XRP News: Whale Dumps 190 Million Tokens in 48 Hours, $1.81 Critical Support Under Threat

On-chain data shows that in the past 48 hours, whales dumped 190 million XRP, intensifying bearish market sentiment and pushing XRP toward a key support area. XRP is currently trading around $2.02, with increased volatility, and the market is closely watching the $1.81 to $1.90 zone, which has acted as a defensive area throughout 2024.

Whales Shock the Market by Dumping 190 Million XRP in 48 Hours

(Source: Glassnode)

The core of this XRP news is the large-scale dumping activity by whales in a very short period. On-chain data tracked by @ali_charts shows that in the past 48 hours, large holders sold as much as 190 million XRP. At the current price of $2.02, this equates to about $384 million in selling pressure flooding the market. Such a scale of dumping is enough to have a significant price impact on any crypto asset.

Whale sell-offs typically reflect changes in the expectations of major holders, which are often driven by macroeconomic factors or internal market weakness. In this case, the XRP sell-off coincided with a period of generally sluggish liquidity in the altcoin market. Bitcoin has been consolidating around $100,000, drawing most of the market’s attention and capital, while altcoins like XRP are facing capital outflows.

From a market psychology perspective, whale dumping often triggers a chain reaction. Retail investors, seeing large on-chain transfers and falling prices, tend to panic and follow the sell-off. This “whale leads retail” pattern is common in the crypto market. However, experienced traders may view whale dumping as a potential buying opportunity, as once most of the selling pressure is released, the market often bottoms out near key support levels.

It’s worth noting that despite facing the pressure of 190 million XRP being sold, the price did not collapse but rather retreated in an orderly way to around $2.02. This indicates there is some buying support in the market, possibly from long-term holders’ defensive bids or opportunistic traders buying the dip. XRP’s structure is far from broken, and the latest price action even suggests it is about to stabilize.

The Defensive Role of the $1.81 to $1.90 Key Support Zone

(Source: Trading View)

One of the focal points of this XRP news is that the market is closely watching the $1.81 to $1.90 zone, which has acted as a defensive area throughout 2024. Why is this price range so important? From a historical volume distribution perspective, $1.81 to $1.90 has been a price band tested and held multiple times in 2024, representing a concentration zone for a large amount of accumulated holdings.

XRP’s chart continues to follow a broad descending channel, formed by lower highs since August and a trendline rejecting all rebound attempts. While this downtrend remains intact, there have been clear signs of weakness in recent trading sessions. The token has shown longer lower wicks, narrower candlestick ranges, and gradually weakening downward momentum—a combination typically seen when sellers begin losing control.

From a technical standpoint, longer lower wicks indicate that prices dipped lower intraday but were ultimately pulled back up by buying. This “bottoming and rebound” pattern shows strong buying support near $1.81. The narrower candlestick ranges suggest price volatility is narrowing, and the market may be brewing for a directional breakout.

If XRP can hold above $1.81, it may start forming higher lows, which is the first step toward a trend reversal. In technical analysis, “higher lows” mean each pullback ends at a higher point than the last, signaling gradually strengthening buying power and weakening selling pressure. This is an early sign of a shift from a downtrend to an uptrend.

Conversely, if it breaks below $1.81, the next support may be found in the $1.60 to $1.70 range, opening the door to a deeper correction. Well-managed setups typically place stop losses just below $1.81 to control downside risk.

RSI Oversold Divergence Signals a Possible Rebound

The most important technical signal in this XRP news is the performance of the RSI indicator. The RSI is near 37 and climbing from deeply oversold territory, forming the early stages of a bullish divergence. The price is making new lows, but momentum has not followed suit. This “price/indicator divergence” is one of the most reliable reversal signals in technical analysis.

An RSI (Relative Strength Index) below 30 is typically considered oversold, meaning the asset may be excessively dumped and could be due for a rebound. The current reading of 37 is not entirely oversold but is very close. More importantly, the RSI is rebounding from lower levels, indicating that selling pressure is weakening.

The mechanism for bullish divergence is as follows: when the price makes new lows but RSI does not, it suggests that while prices are still falling, the downward momentum is exhausted. In such cases, only a catalyst is needed for prices to rebound rapidly. Historically, XRP has reacted strongly to such patterns, especially when accompanied by large-volume sell-offs (such as the recent whale dumping event).

Key Technical Indicators Supporting Stability Include

Long lower wicks and compressed candle bodies: Indicate intraday bottoming and rebound, showing stronger buying support

Flattening RSI and early divergence: Selling pressure is fading, and rebound momentum is brewing

Reclaiming the 20-day moving average on lower time frames: Short-term trend may be reversing

The combination of these technical signals provides a relatively optimistic outlook for this XRP news. While whale dumping has created short-term pressure, the technicals suggest the market may be bottoming, preparing for the next upward move.

Q1 Price Outlook and Trading Strategy

Traders see $2.15 to $2.20 as the initial upside target, while the broader trendline resistance is around $2.30. If XRP’s daily close breaks above this level, it would mark the first structural improvement in months and reopen the path toward $2.57 in Q1.

For beginners, the simplest entry strategy suggested by this XRP news is to wait for a bullish reversal candlestick pattern—such as a hammer, engulfing pattern, or a long-wick doji—within the $1.81 to $1.90 range. A close above $2.06 would be the earliest signal that the market is heading toward recovery.

Full Price Target Ladder

Initial target: $2.15 to $2.20 (about 7% gain from current price)

Trendline resistance: $2.30 (about 14% gain; a breakout would confirm a trend reversal)

Q1 target: $2.57 (about 27% gain)

Extended target: $3.12 (about 54% gain)

If overall liquidity improves in December and whales return to accumulate, XRP could shift from defensive trading to a more constructive upward cycle. Although this XRP news seems bearish in the short term, from a contrarian perspective, the end of whale dumping often marks the worst being over and sets the stage for a new round of gains.