XRP surged more than 18% in the past 24 hours, trading near $1.31 on Aug. 21, as a wave of whale accumulation and broader crypto strength pushed the token back toward the $1.50 level. The rally briefly took XRP to roughly $1.34 before a pullback to $1.23, followed by a recovery above $1.30. Over the past week, XRP has gained about 30%.
The move coincided with a broader risk-on tone in digital assets. Bitcoin climbed past $75,000 during Asian trading on Friday, after first breaking through $70,000. The crypto advance followed the U.S. Treasury's announcement that it would at least double the size of liquidity-support buybacks for longer-dated government debt, specifically in the 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year sectors. Markets initially responded with lower yields and a weaker dollar, which typically supports risk assets like cryptocurrencies.
Beyond macro tailwinds, XRP has drawn support from developments on the XRP Ledger. On Aug. 20, Ripple, Clearpool, and Cicada Partners unveiled plans for an institutional credit product that will provide RLUSD-denominated working-capital loans to fintech and payments companies. Under the structure, Clearpool will supply the infrastructure for lending pools, while Cicada Partners will source borrowers, set loan terms, and manage credit risk. Ripple will participate as a limited partner, providing capital alongside other institutional investors, though it will not guarantee loans or cover losses. The fund's size and Ripple's investment have not been disclosed.
Whale activity has also been notable. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez reported that large holders accumulated more than 300 million XRP within 96 hours, adding a fresh source of demand as the token climbed from recent lows. This accumulation pattern often signals confidence among major investors and can provide a floor under price during pullbacks.
Technical levels to watch
On the daily chart, XRP's rally has pushed it above several key technical levels that had previously capped price during its multi-month decline. The token is trading above the upper boundary of the 21-day Donchian Channel, near $1.268, on a sharp increase in volume. Holding above the $1.27 area would keep the breakout intact, while a move back below would put the strength of the latest advance under pressure.
XRP has also reclaimed its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day exponential moving averages, which sit near $1.083, $1.092, and $1.160, respectively. The 200-day EMA at approximately $1.342 is now the more significant hurdle. The intraday push toward $1.34 brought price directly into this resistance, making the $1.34–$1.35 zone the first level bulls need to clear before $1.50 becomes a realistic target.
A daily close above the 200-day EMA could open a move toward $1.40. Beyond that, the previous price structure puts $1.48–$1.50 in focus, and a break above $1.50 could expose the March trading area around $1.55–$1.60.
Short-term momentum and overbought signals
On the 4-hour chart, XRP is trading around $1.31, with session VWAP near $1.30. Price holding above VWAP keeps buyers in control of the short-term trend, with the VWAP area between approximately $1.29 and $1.31 serving as the first support zone if profit-taking increases.
However, the 14-period Money Flow Index has climbed to around 88, well above the 80 level commonly associated with overbought conditions. This reading indicates strong price and volume momentum but also leaves XRP vulnerable to a pullback or consolidation following the steep rally. If XRP fails to clear the 200-day EMA and loses the $1.29–$1.27 support region, the next downside area sits around $1.20–$1.16, with the latter corresponding closely to the daily 100-day EMA.
For context, XRP's recent surge mirrors similar moves in other large-cap cryptos. For example, Bitcoin's breakout above $71K has lifted the entire market, and ENA's record volume shows the breadth of the rally. Meanwhile, XRP's earlier surge above $1.10 set the stage for the current move, and whale activity in other tokens highlights the ongoing institutional interest in digital assets.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
