XRP (XRP) continued its rebound from April’s low near $1.26, climbing to around $1.50 over the weekend and signaling a potential breakout setup. The move comes as on-chain activity and investor positioning align behind a possible upside move, with the price wrestling to flip the key $1.50 level into support.

Analysts are watching a confluence of signals: a recent surge in XRP whale activity, rising XRP Ledger (XRPL) transactions, and a technical pattern that could unlock further upside if resistance at $1.50 is convincingly breached. While the path forward remains contingent on breaking through near-term hurdles, the combination of on-chain momentum and traditional chart levels provides a framework for how this week might unfold for XRP.

Key takeaways

• XRP whale addresses—wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP—rose to an all-time high of about 332,230, signaling growing accumulation among larger holders.
• XRP Ledger monthly transactions reached a record 71 million in April, up from 43 million a year earlier, representing roughly 65% year-over-year growth.
• A sustained move above the $1.50 resistance is seen as a potential catalyst for the next leg higher, with a measured path toward roughly $1.98 intra-triangle and beyond if buyers can sustain momentum.

Whales and on-chain conviction

Market data provider Santiment has highlighted a notable uptick in the number of XRP wallets classified as mid-to-large holders, a sign that institutional-leaning investors continue to accumulate even amid volatility. The count of wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP reached a record high of around 332,230, reflecting a broader pattern of persistent accumulation that analysts view as meaningful for longer-term positioning.

Santiment described this trend as part of a broader growth trajectory that has been visible since mid-2024, suggesting that larger holders are adopting a more patient stance, potentially signaling conviction beyond short-term price swings. In the context of XRP’s price action, the rising wallet count dovetails with renewed on-chain activity and a price structure that appears to be forming a bullish continuation pattern.

XRPL activity and institutional utility

On-chain activity on the XRP Ledger also surged in April, with monthly XRPL transactions climbing to 71 million—the highest figure on record and well above 43 million a year earlier. Evernorth attributes this jump to expanding institutional utility tied to XRPL-enabled services and partners such as Bitstamp, RLUSD, Braza Bank, and various DeFi protocols. The growth is framed as part of XRPL’s broader push to enhance compliance-oriented infrastructure while broadening use cases for institutions and developers alike.

The sustained increase in activity underscores a broader adoption narrative for XRPL beyond speculative trading. As the ecosystem adds liquidity rails and increasingly institutional-friendly tooling, the ledger’s utility could reinforce demand dynamics for XRP, particularly if the network’s compliance and interoperability capabilities continue to mature.

Technical picture: chart patterns, EMAs, and targets

From a chart perspective, XRP has been navigating an ascending triangle that has capped upside since February. In such patterns, a breakout above the resistance line—confluent with near-term moving averages—often precedes a sustained upward move. The immediate objective, if bulls can push decisively through $1.50, points toward the next resistance band near $1.67-$1.70, where the 200-day exponential moving average sits.

Analysts emphasize that the $1.50 zone is pivotal. A clean breakout above this level would align with the triangle’s measured move, projecting a target near $1.98—roughly 36% higher than current levels. By contrast, failure to sustain above $1.50 could see bears reasserting control and delaying a longer-term rally.

Chart observers also note that XRP has defended its daily 20-day EMA since reclaiming the level in early May around $1.42, providing a foundation for the recent advance. Still, the broader hurdle remains the $1.50 area, and some analysts caution that a sustained push above $1.60 would be a more meaningful bullish signal in the near term.

Looking further out, NeelMacro flagged that a decisive break above $1.60 would be required to sustain any meaningful short-term rally, with momentum likely intensifying only if bids push beyond the $2.00 mark. In a complementary view, other analysts have flagged that clearing the $1.50-$1.60 range could unlock momentum toward higher targets, potentially rekindling interest in a move toward the mid-$2s territory if broader market conditions cooperate.

These technical considerations align with broader expectations that a sustained move above the near-term resistance could catalyze a renewed Bitcoin-like impulse across the market, but they also underscore that the path is contingent on a credible breakout rather than a shallow bounce.

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, the $1.50–$1.60 range is a critical inflection zone for XRP in the near term. A breakout beyond this corridor could reframe market sentiment and draw new buyers into the fold, highlighting the potential for a more meaningful rally toward the $2.40 area if momentum continues to build.

What to watch next

Investors and traders will be watching whether XRP can convert the $1.50 resistance into a sturdy new support level. If successful, the chart suggests a clear path toward the $1.70 area and beyond, with the triangle’s measured move pointing toward approximately $1.98. A sustained break above $2.00 could bring additional momentum, but that outcome will depend on continued on-chain support and a broader appetite for risk in crypto markets.

Beyond price, the expanding XRPL ecosystem—especially with institutional utility and enhanced compliance features—could help sustain demand for XRP even in choppier times. As always, developments from XRPL’s partners and ongoing upgrades to the ledger’s infrastructure will be important to monitor for potential shifts in demand dynamics and network activity.

Readers should keep an eye on how the on-chain and on-ledger signals evolve in the weeks ahead, particularly as the market tests the $1.50 level and watches for follow-through above $1.60. The balance between large-holder accumulation, real-world utility, and technical breakout potential will likely shape XRP’s trajectory into the next phase of the year.

Fasset, a stablecoin neobank serving 125 countries, has raised $51 million backed by Japan’s SBI Group and Investcorp.

Fasset, a Los Angeles-based digital banking platform, uses stablecoin rails to move money across borders for small and medium-sized businesses, bypassing correspondent banking networks.

The company announced the Series B on May 14, disclosing SBI Group, Investcorp, and Turkish asset manager Arz Portföy as investors. The firm serves over 1,000 business customers across 125 countries, operating primarily in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

“We are building Fasset for a world where money moves as easily across borders as information does,” said Mohammad Raafi Hossain, CEO and co-founder of Fasset. “This funding round strengthens our ability to build regulated banking services and expand into new markets where our services are needed most.”

How Fasset fits the stablecoin payments surge

The raise arrives as institutional interest in stablecoin payment infrastructure reaches a new high. Analysts at Coinbase noted that stablecoins are taking a larger role in delivery-versus-payment structures as regulatory frameworks mature globally in 2026. The global fiat-backed stablecoin supply exceeded $273 billion by March 2026, growing roughly 40 times from $6.8 billion in early 2020.

Observers have cautioned that neobanks built on stablecoin rails face margin compression as near-zero transfer costs make fee-based revenues difficult to sustain at scale. Fasset’s move into lending and trade finance is consistent with the broader neobank pattern of expanding into higher-margin products after establishing a payments base.

Dragonfly Capital’s Haseeb Qureshi predicted that stablecoins would specifically reshape SMB payments by making cross-border settlement faster and cheaper than traditional correspondent banking. Fasset operates a Shariah-compliant model, aligning it with the needs of key markets in the Gulf, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Bitcoin (BTC) touched $80,000 around Thursday’s Wall Street open as US stocks hit fresh all-time highs and oil retested $100.

Key points:

• Bitcoin rebounded to $80,000 while US stock markets hit new records, ignoring high inflation.
• Risk appetite is “skyrocketing,” analysis says, despite worries over central-bank policy tightening.
• Bitcoin can still head to $85,000 next, traders agree.

Bitcoin recoups losses as US stocks ignore inflation

Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD recovering much of the previous day’s losses, which followed some of the highest US inflation data in four years. 

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

US stocks quickly shook off the numbers, despite the implications for future financial policy tightening. 

The S&P 500 posted its highest daily close on record, and continued to surge on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average revisited 50,000 points for the first time since early February.

S&P 500 versus Dow Jones one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Commenting, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter reported “skyrocketing” risk appetite among investors.

“Assets under management (AUM) in US leveraged ETFs are up to a record $177 billion. Since the March bottom, total leveraged ETF AUM has surged +$45 billion,” it wrote in its latest analysis on X.

Leveraged ETF AUM data. Source: The Kobeissi Letter/X

Kobeissi used the same term to describe global money-supply growth — a crypto and risk-asset tailwind at odds with concerns that central banks were adopting a “hawkish stance.” 

“Meanwhile, US M2 money supply jumped +$1 trillion YoY, or +4.6%, to a record $22.7 trillion,” it continued. 

“Money supply growth is accelerating.”

Global money supply data. Source: The Kobeissi Letter/X

As the US-Iran war rumbled on, oil prices seemed unable to crack new highs, with WTI crude retesting the $100 per barrel mark from above.

CFDs on WTI crude oil one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

“Most important” BTC price support still in play

Looking at BTC price action, trader Daan Crypto Trades saw the market at a “pivotal level.”

Related: Bitcoin price history suggests 77% odds of new all-time high within a year

“Hanging on to that ~$79.4K level which marked the previous highs in April,” he told X followers.

An accompanying chart showed the 200-period simple (SMA) and exponential (EMA) moving averages trending higher toward the spot price.

BTC/USDT perpetual contract four-hour chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/X

On the same topic, fellow trader CrypNuevo saw the potential for BTC/USD to head to new multi-month highs at the 50-week EMA should that support hold.

“Bitcoin is at the most important level,” he agreed on Wednesday. 

“If it holds the range highs here, then it’ll push towards the 1W50EMA at $84k-$85k. But a failure to hold this level could trigger a rotation back to the mid-range, potentially exposing range lows if momentum doesn’t shift.”

BTC/USDT one-day chart. Source: CrypNuevo/X