These are the points where sentiment is weakest, and fear is most visible, even though risk-reward technically improves. 

Therefore, retesting support is not inherently bearish. Instead, repeated support tests can absorb selling pressure and create the conditions for a stronger bounce.

The most important takeaway from the analysis is not that XRP must rally immediately, but that the reaction at this level matters more than the level itself. If XRP holds above the $1.88 price level and avoids printing a decisive new low, the structure would favor a bullish continuation. 

In this case, the upside targets will be between $2.18 and $2.20. From here, any bullish follow-through could carry XRP to $2.31. These are all midterm price targets that can be achieved before the end of the year.

Momentum indicators, including the RSI, are already in oversold territory on the 4-hour candlestick chart. This indicator adds to the possibility of a clean bounce for XRP from the strong support around $1.88. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.90 and is already showing signs of holding above $1.88.

On the other hand, a breakdown below $1.90 to $1.80 would invalidate the current bullish setup and redirect attention to lower retracement areas.

XRP’s price action in recent weeks has been deprived of bullish momentum, and the derivatives market is also sending clear signals that traders are scaling back their exposure to the cryptocurrency. 

Data from on-chain analytics platforms like CryptoQuant and Coinglass across leverage and futures activity shows that speculative participation has thinned out considerably, with XRP’s leveraged trade ratio at its lowest point since November 2024.

XRP Leverage On Binance Drops To Multi-Year Lows

One of the clearest signals of the sentiment among traders comes from CryptoQuant data tracking the Estimated Leverage Ratio of XRP on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange. 

The Estimated Leverage Ratio measures how much borrowed capital traders are using relative to exchange reserves. High readings of the ratio usually mean high activity trades where traders are willing to open positions. On the other hand, declining values indicate that traders are closing leveraged positions or avoiding them altogether. 

According to data from CryptoQuant, the estimated leverage ratio for XRP is currently sitting around 0.187, its lowest reading since November 2024. To put this in context, the estimated leverage ratio was at a 0.59 reading in July 2025, right when the altcoin was pushing toward new all-time highs and trading activity was at its peak.

Therefore, the current low means that the token has moved into a de-risking phase, and traders are prioritizing reduced exposure over aggressive upside bets. This is in contrast to the performance of Spot XRP ETFs, which have been on a streak of inflows. 

Futures Open Interest Collapses From July Highs

A similar story of crypto traders no longer betting big on XRP can be seen from the futures data from Coinglass. 

Data from Coinglass figures show that Exchange XRP Futures Open Interest is currently around 1.81 billion XRP, which is worth approximately $3.47 billion. This number is notable because open interest was around $10.94 billion in July during the cryptocurrency’s march to a new all-time-high price of $3.65. Therefore, the 68% decline from $10.94 billion to $3.47 billion is a massive contraction in speculative participation across derivatives markets.

Open interest tracks the total value of outstanding futures contracts and is also a direct gauge of trader engagement, comparable to the estimated leverage ratio. Rising open interest alongside price strength usually confirms bullish trend momentum, while falling open interest shows traders are closing positions and fading appetite for futures contracts. 

Interestingly, the decline seen in this metric since July indicates that traders have largely exited leveraged positions rather than rotating from longs to shorts. 

A positive reflection from the combination of these two data points is that the token is no longer dominated by aggressive speculative flows, which lowers the risk of cascading liquidations, but it also removes a major source of bullish momentum for the cryptocurrency.

The Shiba Inu ecosystem recently experienced a major leadership change after one of its key engineers left the project, surprising many in the SHIB community. Previously playing a major role in the network’s development, the Shiba Inu Engineer’s abrupt resignation sparked widespread discussion among community members, prompting questions about his next moves and the possible reasons behind his departure. 

Shiba Inu Engineer Announces Resignation 

The Shiba Inu community was stunned on Friday, December 12, after Johndoeshib, the Managing Engineer for the blockchain, announced his abrupt departure from the project. In his statement on X, he described his time at Shib.io as reaching a natural conclusion, expressing pride in the blockchain’s utility and the resilience of its supporters. 

During his tenure, Johndoeshib played a key role in developing the SHIB network’s infrastructure and supporting the growth of its community. He was known for providing key updates and relevant information about the blockchain on his official X account. Following the announcement of his resignation, he updated his X profile to reflect his new status as an “ex-Engineering Manager at Shiba Inu.” 

Johndoeshib also highlighted that although he is shifting his focus to new endeavors, he remains a long-term observer of SHIB and maintains confidence in the team’s decentralized vision. His quick exit from the crypto project sparked immediate reactions from community members. 

Shiba Inu developer Kaal Dhairya extended his best wishes and noted that Johndoeshib’s presence would be missed. The team behind OSCAR, a CTO token guided by Shiba Inu, publicly thanked the former SHIB engineer for his past contributions, calling him one of the most talented developers in the space and expressing excitement for his next ventures. 

Other community members questioned his departure, asking why he was leaving and what he meant by “a natural conclusion.” Many SHIB supporters took the time to acknowledge Johndoeshib’s impact on the blockchain network, wishing him success and highlighting his integrity. Some shared personal reflections on their interactions with him, describing the former Shiba Inu Engineer as a positive and reliable presence within the ecosystem. 

Ex SHIB Engineer Unveils New Venture After Departure

Two days after revealing that he was exiting Shiba Inu, Johndoeshib disclosed more details about the new venture he is pursuing. He has shifted his focus to HypeIt, a platform that provides software development, web design, and programming services. The former SHIB engineer stated that he is now working on building the new platform to support long-term growth and maximize benefits for the community. 

Johndoeshib encourages collaboration and feedback from the crypto community, inviting suggestions and interaction of ideas as the project moves forward. He emphasized creating an engaged, genuine audience through HypeIt, highlighting the potential for users to transform their content and online presence on the platform positively.

Crypto analyst Doctor Profit has revealed the next Bitcoin price level he is looking to accumulate at in anticipation of a relief rally. Despite plans to buy BTC, the analyst indicated that he is still bearish on the flagship crypto in the long term, with a larger decline expected to unfold. 

Analyst Reveals The Next Buy Level As Bitcoin Price Eyes Bounce

In an X post, Doctor Profit stated that he is buying BTC around $86,000 as he looks to trade a short-term relief bounce. He reiterated that he sees the probability of the Bitcoin price revisiting the $97,000 to $107,000 region before the next major leg lower unfolds. The analyst added that this projected move is a 20% from the current region, which presents a good risk-reward trade with a tight stop loss. 

Doctor Profit is known to have predicted the Bitcoin price top when it was trading at around $126,000. The analyst noted that he remains very bearish in the long term, expecting further declines. As such, he plans to play this move to buy BTC with absolute and the highest form of risk management. 

The analyst explained that this means he will ensure to place the stop loss at entry once in solid profit, while his short trade from between $115,000 and $125,000 will still be running. Doctor Profit further remarked that this long setup for the Bitcoin price is aimed at a few weeks only, before the bearish price action resumes with lower targets. 

BTC Remains “Extremely Unstable And Bearish”

Doctor Profit stated that the Bitcoin price remains extremely unstable and bearish for the mid-term, noting that a strong downside continuation can happen at any moment, even before the flagship crypto reaches the projected $97,000 to $107,000 zone. The analyst added that a deeper and faster sell-off is absolutely possible, so those looking to buy now should take extreme caution. 

Doctor Profit reiterated that his short positions remain fully open, as any upside is treated as distribution and liquidity for the next leg down. The analyst noted that the $70,000 region remains the main target. If the Bitcoin price manages to revisit the $97,000 to $107,000 region, he stated that he would fully take profit again on the position and add the profits to his short position. 

In the meantime, crypto analyst Ali Martinez has warned that the Bitcoin price needs to hold the $87,000 region or risk dropping to as low as $70,000. BTC is currently on the edge with Japan set to raise its interest rates this week. 

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $86,600, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Top meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have slipped into the background of recent times, giving room for other unexpected candidates to shine. Over the last week, there have been some interesting rallies in the meme coin space, but none from the usual suspects. Instead, meme coins, which were believed to be long dead, have seen a revival, with prices more than doubling in 10 days. This report takes a look at the two meme coins that have dominated the sector over the last few weeks.

PIPPIN Climbs The Ranks Of Meme Coins Very Quickly

Like other meme coins, PIPPIN saw an initial run-up following its initial launch back in November 2024, and as attention shifted to the next shiny meme coin, it died a slow death. By 2025, the coin was all but forgotten before its shocking revival in November 2025.

As data analytics platform Bubblemaps shared, there seemed to be a coordinated accumulation trend from a number of connected wallets. Between October 24 and November 23, 50 wallets, funded from the HTX exchange in very tight timeframes, had received similar amounts of Solana (SOL).

Once received, the wallets, which previously had no enchain activity, then proceeded to buy the PIPPIN token. By the time the buying was done, the wallets had bought up $19 million worth of PIPPIN, giving them control of half of the meme coin’s supply.

What followed was what has been referred to as a coordinated pump, causing the meme coin to rise 1,000%, or 10x, in the space of one week. However, PIPPIN did not stop there and has since risen by more than 2,000% since then, with its market cap crossing $400 million to new all-time highs. CoinMarketCap data shows a 146% increase in the last week alone, making it the top performer among the leading meme coins and putting it ahead of the likes of FARTCOIN and FLOKI.

JELLYJELLY Doubles In One Week

Another of the meme coins that seemingly came back from the dead is JELLYJELLY, whose initial rally had shocked the market. Just like PIPPIN, JELLYJELLY’s rise had also begun with a coordinated accumulation among a number of wallets. Bubblemaps reported this back in November, showing that seven wallets had withdrawn 20% of the meme coin’s supply from the Gate and Bitget exchanges.

With the accumulation done, the JELLYJELLY price had risen by more than 600% to reach a new all-time high just short of $500 million back in early November. The price had then retraced, reaching below $100 million, but has seen another revival this week.

CoinMarketCap data shows the JELLYJELLY price rose 143% in one week, to put it above the $100 million market cap level once again. This makes it the second-best performer behind PIPPIN among the top 30 meme coins over the last week.

Struggling under the weight of notable selling pressure, the Bitcoin price has since lost its hold on the $90,000 support, leading to a sustained downtrend through the middle of December. Despite calls for a bottom, the cryptocurrency does not seem to be heading in that direction, and some analysts have shared reasons as to why this is the case. Crypt analyst Lingrid maps out the trajectory of the Bitcoin price, showing a bullish short-term, but ultimately ending with more declines.

Why The Bitcoin Price Could Crash Further

Lingrid’s analysis focuses on Bitcoin’s recent price performance, having hit resistance multiple times above the $92,000 level. This comes as the digital asset is “capped below channel border,” something that is inherently bearish for the price, given the recent price action.

The rejections between $92,500 and $93,500, according to the analyst, show that the Bitcoin price is likely to place in lower highs. Thus, even in the event of a recovery trend, this level still remains a significant roadblock to any rally.

Furthermore, the crypto analyst adds that the recent slowdown in the Bitcoin price action has pushed it into a tight compression. With the price still sitting above the rising support line while this happens, Lingrid believes that this shows Bitcoin is entering into a state of equilibrium, and not strength. Usually, this means that the Bitcoin price could be headed for “directional expansion.”

Presently, all eyes are on the bears and sellers as the Bitcoin price struggles to hold support. There is still the possibility that the price will rise to $92,500 before facing a rejection. In this scenario, it would trigger further decline toward $82,000 to put in lower lows.

There is also the possibility that the digital asset does escape this bearish scenario, but the buyers would have to step back in the ring. Mainly, the Bitcoin price must break out and then hold above the channel, sustaining a move above $92,500.

If this plays out, then Lingrid believes that the bearish thesis could be invalidated. Such a case would mean that the Bitcoin focus shifts back toward $100,000. However, with the price currently trending below $90,000 and sentiment being mostly negative, the chances of an invalidation remain slim.

Although the anticipated crypto market structure bill, also known as the CLARITY Act, has not yet been passed into law, its proposed framework is already influencing conversations around how major cryptocurrencies could be classified and regulated in the future. 

The implications could be particularly significant for Ripple and XRP, as the Act introduces interesting standards that could determine whether a digital asset is treated as a security or a commodity under US law.

Reality Check Under The Clarity Act

US lawmakers are moving closer to finalizing digital asset legislation, and attention across the crypto market is increasingly turning toward the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, commonly known as the CLARITY Act. 

At the heart of the CLARITY Act is an effort to replace interpretations of decentralization with clear criteria. One of those criteria is a supply concentration threshold, which states that no single entity or coordinated group should control 20% or more of a blockchain’s native asset supply for the network to qualify as mature.

A recent post on X by an XRP community member known as Arthur has brought focus to this issue. Arthur highlighted the proposed 20% ownership threshold embedded in the CLARITY Act’s definition of a mature blockchain, noting that Ripple’s compliance with this benchmark could push XRP firmly toward commodity status and is the only path to global adoption.

However, this provision directly intersects with Ripple’s escrow holdings. The payment currently controls about 40% of the total XRP supply through escrow mechanisms. This has long been a focal point in debates over decentralization and how much control Ripple has over XRP’s supply.

What This Means For Ripple And XRP

Under the CLARITY Act’s framework, reducing escrow control below the 20% threshold would help demonstrate that XRP no longer depends on a single issuer’s dominance. That would back up the claim that XRP functions as a decentralized digital commodity rather than a security tied to Ripple’s corporate actions. 

In order to comply with the Act, Ripple would need to find a way to slash its current XRP holdings by almost 50%. However, if the CLARITY Act is eventually passed in its current form, it does not automatically mean that Ripple would be forced into a direct sale of its XRP holdings, nor does it mandate that its XRP holdings will be handed over to another holder. 

What it does introduce is a clear structure. Ripple would need to demonstrate that it does not exercise control over XRP’s circulating or total supply if the cryptocurrency is to qualify as a mature blockchain asset under US law. 

How that outcome is achieved would largely be a tactical decision. Therefore, Ripple could pursue several paths to comply with the CLARITY Act without disrupting the price action of XRP.

Ripple releases 1 billion XRP tokens every month. On average, about 70% of these released tokens are always returned back into escrow.

A crypto analyst has shared his latest forecast for the Bitcoin price, highlighting a potential downturn. His analysis breaks down technical indicators and macroeconomic data to predict key movements in the coming months and years. The report has outlined several bearish targets for Bitcoin, cautioning traders to forego excessive bullish expectations, especially as the market shows signs of entering a bearish phase. 

Bitcoin Price Set To Decline Below $55,000

A crypto analyst who calls himself ‘Mr. Wall Street’ on X has released a full technical breakdown of Bitcoin, providing both market and psychological insights while predicting a devastating decline to new lows. He highlighted that the BTC bullish momentum seen earlier this year has collapsed, signaling a shift toward a bear market. 

Key technical indicators used to understand Bitcoin’s market position and direction are signaling the start of a bear phase. The expert highlighted that the weekly 50-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA50), Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) monthly cross, and Relative Strength Index (RSI) bearish divergence are now all pointing downward. 

Given this weakness, Mr. Wall Street has predicted that Bitcoin could first retest the weekly EMA50 target near $100,000 before its next decline. The analyst stated that traders are likely planning short positions in the $104,000 to $98,000 range, targeting a potential drop to $74,000 to $68,000. Looking ahead, he projects that the Bitcoin price could crash further by Q4 2026, potentially declining to levels between $54,000 and $60,000. 

Supporting his bearish forecast, the analyst has cited the decline and pressure in financial markets outside of crypto as factors contributing to the broader market downtrend. He also mentioned that the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) planned interest rate hike adds to the current stress, along with market makers who went bankrupt during the October 10 flash crash and are waiting to liquidate billions of dollars in spot assets. 

Mr. Wall Street has dismissed common bullish arguments such as the potential restart of Quantitative Easing, explaining that minor Federal Reserve (FED) balance sheet operations do not signal a complete QE cycle. He stressed that macro bullishness does not justify ignoring short and mid-term risks. Moreover, he warned that those who ignore the reality of a bear case would wish they had shorted the retested $100,000-$125,000 range a year from now. 

Looking beyond the projected bear cycle, Mr. Wall Street believes that Bitcoin could eventually rebound to around $89,000 in 2027. Following this, he expects the cryptocurrency to accelerate toward $110,000 and ultimately $160,000.

Macroeconomic Factors Contribute To Market Decline

Mr. Wall Street also links his bearish Bitcoin forecast to the present weakness in broader macroeconomic conditions. He highlighted that BTC’s struggles are deeply connected to the decisions made by central banks, particularly the FED. 

According to the analyst, the US economy began showing signs of deterioration at the start of 2025. He claimed that key indicators, such as worsening job data and misleading inflation figures, were allegedly ignored. Furthermore, he highlighted that the FED’s inaction and delayed rate cuts prevented necessary economic easing, leaving markets and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin vulnerable to correction.

Despite the recent crash that saw the XRP price fall below $2, many analysts claim that the cryptocurrency could still skyrocket to $100 by the end of the year. However, one expert has thoroughly dismissed these projections, urging investors to temper expectations and warning that those who believe such predictions need a “reality check.”

Why XRP Can Never Reach $100 By Year’s End

Crypto market expert Zach Humphries has delivered a detailed assessment of XRP, calling out extreme price predictions and overly optimistic expectations, especially during the current downtrend. In a video on X, he warns that claims suggesting XRP will reach $100 by the end of 2025 are unrealistic and potentially misleading for investors and traders. 

Humphries emphasized that while he supports XRP and believes in its long-term potential, the spread of exaggerated price targets in the crypto space is harmful. He explained that many investors assume that owning 100 XRP tokens will make them wealthy quickly, holding on to false hope and unrealistic financial expectations.

The analyst points out the need for realism in the crypto space, arguing that viral hype posts and overinflated price forecasts can hoodwink people into making genuine financial decisions that could lead to losses. He noted that investors need to understand market structure and the underlying math behind XRP’s price action before believing in any extreme predictions. 

Humphries stated a $100 XRP price would imply a $5 trillion market capitalization, surpassing the size of Apple, Microsoft, and even the entire crypto market at some historical peaks. He noted that reaching this seemingly impractical price target would require XRP achieving overnight global adoption, full-scale replacement of existing payment rails, and massive sustained institutional inflows.

The analyst also highlighted a common misunderstanding about liquidity. Humphries explained that for XRP to reach $100, it would require substantial global liquidity. He noted that despite XRP Spot ETFs recording over $1 billion in inflows recently, the cryptocurrency’s price did not rise; instead, it declined further. He highlighted that this is because institutional investors prioritize stability, deep liquidity, and predictability over volatile, high-risk payment assets. 

Although his statements may seem like a critique of XRP’s outlook, Humphries emphasized that the cryptocurrency has genuine strengths, including robust cross-border payment capabilities, strong enterprise relationships, and liquidity. He pointed out that, ironically, the more XRP succeeds as a payment rail, the less explosive its price becomes. 

Analyst Says XRP Could Still Outperform Many Assets

In his video, Humphries stated that XRP has survived many market cycles, making it one of the rare resilient cryptocurrencies. Under the right conditions, he believes that the XRP price could outperform many digital assets, which is why it remains a top altcoin in his portfolio. 

The analyst emphasized the importance of realistic growth driven by gradual institutional adoption, ETF integration, regulatory clarity, and steady price increases tied to actual usage and utility. He highlighted that these factors could help XRP perform very well, potentially reaching new all-time highs.

Crypto pundit Chain Cartel has raised several key points following SWIFT’s latest comment on its move to adopt blockchain technology. The pundit claimed that Ripple’s XRPL network best suits what SWIFT is trying to achieve and suggested that the two firms collaborate. 

Pundit Points To Ripple’s XRPL After SWIFT’s Announcement

In an X post, Chain Cartel stated that SWIFT admitted they are building Ripple’s XRPL network, but did not explicitly say so in their announcement. The pundit was referring to an X post from SWIFT highlighting their earlier announcement to add a blockchain-based ledger to their infrastructure.

The pundit explained that SWIFT’s language in the X post suggests that they want to build something like Ripple’s XRPL. He declared that it is not Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any generic blockchain experiment but precisely what Ripple has been building for a decade. Chain Cartel noted that Ripple’s model has always been a neutral settlement layer, real-time atomic finality, shared ledger visibility for institutions, interoperability with legacy rails, and liquidity-first design. 

Chain Cartel then alluded to SWIFT’s statement about its plans to build a blockchain-based ledger to be included in its payment infrastructure and provide a single source of truth, enabling instant, 24/7 cross-border payments. He declared that this is Ripple’s blueprints with the XRPL, as the crypto firm uses the network for its payment services. 

In line with this, the pundit remarked that SWIFT doesn’t replace rails, but instead coordinates them, and that Ripple doesn’t replace banks, but instead connects them. He added that SWIFT is acknowledging that the future payment stack requires a ledger layer, not just messaging, and that the only model already battle-tested at scale is Ripple’s XRPL.

However, it is worth mentioning that SWIFT doesn’t plan to integrate Ripple’s Ledger. Instead, it is building this blockchain-based ledger in partnership with Consensys and Chainlink. As such, although SWIFT may plan to build a network similar to Ripple’s XRPL, it intends to do so without assistance from the crypto firm. 

Ripple Looking To Expand Its Payment Service

Ripple is looking to expand its payment service, as it recently announced plans to begin testing its RLUSD stablecoin on Ethereum layer-2 networks Base, Ink, Optimism, and Unichain. The move comes just days after the OCC granted Ripple a conditional approval to become a bank, which is also a major boost for the firm’s payment service. 

Ripple plans to expand its RLUSD stablecoin beyond the Ethereum and XRPL networks to these layer-2 networks through its partnership with Wormhole. The firm noted that the future of crypto is multichain, which is why it is adopting this strategy. This move gives Ripple’s clients greater options when using the RLUSD stablecoin, and it could also attract new users to the stablecoin, which is currently one of the fastest-growing stablecoins. 

Ethereum’s price action has weakened further over the past 24 hours, with the cryptocurrency falling below $3,000 and shedding about 6.8% in the last 24 hours alone. 

The immediate price action points to reclaiming this $3,000 support, but a longer-term technical view suggests the current decline may be part of a much larger and more defined price framework. A macro analysis shared by crypto analyst Dona examines Ethereum’s behavior over the past two years with a structured range that suggests that the cryptocurrency might bottom at $2,187.

Ethereum’s Two-Year Range Still Defines The Bigger Picture

According to the analysis, Ethereum has largely traded within a broad horizontal range for close to two years, aside from two notable fakeouts: one below resistance in the first half of 2025 and one above resistance in the second half of the year, which led to a new price high of $4,946 in August. On the weekly timeframe, price has repeatedly respected an upper boundary around $4,000 to $4,100, while finding consistent demand near the lower range support just above $2,100.

This price action has resulted in a structure that resembles an inverse head and shoulders pattern on a macro scale. Instead of signaling immediate upside, however, the formation shows how price has oscillated between these defined trendlines, with mid-range reactions often determining whether Ethereum pushes to resistance or slips back toward support. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading within the mid-range of the two-year range. Based on this context, the recent bearish move can be viewed less as a breakdown and more as a rotation towards the lower trendline within the same long-standing range.

Why $2,187 Stands Out As A Critical Downside Target

The chart accompanying the analysis places particular emphasis on the lower boundary of the range near $2,187. This level has repeatedly acted as a bounce floor during prior downtrends in 2024 and another one in July 2025.

If Ethereum continues to trade below the mid-range support currently around $3,000, then the price could follow a familiar range rotation path toward this lower boundary. This move will see Ethereum fall to as low as $2,187. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $2,928, and is still a 25% decline away from $2,187. Although this would be tragic for bullish traders, such a move would not necessarily invalidate the broader structure. Instead, it will complete another cycle within the range, similar to previous declines that eventually transitioned into a bounce for a rally phase.

One of the more notable aspects of the outlook from Dona is the expectation for subdued activity in the near term. Aside from range-bound trades, taking directional positions may be less attractive as liquidity thins into the end of the year. From this perspective, the next major move is more likely to arrive in January 2026.

Crypto analyst Erick Crypto has highlighted a Dogecoin price squeeze, which is currently playing out. Based on this, he mentioned two possible scenarios that could play out for the largest meme coin by market cap. 

Two Possible Scenarios as Dogecoin Price Squeezes

In an X post, Erick Crypto stated that the Dogecoin price is squeezing hard, with a descending triangle and strong horizontal support around $0.136. He added that DOGE is compressing at the apex, which means that a breakout ot breakdown is imminent. The pundit warned that there is high volatility ahead of the meme coin. 

Meanwhile, the crypto analyst stated that the Dogecoin price could see more downside if it loses the $0.13 support. On the other hand, it could record a relief rally if it breaks the trendline. He urged market participants to trade the breakout and not the noise. Erick Crypto’s analysis comes amid the crypto market downturn, which has already sparked a massive crash for DOGE. 

Notably, the Dogecoin price is down over 20% in the last month, since around when the Bitcoin price first crashed below the psychological $100,000 level. The meme coin has also failed to gain traction despite the launch of two DOGE ETFs during this period. Bitcoinist reported that these Dogecoin ETFs have so far underperformed and failed to gain interest from institutional investors. 

Meanwhile, the Dogecoin price and the broader crypto market are at risk of further declines as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is likely to raise interest rates this week. This could tighten liquidity in the market and also lead to a further unwinding of the yen carry trade, which is a negative for crypto assets, including DOGE. 

DOGE Is At A Crossroad

Crypto analyst CryptoCeek stated that the Dogecoin price is at that “classic meme coin fork-in-the-road.” The analyst explained that if the bears push and hold the price under $0.13, the door opens for a full retest of $0.10, where buyers historically aggressively buy the dip. On the other hand, CryptoCeek stated that reclaiming the 20D EMA near $0.14 would scream a bear trap, with $0.19 on the cards for “one of those classic DOGE squeezes.”

Crypto analyst Master remarked that between $0.8 and $0.10 seems likely for the Dogecoin price. He added that the base case is that the meme coin trades sideways until 2028, when the next bull run may start. However, as CryptoCeek suggested, DOGE may bounce from around $0.10 as the bulls step in to accumulate more coins at that price level. 

Dogecoin’s open interest has seen a significant decline over the past few months, and the latest push lower has sent the meme coin scraping April 2025 levels. The current trend mirrors the Dogecoin price decline that has persisted even during the Bitcoin price uptrend. Looking at the historical performance of Dogecoin over time, when the open interest has seen a significant crash, it is possible that the meme coin could see a quick bounce at current levels.

Where The Dogecoin Open Interest Is Sitting

Coinglass data points out how much the Dogecoin open interest has declined in recent times, after hitting new all-time highs back in the fourth quarter. The all-time high open interest for the cryptocurrency sits firmly at the $6.01 billion that was recorded back on September 13, showing the stark difference between where it was and where it’s sitting at right now.

The data aggregation website shows that the Dogecoin open interest is currently sitting at $1.8 billion, which shows a 70% decline over the last three months. The last time that the open interest was this low was back in April 2025, following Donald Trump’s tariff wars.

Crypto analyst KrissPas also highlights the Dogecoin open interest performance over this time, showing times where it has spiked this year. So far, the DOGE open interest has crossed the $5 billion mark a total of three times, but each time has ended up in a major crash.

KrissPax explains that the crash in open interest triggered by massive liquidations was a result of different developments. The first of these was the Donald Trump tariff announcements that triggered a major market crash. Next were exchanges and market makers, who inevitably triggered the second and third liquidations before the legendary October 10, 2025, crash.

There Is Still Hope

While the current trend points toward further decline in the Dogecoin price, historical performance suggests that it could bounce quickly. Looking back at the times when the Dogecoin open interest had trended this low, the resultant move has always been more of a bullish run.

This was the case following the April 2025 low, leading into another recovery that saw the price move from below $0.2 to $0.25 before the momentum weakened. Then again, a similar trend was recorded following the July 2025 low, with the Dogecoin price eventually rallying from below $0.2 to reach $0.29 before momentum ran out.

Going by the previous trend of at least a 20% increase in price following the open interest hitting a low, it could mean that the Dogecoin price could see another foray above $0.15. However, this also depends on the bitcoin market performance and how the broader crypto market responds.