XRP Steady as Ethereum and Altcoins Slide This Weekend

XRP has shown remarkable stability even as the broader crypto market, including major altcoins like Ethereum, faced significant declines heading into the weekend.

Bitcoin, the market leader, has experienced turbulent price movements over the past several days, seeing its value spike and then sharply retrace. The initial start of the week was bullish for BTC, climbing from $119,000 to a brief high above $122,000, testing resistance near its historic peak of $123,200. However, bullish momentum faded midweek, and while Thursday saw a rally to $124,500 — a new all-time high — this was short-lived as the asset reversed course, retreating to $121,000 and eventually falling below $118,000. This descent was triggered in part by unexpected U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data, which came in hotter than economists had forecasted.

Volatility remained in play late Friday, with global political tensions brewing from the U.S.-Russia summit. Presidents Trump and Putin met in an effort to broker a ceasefire agreement amid ongoing unrest in Ukraine. The talks did not yield a breakthrough, but Bitcoin price hovered around $117,500, showing relative resilience amid geopolitical uncertainty. Despite this, BTC’s dominance in the broader market remains strong at nearly 58%, with a total market cap sitting at $2.34 trillion according to CG.

Altcoins Tumble — But XRP Holds the Line

While Bitcoin weathered the storm, the impact was felt more deeply across the altcoin sector, with Ethereum taking the hardest hit. ETH’s impressive upward momentum was halted after hitting nearly $4,800 — just shy of its 2021 all-time high. Following a strong multi-week run, the asset dropped more than 5% in just 24 hours, falling firmly below the $4,500 mark.

Several high-cap altcoins also slid in tandem. Notable names like SOL, LINK, AVAX, SUI, and HYPE each declined between 3% and 7%. The exception in this downturn was MNT, which defied the red sea with a remarkable surge of over 10%, now trading at approximately $1.20. Meanwhile, the overall cryptocurrency market capitalization shrank significantly, shaving off $80 billion overnight and landing at $4.05 trillion as reported by CG.

Amid all this market turbulence, XRP continues to exhibit comparative stability. While other tokens saw strong pullbacks, XRP maintained a tighter trading range, suggesting that investors may be viewing it as a safer harbor in a choppy market. Although Ripple’s token did not experience breakout gains, its relative performance places it among the more stable assets of the weekend.

This could be attributed in part to the ongoing impact of Ripple’s cleared regulatory pathway after its legal battles with the SEC saw significant developments earlier this year. Many investors are beginning to re-evaluate XRP’s utility and positioning as a bridge currency in cross-border settlements. Given its ties to traditional finance infrastructure and multiple partnerships with financial institutions, XRP may appear less speculative compared to other DeFi or meme tokens, which contributed to its more stable profile in recent days.

A Watchful Eye on XRP in a Shifting Market

XRP’s steadiness offers a silver lining to traders seeking a more predictable asset in an unpredictable weekend. As Ethereum pulls back drastically and Bitcoin shows susceptibility to economic and political triggers, XRP serves as a token to watch. Its price remained less reactive to the broader downturn, and that positioning may translate into increased investor confidence if volatility persists.

Still, market participants should maintain caution. With macroeconomic events continuing to play a major role and tensions across Ukraine and broader global relations remaining high, all crypto assets — XRP included — remain susceptible to sudden shifts. Nonetheless, XRP’s weekend performance stands out amongst numerous declining projects, suggesting growing maturity in Ripple’s ecosystem may be stabilizing investor sentiment.

As always, traders should stay alert to evolving data, regulatory statements, and fundamental developments within both the Ripple project and the crypto sector at large.

Source: Altcoins Crash Led by ETH’s 5% Drop, BTC Slips to 5-Day Low: Weekend Watch – Originally posted on CryptoPotato.

Related: XRP Price: $12M Max Pain for Bears

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