XRP at a Crossroads: Can $260M in Shorts Trigger a Dramatic Reversal?

XRP's price action flatlines—traders hold their breath as $260 million in shorts pile up. Is this the calm before the storm?

Market tension mounts

The fifth-largest crypto by market cap hasn't moved more than 3% in either direction for 11 straight days. Textbook consolidation, or a coiled spring waiting to snap?

Short sellers go all-in

Derivatives data shows speculators betting $260 million against XRP—enough fuel for either a brutal squeeze or a cascading selloff. Someone's about to get burned.

The Ripple factor

With the SEC lawsuit still looming (because nothing says 'regulatory clarity' like a five-year legal battle), fundamentals remain as clear as mud. Perfect conditions for maximum volatility.

Closing thought: In crypto, the only thing more predictable than wild price swings is traders overleveraging at precisely the wrong moment. Place your bets.

Key Takeaways

XRP consolidated above $3.35 after ATH, with mixed trader sentiment. Experts were bullish amid ETF Optimism and a technical breakout, but the overbought RSI suggested a potential short-term correction before further gains.

After reaching an all-time high (ATH), Ripple [XRP] price is consolidating above the key support level of $3.35.

Meanwhile, traders are heavily betting on the bearish side, with nearly $260 million worth of short positions opened around the $3.68 level.

At press time, xrp price remained strong at the $3.50 level, climbing a modest 0.35% in the past 24 hours.

During this period, trader and investor participation has increased, leading to a 16% rise in recorded trading volume.

Mixed sentiment among traders and investors 

CoinGlass reported that long-term XRP holders were steadily accumulating tokens, even as short-term traders bet on a price drop. 

In the last 48 hours, $56.85 million worth of XRP has exited exchanges, a MOVE suggesting that investors are shifting their holdings into secure wallets, possibly signaling long-term confidence despite current market indecision.

Source: CoinGlass

On the other hand, traders appear to be pushing the price lower. At press time, the major liquidation level on the downside was at $3.412, where traders have built $69.51 million worth of long positions.

Meanwhile, $3.684 was another key level on the upside, where traders have built $258 million worth of short positions.

Source: CoinGlass

Combining these metrics highlights the mixed sentiment among investors and traders.

Experts lean bullish on XRP

Despite the mixed sentiment among traders and investors, experts have shared a bullish outlook, suggesting that traders’ $258 million in short positions were at risk of liquidation.

On the 22nd of July 2025, a prominent crypto expert posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the odds of Spot XRP ETF approval had surged to 95%, which appears to be a bullish catalyst for XRP and its holders.

Whereas, another crypto expert made a bold prediction on X, stating that XRP is targeting $15. He added that, on the weekly chart, XRP remains bullish as it has broken out of a bullish flag pattern.

Source: X (Formerly Twitter)

XRP price action and key technical levels 

This prediction seems unrealistic, as the asset WOULD need to surge 327% to reach that target.

AMBCrypto technical analysis suggests that XRP is in an uptrend and, with consolidation above its breakout level, is considered a positive sign.

Source: TradingView

Based on recent price action, if XRP maintained this support, the next potential target could be $6, as indicated by Fibonacci levels; otherwise, it could decline to the $3.40 level.

At press time, the asset’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) stood at 83, indicating that it is in overbought territory. This raises the possibility of a short-term correction before any further rally.