Ether (ETH) traders are increasing their leveraged long positions despite ETH price being down 44% in 2026. Ether’s futures open interest at Binance has climbed to a record 3.7 million ETH, with the exchange accounting for more than 44% of total Ether futures.

Crypto analyst Darkfost noted that Ether futures activity has improved despite rising uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions and weakening economic conditions.

The analyst noted that Binance now holds nearly 3.7 million ETH in open futures contracts, marking a new all-time high for Ether open interest on the exchange.

ETH open interest value on Binance. Source: CryptoQuant

Improving risk appetite for long positions also emerged as Binance’s weekly average taker buy-sell ratio increased to 1.0 from 0.95 after months of seller-led activity. A reading near 1.0 points to a more balanced market after a prolonged period of selling pressure.

The trend extends beyond Binance. Across all exchanges, the taker buy-sell ratio has risen to 1 from 0.94 over the past two weeks, indicating that buyers are becoming more active in market orders than sellers.

Ether: taker buy sell ratio across all exchanges. Source: CryptoQuant

At the same time, the speculative activity is accelerating faster than spot demand. Binance’s perp-spot volume imbalance indicator climbed to roughly 0.90, close to a record high, while its 30-day Z-score reached 2.53. 

Perpetual futures volume stood near 5.57 million ETH compared with about 290,000 ETH in spot trading. This indicates leveraged participation is expanding far more quickly than activity in the underlying market.

ETH Perp-Spot volume imbalance indicator. Source: CryptoQuant

Related: Audiera’s AI token BEAT beats Bitcoin, Ethereum as price surges 1,500% in a month

ETH liquidation risk remains on both sides

Market analyst Amr Taha highlighted a growing split in exchange positioning. Binance recorded a 30-day open interest increase of 616,400 ETH, its strongest reading since 2019. During the same period, Gate.io posted a decline of 631,700 ETH.

Multi-exchange open interest 30-day change. Source: CryptoQuant

Liquidation heatmaps show nearly $8 billion in short positions clustered between $2,200 and $2,400. Those levels stand out as key liquidity zones if ETH price begins to push higher. 

However, near-term positioning remains heavily leveraged on both sides. Roughly $1.72 billion in cumulative long liquidations sits below the current price of $1,500, while nearly $1.90 billion in short liquidation exposure is concentrated near $1,800. 

The narrow gap between those pools highlights a market where both bullish and bearish positions carry significant liquidation risk.

ETH liquidation map. Source: CoinGlass

Related: ETH crash to $1K looms if key support breaks: Will futures traders step in?

Binance has announced a $250,000 humanitarian contribution to support frontline response efforts against an ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The exchange said the funds will be divided equally between the Uganda Red Cross Society and Doctors Without Borders, known internationally as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

What the donation will support

The company said the funding is earmarked for activities such as emergency medical care, prevention and public-awareness campaigns, contact tracing and containment work, and provision of sanitation supplies and personal protective equipment for health workers. Binance framed the contribution as a rapid-response intervention to shore up services in high-risk and underserved areas where healthcare access remains limited.

Outbreak context and operational constraints

Health authorities have linked the recent cases to the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted antiviral treatment. That profile heightens pressure on local health systems, particularly in eastern DRC where insecurity and limited infrastructure complicate response operations. MSF has reported concern about the speed and geographic spread of the outbreak, including cross-border transmission into Uganda, and has emphasised the need for swift action to prevent escalation.

Operationally, donations that finance protective equipment, sanitation, community outreach and contact tracing can improve immediate containment measures. However, humanitarian responders frequently highlight that resources alone are not a silver bullet: access, security, logistics and sustained funding streams all influence whether short-term grants translate into lower transmission.

Why a crypto firm is stepping in

Binance has been expanding its footprint across African markets through initiatives tied to education, digital skills and financial inclusion. This contribution follows a pattern of technology and crypto companies engaging in corporate social responsibility and emergency aid, often to complement work by established humanitarian organisations.

For Binance, supporting recognised responders such as MSF and national Red Cross societies helps direct funds to organisations with operational experience and logistics networks already in place. The company has also publicly urged other firms active in the region to consider similar support during humanitarian crises.

Industry and reputational implications

Donations by major crypto platforms carry both practical and reputational effects. On the practical side, funds can supply critical items that immediate responders need. From a reputational perspective, contributions to humanitarian causes can bolster a company’s public image and relationships with governments and civil-society actors—important in jurisdictions where crypto regulation and licensing are evolving.

At the same time, observers note potential limits. A $250,000 pledge, while useful for targeted activities, is modest relative to the scale of nationwide outbreak responses and the sustained funding those efforts typically demand. How companies balance short-term aid with longer-term development or health-system strengthening will shape whether their interventions are perceived as substantive or largely symbolic.

What this means for responders and the region

For frontline organisations, rapid injections of cash can enable faster procurement of supplies and quicker expansion of outreach in specific communities. MSF and national Red Cross societies often operate in volatile environments where formal procurement channels and local markets may be disrupted; unrestricted funds or targeted grants for equipment and awareness campaigns can therefore have a direct impact on response speed.

Nonetheless, containment of Ebola outbreaks relies on coordinated multi-agency efforts, steady surveillance and community trust. Financial contributions from private companies are most effective when they align with national and international response plans and when they are delivered through partners with local operational capacity.

Looking ahead

Binance’s contribution highlights a growing trend of crypto-sector actors participating in humanitarian financing, particularly in regions where they have commercial or strategic interest. For policy makers and aid organisations, the emergence of new private donors offers additional resources but also underscores the need for transparent coordination, accountability and sustained engagement to ensure that funds strengthen resilience rather than only addressing immediate gaps.

As the outbreak evolves, the priority for health agencies and their partners will remain rapid detection, treatment where possible, and measures to break chains of transmission. Private donations can support those goals, but they are one element within a broader, resource-intensive public-health response.

XRP’s price action has cooled into a setup that several traders are watching for a potential return below the $1 level. On the four-hour chart, a classic head-and-shoulders pattern and a parallel-bear flag are emerging, pointing to a sub-$1 downside scenario if selling pressure intensifies.

Analysts note that bullish arguments are not as compelling at the moment, with momentum gauges suggesting limited upside unless XRP can clear key resistance. At the same time, on-chain metrics are flashing caution, implying that holders could be sitting on limited profits and that weak demand might precede a renewed price dip.

Key takeaways

• XRP appears to be forming a head-and-shoulders pattern on the four-hour chart, with a neckline near $1.09. A confirmed breakdown could target roughly $0.99, about a 10% slide from current levels.
• Another bearish signal comes from a bear-flag formation on the same timeframe, with a measured target near $0.94 if the price breaks below the lower trendline around $1.10.
• The relative strength index hovers around 43, indicating tepid momentum that could leave XRP vulnerable to further downside unless buyers step in above key thresholds.
• On-chain activity supports a cautious stance: MVRV pricing bands point to the lower green zone near $0.96 as a potential magnet in past downturns, suggesting room for downside before a material reversal materializes.

Head-and-shoulders: a looming neckline test and risk of a sub-$1 scan

Since the first days of June, XRP has displayed the characteristics of a head-and-shoulders pattern on shorter timeframes. The setup features a central peak (the head) flanked by two lower peaks (the shoulders) and a common neckline that has been near the $1.09 area on the latest observations. In classic technical analysis, a decisive break below the neckline serves as a bearish confirmation and typically sets a target equivalent to the pattern’s height projected downward from the breakdown point. In this case, the implied downside targets hover around the $0.99 mark, translating to roughly a 10% drop if the pattern resolves as predicted.

On the upside, a sustained move above the right shoulder—roughly at $1.12—could invalidate the pattern, especially since that level aligns with the 20-period exponential moving average on the four-hour chart. A clear break above that resistance would open the door to a potential rebound toward the next moving-average hurdle near $1.15, which is close to the 50-period EMA and could offer a short-term rally catalyst.

Overall, traders watching the H&S formation see a clear bifurcation: a breakdown below $1.09 could usher in a sub-$1 test, while a bullish reclaim above near-term resistance could revive the case for a measured move toward the next EMA cluster around $1.15 to $1.20.

Bear flag adds to the sub-$1 downside case and key levels to monitor

Complicating the near-term outlook is a bear flag pattern on the same four-hour window. After a sharp initial sell-off, XRP appears to be consolidating within a rising channel, with the lower boundary currently flirting with $1.10. A sustained weekly close below this line would reinforce the bearish narrative and suggest that the prior downtrend could resume.

Applying the standard target rule for bear flags, the consolidation breakout could point toward around $0.94, representing a roughly 15% decline from current readings. The move comes with confirmation risk: a close above the upper boundary of the flag—around $1.18 to $1.20—would reframe the outlook toward a renewed attempt at higher levels, particularly if momentum accelerates through the region near the 50-period EMA.

The current momentum picture mirrors a cautious stance: the RSI sitting in the low 40s underscoring a lack of bullish conviction. Yet the chart structure leaves room for a shift if buyers reclaim the area just over $1.12, potentially stalling the bear-flag downside and pushing XRP back toward the higher end of the immediate range.

On-chain signals align with a cautious stance, pointing toward $0.96 in store if selling intensifies

Beyond price pattern analysis, on-chain data adds texture to the risk assessment. The MVRV (Market-Value-to-Realized-Value) framework indicates where holders may be sitting relative to the price at which coins last moved on-chain. The bands show that while XRP has rooms to fall, the next meaningful downside target sits near the lower green zone around $0.96. Historically, this band has acted as a magnet during major downturns, with XRP dipping toward or below this level in prior cycles before finding a more definitive base.

In practical terms, if market participants do encounter weakness that leads to a test of the $0.96 area, it could be accompanied by weaker transaction demand and selling pressure as holders re-assess risk versus potential longer-term relief rallies. By contrast, a sustained push below this band could invite further downside, while a decisive move back above the upper green boundary would be a signal that buyers are re-entering the market with more conviction.

For traders looking for corroboration, the latest pattern readings line up with other market signals. Earlier coverage highlighted that XRP’s transaction demand had cooled, underscoring a broader narrative of cautious participation as traders focus on key support zones. See related coverage discussing how demand dynamics around sub-$1 and $0.65 zones have influenced sentiment and liquidity dynamics in recent sessions.

All told, the confluence of price-pattern warnings, momentum readings, and on-chain stress signals reinforces a cautious stance toward XRP in the near term. The major near-term milestones remain the $1.09 neckline, the $1.12–$1.15 cluster of resistance, and the lower-bound targets near $0.96 to $0.99 depending on how the price reacts to the immediate supports and moving averages.

Where the market goes next will hinge on the balance between sellers pressing toward the neckline and buyers defending the critical thresholds above. If buyers manage to sustain a break above the $1.15 zone and clear the $1.20 area, the path could tilt toward a more constructive setup; otherwise, the bears will likely test the suspected sub-$1 levels in the near term.

What to watch next: monitor the neckline around $1.09 for a potential breakdown or a sticky hold, the 20- and 50-period EMA levels near $1.12–$1.15 for early validation or invalidation of the patterns, and the lower MVRV band near $0.96 as a potential magnet for price weakness. Investors should also keep an eye on on-chain demand signals to gauge whether capitulation or renewed buying interest could accompany any technical break.

For context on related dynamics, previous reporting highlighted XRP’s evolving on-chain demand and its impact on sentiment around critical support levels, offering a reminder that price action on the charts often aligns with shifts in on-chain activity and market participation.

As the week unfolds, traders will be weighing the immediate risk of a breakdown through the neckline against the possibility of a bounce that could reframe XRP’s short-term trajectory. The coming sessions will be telling for whether the sub-$1 narrative holds, or if the market finds footing above resistance and reopens room for a corrective move higher.

Digital Asset, the development firm behind the Canton Network (CC) blockchain used by major banks and trading firms, said Thursday it closed a $355 million fundraising round to back its efforts to bring capital markets onchain.

The investment was led by a16z, with the participation of global institutions including ABN Amro, Apollo Funds, BNP Paribas, Citadel Securities, HSBC, SBI Group and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority through a subsidiary.

The amount raised beat the target of $300 million at a $2 billion valuation that was reported last month.

The investment comes as traditional financial firms increasingly back blockchain infrastructure built specifically for regulated markets. Tempo, the payments chain developed by Stripe and Paradigm, reportedly raised $500 million last year at a $5 billion valuation. Circle Internet (CRCL), the stablecoin issuer behind USDC, raised $222 million for its Arc blockchain at a $3 billion valuation, drawing backing from BlackRock, Apollo Funds, a16z crypto and ARK Invest.