Over the weekend, volatility observed across the broader cryptocurrency market intensified, causing the price of Bitcoin to fall back to the $86,000 mark once again. Even with the bearish price action in the past few days, buying activity continues to pick up pace in the market, especially among large BTC holders.

Bitcoin’s Largest Wallets Show Conviction

Bitcoin’s price may have been struggling with heightened volatility as a result of the broader market bearish market action, but bullish sentiment remains present among investors. In the weakening condition, large BTC whales or deep-pocket investors’ sentiment turns positive and are steadily reentering the market.

Data from Santiment, a popular market intelligence and on-chain data platform, suggests that these major investors are building positions at an encouraging and steady pace, even though the broader momentum is demonstrating weakening conditions. In the past, long-term whale accumulation has typically happened in uncertain times when prices don’t accurately reflect underlying confidence.

Santiment noted that the buying activity is spotted among wallet addresses holding over 1,000 BTC. After months of consistent buying, the group has now collectively acquired about 104,340 BTC, which represents a more than 1.5% rise. 

As a result of the recent purchase, the investors’ overall holdings are currently sitting at 7.17 million BTC, marking their largest level since September 15, 2025. These wealthy investors are subtly consuming available supplies rather than distributing into recent market swings, indicating confidence in Bitcoin’s medium- to long-term potential. 

While buying pressure is growing among large Bitcoin holders, the number of whale transactions has also experienced a massive upswing. Santiment added that the amount of +$1 million daily transfers has exploded, reaching a 2-month high level.

A Continued Drop In BTC Open Interest

A continued drop in Bitcoin’s Open Interest is coinciding with the ongoing drop in price. Darkfost, a market expert and CryptoQuant author, highlighted that open interest is steadily declining, which does not support the emergence of a new trend as seen on the weekly change basis.

Since November, the metric has remained broadly negative, suggesting that the drop has continued for several weeks. Although there was a brief improvement earlier this month, it was followed by a price reaction. 

Overall, when open interest rises, Darkfost stated that it mostly signals trend continuation to even a trend reversal, triggered by an influx of long positions. Furthermore, this is confirmed with funding rates, but this is what happens in most cases.

On Sunday, as BTC displays a steady correction, deleveraging also increased. While this is bearish in the short term, these phases simultaneously aid in cleaning the market of excessive leverage. Thus, it is critical to remember that futures are still the primary source of volume, making keeping an eye on developments there an essential move.

Crypto analyst Darkfost has highlighted reasons why the XRP price could soon witness a bullish reversal and potentially reach new local highs. This comes amid bearish sentiment in the market, which on-chain analytics platform Santiment said could set the stage for a reversal in the altcoin’s price.  

Why The XRP Price Could Soon See A Bullish Reversal 

In a CryptoQuant blog post, Darkfost stated that negative funding rates signal a potential XRP price reversal. The analyst noted that the altcoin is currently trading around 47% below its all-time high (ATH) set in July last year. Furthermore, the altcoin is said to have naturally entered a phase of distribution and correction after a gain of over 600% since November 2024. 

Darkfost assured that this type of movement is healthy after such a strong rally for the price. He further remarked that what stands out is the timing of the bearish consensus, as it did not form at the top but rather during a drawdown of more than 50%. Now, there are predominantly short positions on XRP, with funding rates on Binance mostly negative since December, indicating that leveraged short positions have the upper hand. 

The analyst noted that historically, the market tends to move against a late consensus. As such, while the accumulation of shorts creates short-term selling pressure, it also builds latent buying pressure. Darkfost said that if the XRP price starts to rise, these short positions could be liquidated, fueling the upward move. 

He revealed that a similar pattern has occurred for the token price since 2024. The first was between August and September 2024, and the second was during the April 2025 correction, when funding rates turned negative for a period before a bullish rebound occurred. The analyst stated that this price rebound was due to a shift in investor sentiment and funding rates returning to positive territory. 

A Rally Starter For XRP

In an X post, Santiment stated that XRP traders are showing major FUD, which they claimed is usually a rally starter for the XRP price. The on-chain analytics platform revealed that the altcoin has fallen into ‘Extreme Fear’ territory, with small retail traders becoming pessimistic about the token after a 19% decline from its recent high on January 5th. 

Santiment noted that historically, this level of bearish commentary has led to price rallies. This is based on the belief that prices move in the opposite direction to retail’s expectations more often than not. The altcoin has dropped again following the recent decline in the broader crypto market, led by Bitcoin. BTC fell below $87,000 yesterday on the back of U.S. political tensions, government shutdown risk, and ahead of this week’s FOMC meeting. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.88, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Ethereum is currently trading under pressure after failing to push above the $3,000 level again over the past 24 hours, a move that is reflecting trader sentiment across the derivatives markets. ETH is currently trading at $2,925, down 2.7% on the day, after moving within a 24-hour range capped at $3,012.99 and finding lows around $2,909.60, according to price data from CoinGecko. 

As price action weakens, a notable change has been developing, with on-chain data showing funding rates drifting toward negative territory and derivative positioning beginning to tilt more defensively.

Funding Rates Slide As Shorts Gain Ground

Ethereum’s failure to hold above $3,000 is an important psychological break for traders, especially after several failed attempts to hold above that level in January. Price action over the past week shows sellers maintaining control after ETH rejected around $3,360 on January 18, followed by a steady push lower toward the high-$2,900s. 

Although the pullback has so far been orderly above $2,900, this decline has come alongside fading momentum across the derivatives market.

One of the clearest signals for this can be seen in Ethereum’s OI-weighted funding rate, which has been steadily compressing and is now edging toward negative levels. At the time of writing, Ethereum’s OI-weighted is at 0.0008%, close to breaking into negative territory and far below readings around 0.009%, which it registered earlier in the month.

Funding rates turning negative typically indicate that short positions are paying longs, meaning stronger demand for downside exposure. Funding spikes that previously accompanied the price rebound in early January have faded, and the overall trend suggests bearish positioning is slowly gaining the upper hand.

Open Interest, Liquidations, And What’s Next

Although Ethereum’s price action fell below $3,000, derivatives traders have stayed in the market, keeping total open interest at high levels. Data from CoinGlass shows aggregate Ethereum open interest increasing by 0.68% in the past 24 hours, which shows that many traders are not exiting Ethereum entirely. At the time of writing, the total open interest is sitting at about 13.36 million ETH, equivalent to roughly $39.19 billion.

Looking across major exchanges, Binance has the largest share of ETH open interest, accounting for about $8.95 billion, but it is down by 0.8% in the past 24 hours. CME follows with approximately $5.73 billion in open interest, up by 3.72% in the past 24 hours. Gate comes next at around $4.01 billion, while MEXC comes in close at $3.51 billion worth of ETH open interest.

Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum liquidations totaled $64.34 million, with long positions ($52.52 million) accounting for the majority of losses.

A hold above $2,900 could allow Ethereum’s funding rates to normalize and open the door for another rebound attempt to $3,000. However, a continued fall in funding rates into negative territory could see bearish control pushing Ethereum below $2,900.

XRP is testing demand below the $2 mark as the crypto market struggles to find stability amid rising uncertainty. After weeks of choppy price action and failed recovery attempts, traders are watching whether buyers can defend this zone or if another wave of selling pressure will push XRP into a deeper pullback. The broader market environment remains fragile, and risk appetite has weakened, keeping volatility elevated across major altcoins.

XRP is currently trading around 47% below its last all-time high from July 2025, highlighting how far the price has retraced since peak bullish momentum. However, this move is not necessarily abnormal. After an exceptional rally of more than 600% since November 2024, the market has naturally shifted into a phase of distribution and correction, as early buyers take profits and late entrants are forced to de-risk. This type of cooldown is often needed to reset positioning and rebuild a healthier structure for the next trend.

The current range suggests XRP is transitioning into a more balanced market where demand and supply are attempting to re-align. If buyers continue to step in near key support levels, the correction could evolve into a longer consolidation phase.

Negative Funding Rates Hint At A Potential XRP Reversal

Darkfost argues that what stands out in the current XRP setup is the timing of the bearish consensus. Instead of forming near the top, bearish positioning intensified only after XRP had already suffered a drawdown of more than 50%. Suggesting traders may be leaning short late in the correction cycle. On Binance, funding rates have remained mostly negative since December, reflecting a market dominated by leveraged short exposure rather than confident dip-buying.

Historically, markets tend to punish late consensus. While a buildup of shorts can add near-term selling pressure and keep price capped during weak conditions, it also creates latent buying pressure through forced covering. If XRP starts to reclaim key levels, short liquidations and rapid position unwinds can accelerate upside moves. Turning bearish positioning into fuel for a rebound.

Darkfost notes that this pattern has already appeared twice since 2024. During the August–September 2024 period, and again throughout the April 2025 correction, funding rates flipped negative for a sustained stretch before price stabilized and pushed higher. In both cases, the reversal was accompanied by improving sentiment and a return of funding rates toward neutral and then positive territory.

With funding still tilted bearish and positioning crowded to one side, the current context suggests XRP may be approaching another inflection point. If demand re-enters the market, the imbalance in shorts could support a sharp recovery.

XRP Consolidates Below $2 As Bears Lose Momentum

XRP’s 3-day chart shows the downside momentum has clearly slowed from the attempt to stabilize the price after an extended corrective phase. XRP currently trades near $1.94, holding above a local support zone that formed after the sharp sell-off in Q4 2025. While sellers remain active, the downside momentum has clearly slowed compared to the aggressive breakdown that pushed the market from the $2.60–$2.80 region into the current demand area.

From a trend perspective, XRP is still capped by declining moving averages. The shorter-term curve is sloping downward and acting as dynamic resistance near the $2.10–$2.30 range. Each rebound attempt has struggled to reclaim these levels. Reinforcing that the market remains in a broader downtrend despite the recent bounce.

However, the current price structure suggests sellers are losing control, as the market has stopped printing lower lows and is shifting into a tight consolidation range.

If XRP reclaims $2, it could open the door for a stronger recovery move toward the $2.30–$2.50 zone. On the downside, losing the $1.85 floor would likely trigger renewed selling pressure and extend the correction.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

The XRP market recorded a net negative performance in the past week, resulting in a minor 1% price decline. A very volatile market movement saw the altcoin trade as high as $2.17 before returning below the $2.10 resistance. As XRP investors eagerly await the next market move, recent on-chain data shows evidence of another impending price breakout.

XRP Negative Funding Rates Fuel Positive Market Bias

In exchange activity, funding rates refer to periodic payment mechanisms used in perpetual futures markets to keep the futures price aligned with the spot price. A positive funding rate suggests that long positions are overcrowded, which sees these long traders pay premiums to short traders to maintain their existing positions, thereby incentivizing and eventually pulling the futures price back toward the spot market.

According to market analyst PelinayPA, whenever the XRP funding rates have turned positive, there is usually an ensuing price consolidation or sharp correction. Such price movement can be attributed to the rising cost of maintaining these long positions and also the strong potential of a long squeeze, eventually causing a fall in market demand. 

On the other hand, sudden negative spikes in funding fates, especially when accompanied by a corresponding fall in funding rate, SMAs have resulted in the historical formation of a price bottom. Despite the pessimistic sentiment associated with negative funding rates, there is always a subsequent short-term price rebound. 

PelinayPA explains the XRP market sits in the latter situation as the funding rate is presently around -0.00323, while both SMA50 and SMA30 are heading downwards. Clearly, there is little optimism as short positions account for most of the existing leverage in the market. However, based on historical data, the chances of a price pullback or sustained selling pressure are presently low. 

Rather, the current funding data suggest the market is gathering momentum for a potential positive price breakout after a period of consolidation. However, PelinayPA warns that this signal does not indicate a major price rally, but only a stronger potential for an upward price move.

XRP Price Overview

At the time of writing, XRP trades at $2.06, reflecting losses of 0.24% and 0.99% in the past one and seven days, respectively. However, the monthly chart reports an impressive price gain of 13.45%, indicating that a significant portion of new market entrants are sitting in profits.  Despite these gains, XRP remains significantly below the cycle’s all-time high at $3.5. To decisively establish any form of bullish intent, XRP bulls must reclaim the immediate resistance at $2.10 before setting sights on future targets, including $2.60 and $3.00.