XRP NEWS: XRP price is trading at $1.44, pressing against the upper boundary of a descending parallel channel that has capped the asset since its late-April highs, while on-chain metrics compiled by CryptoQuant show a neutral-to-slightly-bullish reading with spot markets displaying buy-side dominance and cooling sell pressure.
The data and the price action are not yet aligned, derivatives sentiment has turned constructive, and accumulation signals are building, but the bears retain structural control above current levels.
Whether XRP can convert those on-chain signals into a clean technical breakout, or whether macro headwinds force another rejection at $1.48, is the question defining the asset’s near-term trajectory.
🐳 According to our on-chain data, XRP Ledger now has reached an all-time high of 332,230 wallets holding at least 10K $XRP. This extends a consistent growth trend that has been building since June, 2024. The continued rise in XRP Ledger wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP is an… pic.twitter.com/bd68Os2mJR
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) May 12, 2026
XRP tested the $1.50 psychological level over the weekend and was turned back, leaving a fresh rejection point that now anchors the bearish case. That failed attempt extended a pattern familiar to anyone who has followed this asset through its consolidation phase: on-chain conditions improve, price approaches resistance, and sellers re-emerge before a daily close can confirm the move.
Prior CoinSpeaker analysis flagged the $1.45–$1.48 range as pivotal, noting that on-chain flow data and volume dynamics at this level would determine whether the channel held or broke, a call that remains live.
The broader crypto market is also trading cautiously on Tuesday, with Bitcoin and Ether similarly subdued amid geopolitical risk. U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s counterproposal on Middle East negotiations, calling it “totally unacceptable,” while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the terms as “reasonable” and “generous”, a standoff that has kept risk appetite measured across digital assets.
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XRP NEWS: Can XRP Price Break Above $1.48 and Target the $1.71 Moving Average?
XRP price is trading above the 50-day EMA at $1.44, a level that has held as a floor through recent pullbacks, but remains capped by a 2-layer resistance cluster at $1.48 to $1.49 where the descending channel’s upper boundary meets the 100-day EMA. A daily close above both would represent a channel breakout and a reclaim of overhead resistance that has been in place since the late-April retracement.
The technicals are constructive but not decisive. RSI on the 4-hour chart sits at 61, reflecting improving momentum without signaling overbought conditions. MACD remains above the zero line with histogram readings consistent with a bullish momentum phase still intact. Neither indicator is flashing urgency. The resolution sits entirely on the price structure itself.
On-chain data adds a moderately bullish tilt. CoinGlass shows the OI-Weighted Funding Rate flipped positive on Friday, reading 0.0048% as of Tuesday. Long positions are paying shorts, reflecting a real bias toward upside positioning in derivatives.
CryptoQuant corroborates this with buy-side dominance in XRP spot markets and cooling sell-side pressure consistent with accumulation dynamics reasserting themselves at this exact resistance zone.
Source: XRPUSD / Tradingview
The disconnect between improving on-chain conditions and price stalling at resistance is the signal worth watching. Accumulation beneath structural resistance paired with declining exchange inflows has historically preceded breakout moves. The setup is in place. The confirmation is not.
A daily close above $1.49 on meaningful volume clears both the channel boundary and the 100-day EMA, exposing the 200-day EMA near $1.71 as the next target, with $1.90 beyond it. Failure to hold $1.41 on a daily close reopens the path toward $1.30.
Middle East escalation remains an active variable that could override the technical setup in either direction. Ripple’s Q2 network update, expected later this month, is the other fundamental input to watch.
The $1.48 to $1.49 cluster resolves everything. Until XRP closes a daily candle above it, the on-chain case for upside remains a thesis rather than a trade.
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Neil is a professional cryptocurrency content writer with years of experience. He has written for various cryptocurrency websites to report on breaking news, and been hired by all sorts of cryptocurrency projects, to create content that would increase their exposure and attract more potential investors.