XRP Trading Activity Surges While Price Struggles to Hold Post-Rally Gains

[Ben Graham]

XRP has been one of the most actively traded cryptocurrencies in recent weeks, despite its price continuing to face resistance following a short-lived rally.

While trading volumes across several markets have climbed, the token has struggled to maintain levels above key support zones, reflecting a growing gap between investor activity and price performance.

Data from multiple exchanges shows that interest in XRP remains strong, particularly in regions such as Australia, where it recently overtook Bitcoin as the most traded digital asset on BTC Markets. However, this surge in trading has not translated into sustained upward price momentum.

XRP Trading Volume Rises as Investor Behavior Shifts

According to BTC Markets’ 2025 Investor Study Report, XRP surpassed Bitcoin in trading activity for the first time in four years. The exchange cited strong community engagement and its role as a Ripple On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) partner as key drivers behind the shift.

Despite Bitcoin recording a 70% price increase in 2025 and reaching a new all-time high, Australian traders increasingly focused on XRP during the financial year. XRP itself saw notable price movements, reaching $3.34 in January 2025 and peaking near $3.66 by July before falling roughly 50% to around $1.80 by year-end.

The report also projected a maturing investor base. Average trade sizes rose by 25%, daily trading volumes increased by 17%, and participation expanded among older investors, women, and self-managed super funds. This suggests that crypto activity is becoming more structured rather than purely speculative.

Price Pullback Follows Brief Rally

While trading activity has remained elevated, XRP’s price has struggled to hold recent gains.

After briefly trading near the $2.20 level, the token slipped below $2.10, posting a daily decline of over 2%. Analysts attribute the pullback to regulatory uncertainty, whale distribution, and reduced optimism following delays to U.S. crypto market structure legislation.

Market observers note that XRP is currently consolidating between $2.00 and $2.15, with $2.08 acting as a key support zone. Technical indicators indicate that the token is trading above its 50-day moving average but below its 200-day average, suggesting mixed momentum in the short term.

Some analysts view the current phase as a period of consolidation rather than a full-fledged trend reversal. However, resistance near $2.20 remains a hurdle for any renewed upside.

Institutional Signals and Long-Term Outlook

Ripple has continued to position itself in the institutional market, recently highlighting its prime brokerage arm, Ripple Prime, on its homepage. The company also secured an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in Luxembourg, allowing it to expand regulated payment services across the European Union under MiCA rules.

Following the licensing news, XRP briefly climbed to around $2.14, supported by a 74% jump in trading volume. Even so, the price has yet to establish a stable breakout above higher resistance levels.

Longer-term discussions around XRP’s supply dynamics and transaction burn mechanism have also resurfaced, with analysts noting that over 2.5 million XRP have been permanently removed from circulation in recent years.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview