The value of XRP has witnessed a decline today, touching $0.50, echoing the broader trend of decreases seen across the cryptocurrency market. The drop, amounting to almost 1.5% on October 10, has contributed to a week-to-date return of -4.5%. This downward movement aligns with the bearish sentiments prevalent in other leading cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin at $27,354 and Ether at $1,561 experiencing declines of 1.8% and 3.5%, respectively.
One factor influencing the slump in XRP’s value is the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict, prompting crypto traders to shift away from various top cryptocurrencies. The total market capitalization of the crypto market has contracted by over $32 billion since the outbreak of hostilities between Hamas and Israel. During such geopolitical tensions, traditional safe-haven assets like U.S. Treasurys and gold tend to experience increased demand.
Simultaneously, XRP’s decline this week coincides with substantial token transfers. Notably, an address linked to Ripple moved 60 million XRP (approximately $30 million) to an unknown wallet on October 9. Another wallet transferred over $15 million to the Bitstamp crypto exchange.
Analyzing XRP from a technical standpoint, recent price action indicates the formation of a bump-and-run-reversal (BARR) pattern. This pattern typically emerges when rapid price increases driven by excessive speculation lead to a “bull trap” situation. The confirmation of the BARR pattern occurs when the price breaks below its lead-in trendline, potentially resulting in a 50% drop to $0.25 for XRP in the coming months.
However, the downside scenario may be invalidated if XRP reclaims the lead-in trendline, with its 50-3D (the red wave) and 200-3D (the blue wave) exponential moving averages providing support. In such a bullish scenario, XRP could target its 0.236 Fib line, reaching approximately $0.69, reflecting a potential 40% increase from current levels.
