Image by WorldSpectrum from Pixabay

The XRP price has come under renewed pressure as market turbulence grips the broader cryptocurrency space.

The token, which only weeks ago traded comfortably above $2.40, is now struggling to defend the crucial $2.00 support zone amid a combination of whale sell-offs, large escrow unlocks by Ripple, and a deepening crypto crash.

Whales and market pressure weigh on sentiment

Over the past week, XRP has suffered a wave of selling from large holders.

On-chain data from Santiment, highlighted by analyst Ali Martinez, shows that wallets holding between 100 million and 1 billion XRP have dumped around 900,000 tokens in just five days.

900,000 $XRP sold by whales in just 5 days! pic.twitter.com/28404KMy24

— Ali (@ali_charts) November 3, 2025

These whales have been steadily cutting their positions since late October, reversing months of accumulation that once helped stabilise the market.

The timing of these sell-offs has amplified XRP’s drawdown, which now stands at 14% over the past week.

Bitcoin’s decline has dragged the total crypto market cap down to about $3.45 trillion, and traders are moving capital into safer assets, leaving altcoins like XRP exposed.

In addition, Bitcoin’s dominance now exceeds 60%, signalling that liquidity is draining from the altcoin market.

The XRP price now stands at around $2.25, mirroring a broader trend of profit-taking and leveraged unwinding across the sector.

Notably, this bear pressure comes as the market digests Ripple’s latest scheduled escrow unlocks.

Whale Alert tracked three major transactions totalling one billion XRP released from escrow: 200 million, 300 million, and 500 million tokens.

While Ripple routinely unlocks up to one billion XRP each month and re-locks most of it, the scale of the transfers still influences market psychology.

The releases, worth roughly $2.4 billion at current prices, tend to fuel fears of increased supply, especially during volatile conditions.

Traders often interpret large on-chain movements as potential catalysts for short-term volatility.

While Ripple generally relocks unused tokens, the optics of billion-dollar transfers in a falling market feed uncertainty and can trigger reactionary selling.

Technical analysis flash warning signs for XRP price

From a technical standpoint, the XRP price remains fragile.

The token has repeatedly failed to hold above resistance between $2.68 and $2.84, with every attempt meeting strong selling pressure.

The current resistance now lies around $2.42 to $2.51, while support at $2.31 is being tested.

If XRP slips below $2.00, the next likely targets could be near $1.77 and $1.72, marking a deeper retracement.

(Click on image to enlarge)

XRP price chart | Source: CoinMarketCap

Adding to the bearish tone is the looming “death cross,” a chart pattern that occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day average.

This formation typically signals a longer-term downtrend and can attract more short sellers if confirmed.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI), while down, shows that the market has yet to reach oversold conditions, leaving room for further downside before any meaningful rebound.

Can XRP hold the $2.00 line?

The coming days will determine whether XRP can maintain its footing above the $2.00 mark, a key psychological and structural level.

Holding this zone could provide a base for recovery if market sentiment stabilises. However, a clean break below it would likely accelerate losses toward the $1.70 range.

For now, XRP is caught between macro market weakness and its internal supply dynamics.

The combination of whale sell-offs, routine escrow unlocks, and fading altcoin momentum paints a cautious near-term outlook.

Until buyers regain control above $2.50 and the broader crypto crash subsides, the XRP price remains vulnerable, with the $2.00 level standing as its final line of defence.

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