XRP price remains vulnerable to further downside as unresolved single-print imbalances continue to exert technical pressure toward the $0.50 support zone.

XRP (XRP) price action has turned decisively bearish following an impulsive move to the downside, with structural weakness continuing to dominate the chart. After losing key value levels, the market has failed to regain bullish control, despite short-lived buying reactions.

From a long-term perspective, XRP appears to be trading within a broader corrective phase, with unfinished price structures remaining exposed below current levels.

One of the most notable technical features influencing the current outlook is the presence of a single-print candle imbalance. This structure, which often acts as a magnet for price, suggests that XRP may need to trade lower to complete unfinished auction activity before any meaningful macro pivot can occur.

XRP price key technical points

• Value area low has been lost, confirming bearish continuation
• Single-print imbalance remains partially unfilled, creating downside magnet
• $0.50 marks the base of the single-print structure, a critical high-timeframe level

XRP’s decline accelerated after the price failed to hold above the value area low, a key indication that buyers were unable to maintain acceptance at higher prices. Once this level was lost, the price fell aggressively, producing a bearish impulse that established a new swing low around $1.11.

Although price has since printed a buying tail, suggesting short-term demand, this reaction has not altered the broader market structure. Lower highs and weak follow-through continue to define price behavior, indicating that any upside moves remain corrective rather than trend-changing. As long as XRP remains below reclaimed value, downside risk stays elevated.

Understanding the single-print candle imbalance

Single-print candles occur when price moves rapidly through a zone without sufficient two-way trade, leaving behind an area of inefficiency. From a market profile and auction theory perspective, these zones are often revisited as price seeks to rebalance and complete unfinished business.

In XRP’s case, a high-timeframe single-print structure has been exposed, with only part of the imbalance filled during the recent decline. The upper portion of the single prints has already been retraced, but the base of the structure remains open. This unfinished area is located near the $0.50 level, creating a strong technical incentive for price to rotate lower.

Historically, markets show a high probability of revisiting these imbalances, particularly when broader structure aligns with bearish momentum, as is currently the case with XRP.

$0.50 emerges as a critical support zone

The $0.50 region is not only the base of the single-print candle but also aligns with a high-timeframe support zone. This convergence increases the importance of this level and makes it a key decision point for the market.

A move toward $0.50 would likely represent a continuation of the current corrective phase rather than a breakdown into uncharted territory. Such moves are often necessary to flush remaining weak hands and reset positioning before a potential macro pivot can form.

However, reaching support does not automatically imply a reversal. The reaction quality at $0.50, including volume expansion, rejection wicks, and structural behavior, will ultimately determine whether XRP can form a durable bottom or continue consolidating at lower levels.

What to expect in the coming price action

From a technical, price-action, and market-structure perspective, XRP remains biased toward further downside until the exposed single-print imbalance is fully resolved. The $0.50 level stands out as the most likely target for this rebalancing process and a zone where the market may attempt to establish a macro pivot.

If price reaches this level and shows strong acceptance and demand, it could mark the beginning of a broader base-building phase. Conversely, a weak reaction or continued acceptance below support would suggest prolonged consolidation before any sustained recovery.

For now, XRP remains structurally weak despite a short-term balance, with incomplete auction dynamics favoring a continuation of the lower trend. Traders should closely monitor how price behaves as it approaches the $0.50 region, as this area is likely to define the next major phase of XRP’s market cycle.

Key takeaways:

• Bitcoin’s derivatives signal caution, with the options skew hitting 20% as traders fear another wave of fund liquidations.

• Bitcoin price recovered some of its Thursday losses, but it still struggles to match the gains of gold or tech stocks amid low leverage demand.

Bitcoin (BTC) has gained 17% since the $60,150 low on Friday, but derivatives metrics suggest caution as demand for upside price exposure near $70,000 remains constrained. Traders fear that the liquidations of $1.8 billion of leveraged bullish futures contracts in five days indicate that major hedge funds or market makers may have blown up.

Unlike the Oct. 10, 2025, market collapse that culminated with a record $4.65 billion liquidation of Bitcoin futures, the recent price weakness has been marked by three consecutive weeks of downside pressure. Bulls have been adding positions between $70,000 and $90,000, as aggregate futures open interest increased despite forceful contract liquidations due to insufficient margins.

The aggregated Bitcoin futures open interest on major exchanges totaled 527,850 BTC on Friday, virtually flat from the prior week. Although the notional value of those contracts dropped to $35.8 billion from $44.3 billion, the 20% change perfectly reflects the 21% Bitcoin price decline in the seven-day period. Data indicates that bulls have been adding positions despite the steady price decline.

To better understand if whales and market makers have turned bullish, one should assess the BTC futures basis rate, which measures the price difference relative to regular spot contracts. Under neutral circumstances, the premium should range between 5% and 10% annualized to compensate for the longer settlement period.

The BTC futures basis rate dropped to 2% on Friday, the lowest level in more than a year. The lack of demand for bullish leverage is somewhat expected, but bulls will take longer than users to regain confidence even as Bitcoin price breaks above $70,000, especially considering that BTC is still  44% below its all-time high.

Bitcoin derivatives metrics signal extreme fear

Traders’ lack of conviction in Bitcoin is also evident in the BTC options markets. Excessive demand for put (sell) options is a strong indicator of bearishness, pushing the skew metric above 6%. Conversely, when fear of missing out kicks in, traders will pay a premium for call (buy) options, causing the skew metric to flip negative.

The BTC options skew metric reached 20% on Friday, a level that rarely persists and typically represents market panic. For comparison, the skew indicator stood at 11% on Nov. 21, 2025, following a 28% price correction to $80,620 from the $111,177 peak reached twenty days earlier. Since there is no specific catalyst for the current downturn, fear and uncertainty have naturally intensified.

Related: What’s really weighing on Bitcoin? Samson Mow breaks it down

Traders are likely to continue speculating that a major market maker, exchange, or hedge fund may have gone bankrupt, and this sentiment erodes conviction and implies a high probability of further price downside. Consequently, the odds of sustained bullish momentum remain low while BTC derivatives metrics continue to signal extreme fear.