Author：Encryption Jianghu

Rising activity clashes with weakening momentum as XRP price struggles, flashing warning signals while volume expands and traders reposition aggressively. 

Trading volume surged above $1.9 billion, reflecting a 19% daily increase, yet the price failed to follow higher. 

That divergence matters. Strong trends usually reward volume with continuation. Instead, sellers absorbed demand near resistance. 

At press time, Ripple [XRP] traded around $1.86, down nearly 2% over 24 hours, signaling fading buyer control. Short-term rebounds stall quickly, and support zones face repeated pressure. 

XRP price structure signals head-and-shoulders top

XRP price has carved a textbook head-and-shoulders structure on the daily chart. The left shoulder formed near $2.30, followed by a strong rally into the head around $3.00. Momentum then faded sharply. 

The right shoulder failed near $2.50, confirming buyer exhaustion. Price pressed the neckline support between $1.85 and $1.80 at press time.

Each bounce from this zone weakens noticeably. Sellers continue defending descending resistance near $1.95, capping upside attempts. 

This behavior reflects distribution, not consolidation. Importantly, XRP price already trades below the right-shoulder trendline. 

Therefore, failure to reclaim $2.00 keeps bearish control intact. A clean loss of $1.80 would open deeper downside continuation.

Open Interest decline confirms leverage exit over dip buying

Open Interest has dropped sharply, sliding 8.43% to $3.26 billion. That move carries clear implications. 

XRP price consolidated near support while leverage exited the market. Traders chose caution instead of adding exposure. 

In healthy trends, Open Interest expands alongside price. Here, the opposite unfolds. Long traders unwind positions as the price fails to rebound. 

Shorts also reduce size, yet selling pressure persists. As leverage unwinds, XRP price loses fuel for sharp recoveries. 

Consequently, price drifts lower without strong counter-pressure. This dynamic often precedes continuation moves rather than reversals. 

Without renewed leverage entering above $1.90, buyers struggle to absorb supply effectively, reinforcing downside risk.

Negative funding reveal growing short-side conviction

OI-Weighted Funding Rates have flipped negative, hovering near -0.0010% at press time. That shift signals intent across Derivatives markets.

Short traders now pay to maintain positions, while long traders step aside. XRP price reflected that imbalance clearly.

Each rally toward $1.90–$1.95 attracts renewed selling pressure. Moreover, funding remains negative across multiple sessions, reinforcing bearish positioning. 

Negative funding during support tests raises the risk substantially. Shorts grow comfortable, pressing price lower, especially below $1.85. Buyers hesitate, waiting for confirmation that never materializes. 

As a result, XRP price lacks upward momentum. This funding structure strengthens the downside narrative rather than supporting stabilization.

Liquidation data highlights heavy downside concentration

The Liquidation Heatmap showed dense liquidity stacked beneath the aforementioned XRP price levels. Major liquidation clusters sat near $1.85, with deeper concentrations between $1.80 and $1.77. 

XRP price traded close to $1.86, placing it directly above a high-risk liquidation pocket. Upside liquidity thins rapidly beyond $1.95, limiting rebound potential. 

In contrast, downside zones glow with concentration. When momentum weakens, price often gravitates toward these liquidity pools. 

Therefore, a break below $1.85 could trigger accelerated liquidations toward $1.80. Failure to hold $1.77 would expose the $1.60–$1.50 region next, amplifying bearish continuation pressure.

Conclusively, XRP price shows aligned weakness across structure, leverage, funding, and liquidity. Each metric reinforces the same bearish narrative. Buyers hesitate near resistance, while sellers defend key zones aggressively. 

Volume rises without upside continuation. Leverage exits instead of building. Funding favors shorts. Liquidity clusters sit lower. Together, these conditions increase downside probability. 

If the XRP price loses $1.80, momentum could accelerate rapidly. Under sustained pressure, psychological support near $1.00 comes into focus.

Unless buyers reclaim control above $2.00, the risk of XRP price losing $1 remains firmly in play.

 Final Thoughts

• XRP price remains structurally weak, with sellers controlling momentum and liquidity direction.
• Without a decisive buyer response, downside continuation appears increasingly likely.