With the market still weak and uncertainty lingering, concerns of another XRP price crash are growing. This comes as selling pressure increases and market dynamics show no clear indications of an upcoming bullish reversal. Notably, XRP’s ongoing downtrend also coincides with a decline in both retail and institutional activity, underscoring weakened confidence across the broader market.
XRP Price Stays Weak Amid Retail And Institutional Decline
After jumping above $2 earlier this year, the XRP price stayed stuck around that level for weeks, repeatedly attempting to break to the upside but failing. Following last week’s unexpected price increase, the cryptocurrency crashed down toward $1.95, where it has since stabilized and continued to consolidate for several days. This unexpected downturn suggests that XRP remains just as weak as it was last year despite the brief rally.
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This weakness and price volatility appear to be driven by a slowdown in institutional participation. As selling pressure continues to mount, Spot XRP ETFs have recently recorded their second outflow since launching in November 2025. This latest outflow marks the largest ever recorded by XRP ETFs.
According to SoSoValue, the first XRP ETF outflow occurred earlier this year, on January 7, when $40,80 million exited the investment products. The most recent data shows that XRP ETFs recorded another outflow of approximately $53.32 million on Tuesday, January 20.
Grayscale was the only issuer to post outflows that day, with more than $55.39 million leaving its GXRP ETF, while products issued by Canary, Bitwise, and 21 Shares saw zero flows. Meanwhile, Franklin Templeton’s XRPZ recorded inflows of $2.07 million, which only slightly offset the losses, bringing the net daily outflow to $53.32 million.
If more outflows occur, the continued drop in institutional activity, combined with XRP’s weakened price, could push the cryptocurrency lower. At present, XRP is trying to recover from recent losses, with its price rising approximately 1.62% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap.
XRP Open Interest Crash Adds To Weakness
In addition to the decline in ETF inflows, XRP’s Open Interest (OI) has reportedly crashed to new lows, signaling a sharp reduction in trading activity and retail market participation. Data from Coinglass shows that XRP’s derivatives market saw its futures Open Interest fall to $3.35 billion this Wednesday. This marks the lowest level recorded since January 1, 2026, when OI declined to $3.33 billion.
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A drop in Open Interest often indicates that traders may be losing interest in XRP’s upside potential. This waning optimism and confidence may be further fueled by growing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty. Investors appear to be adopting a more risk-off approach, reflected in the crypto Fear and Greed Index, which has entered extreme fear territory.
Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
