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XRP Sees Surge in $100K+ Transactions: What Does it Mean for Ripple’s Price?

XRP’s on-chain activity took a sudden turn early this week as large-value transfers on the XRP Ledger jumped to a three-month high, according to new data from Santiment. The rise in $100,000-plus transactions points to growing involvement from large holders at a time when the Ripple token’s price is pulling back, setting the stage for wider price movement in the days ahead. Whale Activity Jumps as Exchange Balances Keep Falling Santiment said on January 8 that whale-sized XRP transfers climbed from 2,170 on Monday to 2,802 the following day, the highest daily count since October. The analytics firm warned that price movement is likely to be more erratic than usual when large holders become this active. That behavior stands out because it contrasts with what is happening on exchanges. Separate data shared by CryptoQuant contributor CryptoOnchain showed XRP reserves on Binance falling to about 2.6 billion tokens, the lowest level since January 2024. Since late 2025, balances on the exchange have dropped from roughly 3.25 billion XRP, a shift often linked to holders moving coins into self-custody rather than preparing to sell. Meanwhile, Arab Chain added another layer to the picture, with the platform’s analysts pointing out that whale flows to Binance have been trending lower since mid-December 2025, after peaking above 70% of total inflows in November and early December. Whales now make up about 60% of XRP deposits to the exchange, while retail participation has stayed fairly steady. Historically, according to the analysts, fewer whale deposits suggest less immediate selling interest from large players. The data has come at a time when XRP is becoming a major talking point in broader markets. On January 6, CNBC’s Power Lunch called it the “hottest crypto trade” of 2026, pointing to heavy interest from investors seeking bigger percentage moves than Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) after strong ETF inflows late last year. Price Action Cools, But Larger Trend Still Intact At the markets, XRP was trading around $2.13 at the time of this writing, after a 6% drop in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data. The token briefly touched the upper end of its weekly range around $2.40 earlier this week before sellers pushed it lower, in line with a softer session across the wider crypto market. Zooming out, XRP is still up about 16% in the last seven days and nearly 14% over the past two weeks. Monthly gains sit just above 3%, while the yearly figure remains slightly negative. Analysts are watching key support near $2.27, with a sustained hold above that level viewed as critical for maintaining bullish momentum. Some chartists point to a bullish setup on the XRP/BTC pairing not seen since 2018, suggesting a potential shift in relative strength. For now, rising whale transfers paired with falling exchange balances suggest positioning rather than panic, even as short-term price swings remain likely. The post XRP Sees Surge in $100K+ Transactions: What Does it Mean for Ripple’s Price? appeared first on CryptoPotato . CoinGape

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What’s Trapping Bitcoin (BTC) Below $100K? Analysts Break It Down

Bitcoin (BTC) opened the year strong but remains locked below the $100,000 level. The current price action is caught in a narrow range, with several key levels keeping it in place. Traders are now watching for signs that the market is ready to break out. Dealer Hedging Keeps Price Contained Crypto Rover said Bitcoin is being “mechanically suppressed” by dealer hedging. In this setup, dealers are managing risk by selling into rallies and buying dips. This activity has kept the price locked between $90,000 and $95,000. At the top, $100,000 remains a major resistance. BITCOIN’S $100,000 WALL & WHY IT’S STUCK AT $93,000. Bitcoin isn’t weak; it’s mechanically suppressed. Dealer hedging: selling rallies and buying dips to stay neutral. This has pinned price in a tight $90K–$95K range, defining the $90K support and the $100K resistance wall.… pic.twitter.com/XDr3D5MUfn — Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) January 8, 2026 Rover pointed out that many options expire later in January. That could be the trigger for the next move. Until then, the hedging may keep the price range tight. Bitcoin has tested both sides of this zone but hasn’t shown a clear direction. In parallel, technical indicators suggest BTC remains range-bound. Chart analyst Ali Martinez noted that Bitcoin needs a daily close above $94,000 or below $88,000 to confirm trend direction. At press time, BTC trades near $90,300, just below the midpoint of that range. The daily chart shows a rising support line that started forming in late 2025. Buyers continue to defend higher lows, but the $94,000 level has blocked further gains. Unless the price closes outside this range, it remains in consolidation. CME Gaps May Guide Next Steps Another analyst, Ted, shared a chart showing that the first CME futures gap around $90,700 has now been filled. The next possible target is the lower gap near $88,000–$88,500, which also lines up with a key support zone. Bitcoin tried to reclaim the $92,000–$94,000 area but faced heavy selling. If the asset drops again, the $88K zone could act as a magnet. Some traders expect that gap to be filled before a fresh move to the upside. Even so, spot market demand has led Bitcoin’s latest rebound, while futures traders appear cautious. This divergence shows that not all participants are positioned the same way. As reported by CryptoPotato, Bitcoin is still in the wider declining trend starting in September 2025, and the market is yet to prove a bottoming-out period. Analysts believe there is room to short-term rally to around $97,000 -107,000, yet believe that price will still fall below $70,000 later into the cycle. The post What’s Trapping Bitcoin (BTC) Below $100K? Analysts Break It Down appeared first on CryptoPotato . CoinGape