On January 12, 2026, a trader opened a roughly $3.6 million long on XRP, using 16x leverage on 1.75 million tokens as the price held above $2.00. The position showed about $6.4k in unrealized profit and suggested traders expect continued upward momentum.
Xaif flagged the size and timing of the trade, calling it a deliberate directional move. The trade followed price reclaiming an area that acted as resistance in 2024 and early 2025.
The buy-side activity followed Ripple’s 2025 legal resolution with the SEC, which removed long-running regulatory uncertainty. Geoffrey Kendrick of Standard Chartered projected XRP at $8.00 in 2026 and stated “Regulatory clarity around XRP as a financial asset and the progress on ETFs linked to the cryptocurrency have boosted its price projection.”
Leverage amplified the trade’s stance, implying a view that downside risk was limited relative to upside. (Ed. note: leverage can lead to forced liquidations if support breaks.)
Data show rising open interest, which could strengthen an ongoing rally if buying continues. Skeptics warn that a break below support could trigger liquidation cascades and accelerate losses, while supporters point to potential institutional ETF demand.
