- XRP slipped under the $3.05 support, now trading around $2.88 with nearly 94% of holders still in profit.
- Over 1.2 million long positions were liquidated as technical pressure clashed with ETF optimism.
- SEC’s upcoming XRP spot ETF decision (Oct 18–25, 2025) could be the catalyst that reshapes both spot and futures markets.
XRP’s spot price is holding at around $2.88, according to CoinGecko, marking a 3.9% dip in the last 24 hours. While that drop doesn’t sound earth-shattering, it’s important—because XRP just slid under the $3.05 support level, a line many traders had been watching closely. What makes it even more interesting is that nearly 94% of current holders are still sitting in profit, a condition that often sparks the kind of sharp moves no one wants to miss.
The token has been chopping through volatility this week, and though it’s cooled near $2.88, market activity remains heavy. With over $6.6 billion traded in the past day, XRP isn’t lacking attention. But volume alone doesn’t guarantee direction. Technical analysts are pointing to a descending triangle pattern forming, and the recent break below support has traders split—some expect a deeper pullback, while others see this as just a setup before another upside push.
Liquidations and Market Strain
The price dip hasn’t come without pain. Data shows more than 1.2 million long positions liquidated over recent sessions, which rattled sentiment and forced some tough calls on risk management desks. This tug-of-war between bullish ETF expectations and bearish technicals is keeping traders cautious. Optimism about possible SEC approvals later this year is still in play, but in the short run, charts don’t lie—pressure remains.
What the Spot Price Really Means
The “spot price” isn’t some abstract number—it’s the live market rate for buying or selling XRP tokens right now. It shifts constantly, reflecting the exact balance of buyers and sellers across global exchanges. Unlike futures contracts that deal in speculation, the spot rate is what traders are actually paying in real time. Think of it as the heartbeat of XRP’s market value.
This weighted average is pulled from major exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken, giving traders and institutions a clear benchmark. For big players especially, spot pricing determines collateral requirements, liquidity levels, and even broader portfolio strategies. When XRP moves at spot, it often pulls the rest of the market’s mood along with it.
Spot vs. Futures: Why It Matters Now
Spot prices and futures contracts often dance together—but not always in sync. Futures traders are betting on where XRP might land weeks or months ahead, while spot shows where it’s standing this second. Recently, futures have been trading at a notable spread compared to spot, largely because of speculation around upcoming ETF approvals and regulatory shifts.
With the SEC set to rule on eight XRP spot ETF applications in late October 2025, both markets could realign quickly. A green light would almost certainly draw fresh institutional money, tightening spreads and possibly lifting spot prices higher. But until then, expect volatility to dominate as traders hedge every possible outcome.
Final Take
At $2.88, XRP is walking a tightrope—below support, but still showing strong demand and profitability across its holder base. The mix of heavy liquidations, bullish ETF buzz, and technical uncertainty makes this a market worth watching closely. Whether this turns into another leg down or the base for a rebound will depend less on hype and more on how traders handle the next few volatile weeks.
