Ripple Price Forecast: Can XRP hold $1.30 support as protocol defers bug fix to November?

• Downside pressure nudges XRP towards $1.30, with the 100-day EMA turning into resistance alongside the 50-day and 200-day EMAs.
• A drop in validator support to 26 restarts the XRP Ledger’s bug-fix countdown, pushing the patch back to November.
• A fragile price structure hampers XRP’s recovery prospects, even as the weekly SuperTrend indicator offers support.

Sellers are gaining the upper hand in Ripple (XRP), which is retreating towards $1.30 on Thursday and surrendering gains made early in the week. Buyers have been left discouraged after attempts to extend the recovery towards $1.40 fell short. Downside remains the path of least resistance, with selling likely to gather pace if bulls surrender the $1.30 demand zone.

Can modest ETF inflows offset selling pressure?

Selling pressure persists across the cryptocurrency market despite money flowing into spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Bitcoin (BTC) is leading the retreat with a slide below $82,000, while Ethereum (ETH) is correcting near $2,400.

Wednesday brought roughly $709,000 in inflows to US-listed XRP spot ETFs, following two straight days of subdued activity. This modest interest over a single day may be insufficient to absorb selling pressure unless inflows continue in the weeks ahead. Nevertheless, cumulative inflows remain positive at $1.8 billion despite the volatility, while net assets stand at $1.6 billion. These figures suggest that long-term investor appetite for the underlying token remains intact.

Why has the XRP Ledger bug fix been postponed?

A decline in validator support from 35 to 26 has forced Ripple’s XRP Ledger (XRPL) to postpone a planned bug fix. The patch now faces another two-week wait, although CoinDesk has reported on X that support among validators has recovered to 31.

For an XRPL amendment to proceed, validator consensus must remain above 80%. Approval from at least 29 of 35 validators is required, with the network checking that threshold every 15 minutes for 14 days. This process ensures broad network backing before protocol changes are introduced, whether they close loopholes in token creation or refine the lending algorithm.

Technical analysis: Can XRP buyers regain control?

A cluster of key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) continues to keep XRP under pressure near $1.33, leaving its short-term outlook bearish. Closest overhead is the 100-day EMA at $1.34. The 50-day and 200-day EMAs converge just above $1.37, indicating that a substantial supply zone still caps the pair.

Weak momentum reinforces that picture: the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is near 43 and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is marginally negative. Together, these readings suggest that recovery attempts are likely to attract selling for as long as prices remain below the overhead barriers.

Any move higher would first encounter the 100-day EMA near $1.34, followed by the closely grouped 50-day EMA and 200-day EMA at $1.38. A sustained breakout above this confluence would bring the SuperTrend line near $1.47 into focus. Beyond it lies the broader downtrend barrier marked by the resistance trend line, with reference levels at $1.62 and $1.70. The daily chart offers no clear indicator-based support, leaving the pair exposed to further declines unless buyers reclaim at least the 100-day EMA.

The weekly chart, meanwhile, presents mixed momentum readings rather than a firm directional signal. Although positive, the MACD histogram has eased from earlier highs, and the RSI is hovering near 48. This combination points more towards consolidation than a sustained bullish push.

The next significant demand zone lies considerably lower, around $0.94, where the SuperTrend indicator provides structural support and buyers previously returned. A weekly close back towards this area would open the door to a broader correction. Holding above present levels, by contrast, would leave XRP range-bound below the dense band of overhead resistance.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)