Key Insights:
- XRP price soars over 3% amid broader crypto market rebound.
- Mega whales holding more than 1 billion XRP coins purchased $3.6 billion worth of this altcoin.
- XRP options data shows that the price is moving in line with max pain at $1.90.
- Analyst Ali Martinez noted that the TD Sequential indicator flashed a buy signal.
XRP price saw a more than 3% gain over the last 24 hours, starting the year on a positive note. This comes amid a broader crypto market rebound.
Moreover, technical indicators, whale accumulation, and derivatives positioning also fueled the upward momentum in Ripple coin. They drew attention from traders and investors.
Mega Whale Accumulation Amid ETF Inflows
Mega whales holding more than 1 billion coins have aggressively accumulated XRP worth approximately $3.6 billion in the last 24 hours, according to data by on-chain analytics platform Santiment.
Whales XRP Accumulation | Source: SantimentThis buying comes as spot XRP ETF continued to record inflows despite outflows from other crypto ETFs. Net inflows into XRP ETFs reached $1.17 billion, signaling strong institutional interest.
However, whales holding 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 Ripple coins have sold some XRP. The holdings declined from over $4.3 billion to about $3.5 billion.
Such divergence in whale accumulation often precedes price rallies. It reduces circulating supply and reflects confidence in XRP’s long-term potential.
XRP Options Max Pain Point at $1.90
According to Deribit data, XRP options worth millions expired today. The put-call ratio was 0.78, and the max pain price was at $1.90.
As the spot XRP price hovers near $1.87 and tests resistance around $1.90, traders are positioning themselves to capitalize on this max pain price.
XRP Max Pain Price | Source: DeribitIn the derivatives market, the max pain point refers to the strike price. Here, the highest number of options contracts would expire worthless, minimizing losses for options sellers.
The bullish bias among traders has created buying pressure. That’s because market participants buy XRP to hedge or speculate on the price gravitating toward max pain before expiration
Combined with low funding rates in futures markets, this suggests the surge is driven by calculated spot buying rather than overleveraged speculation, adding stability to the rally.
Traders target XRP price to rebound towards $2 in the latter half of January 2026. This would need a significant rise in trading volume.
Popular Analyst Highlights Buy Signal for XRP Price
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez pointed out that TD Sequential has flashed a macro buy signal on XRP’s bi-weekly chart. Historically, the indicator had identified potential trend exhaustion and reversals many times.
The latest signal points to an impending rebound after a period of consolidation. Other analysts also noted a potential rebound in XRP price if it holds above the $1.80 key support level.
XRP Bi-Weekly Price Chart | Source: Ali MartinezThis has encouraged traders to enter long positions and contributed to today’s price action. Also, XRP’s supply on crypto exchanges dropped to a 7-year low, potentially creating a supply shock.
XRP has jumped 3%, with the price trading at $1.89 at the time of writing. The 24-hour low and high were $1.85 and $1.90, respectively.
However, trading volume has decreased by 12% in the last 24 hours. This indicates a decline in interest among traders, likely due to options expiry.
CoinGlass data revealed significant buying activity in the derivatives market. At the time of writing, the total XRP futures open interest jumped almost 2% to $3.44 billion in the last 24 hours.
The 4-hour XRP futures open interest climbed 1.35%. It surged 1.26% on CME and almost 2.80% on Binance, signaling an overall bullish sentiment among derivatives traders.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2026/01/02/3-reasons-why-xrp-price-is-surging-today/
