XRP remains sidelined as ETF optimism fades and price stalls near $2.00

​​​XRP remains sidelined

​Over the past couple of weeks, XRP has been range bound despite renewed institutional interest and this week’s widely anticipated US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut, leaving the token trading in a narrow and low volatility range.

​The early days of December saw XRP supported by growing optimism around spot-exchange-traded fund (ETF) developments, with inflows into XRP-linked products continuing to build and helping to stabilise prices above the psychologically important $2.00 level, a level around which it still trades.

​This flow of capital has reinforced the view that larger investors remain engaged with the asset, even as broader crypto-market sentiment has oscillated between risk-on and risk-off.

​That institutional backdrop briefly translated into price strength, with XRP pushing back toward the $2.22 area as buyers attempted to regain short-term control. However, the move stalled at resistance, and recent sessions have highlighted the fragility of the recovery.

​Technical indicators have pointed to waning momentum, while selling from longer-term holders has continued to cap upside, suggesting that conviction among legacy investors remains mixed despite ETF-related optimism.

​Beyond price action, ecosystem developments have added important context. Ripple has continued to expand its payments infrastructure in emerging markets, most notably through new partnerships designed to facilitate cross-border transfers using XRP as a bridge asset.

​Recent announcements around payment services enabling crypto-to-fiat settlements in regions such as Africa have reinforced XRP’s utility-driven narrative, distinguishing it from purely speculative tokens and supporting its longer-term adoption case.

​At the same time, macroeconomic uncertainty has remained a key influence. Shifting expectations around interest-rate policy and fluctuating risk appetite across global markets have fed directly into XRP’s price behaviour, mirroring moves seen across the wider digital-asset complex. This has left XRP caught between constructive long-term fundamentals and short-term technical pressure, with neither bulls nor bears able to establish a decisive upper hand.

​Taken together, the past few weeks underline XRP’s current balancing act.

​On one side, rising institutional exposure and continued progress in real-world payments adoption provide reasons for cautious optimism.

​On the other side, unresolved technical resistance and ongoing selling pressure highlight the risk that further downside remains possible if market sentiment deteriorates again.

​As the year draws to a close, XRP’s near-term direction is likely to hinge on whether ETF momentum and ecosystem growth can outweigh broader cryptocurrency fatigue and finally translate into a sustained breakout.

​XRP bearish case:

​XRP's attempt to reach the $2.2000 region has once again been thwarted with it short-term topping out at the 9 December peak at $2.1775 and it slipping to this week's low at $1.9809.

​While this low underpins on a daily chart closing basis, another attempt at advancing towards the October-to-December downtrend line at $2.1368 may be seen.

​Failure at $1.9809 may lead to the November low at $1.8193 being revisited. 

​Failure there may put the April low at $1.6153 on the cards.

​XRP bullish case:

​As long as XRP manages to find support within its key $2.0807-to-$1.8193 support area - made up of the mid-April-to-November lows (except the 10 October spike low) - another attempt at testing resistance around $2.2200 may ensue.

​The early December high at $2.2196 would need to be overcome for the 17 November high at $2.3025 to be reached.

​Short-term outlook: neutral while below the 9 December high at $2.1775

​Medium-term outlook: neutral while trading below the 10 November high at $2.5801 but above its $1.8193 November low 

XRP daily candlestick chart