XRP Traders Position for Rebound as Price Hovers Near $1 Despite Bearish Mood

XRP traders are leaning heavily toward a price recovery even as the token struggles to hold $1 and online sentiment turns its most negative in three months. Futures open interest climbed to about $2.78 billion on Monday, rising 2% over 24 hours, while trading volume jumped 55% to roughly $1.17 billion.

Traders Load Up on Long Positions

Data shows more than three Binance accounts held long XRP positions for every one holding a short, with the ratio among the exchange’s largest traders reaching 3.6 to one. OKX showed an identical split. A long position reflects a bet that price will rise, and leverage allows traders to amplify their exposure, though it also means positions can be forcibly closed if the market moves against them. Measured in tokens, about 2.77 billion XRP now sits in open futures positions, up from roughly 2 billion earlier in the summer.

Sentiment Turns Sharply Bearish

Even as traders bet long, online commentary about XRP across social platforms has turned its most negative in three months, according to onchain analysis firm Santiment, following the token’s failure to rally. XRP currently trades near $1, a steep drop from above $3 at last year’s highs.

Network Activity Picks Up

Wallet activity on the XRP ledger has also increased, with nearly 50,000 addresses active during one recent 24-hour period, the highest level in more than two months. That follows a stretch in July when activity had slipped close to its lowest point of the year. Across all trading venues, the long-to-short ratio sits close to balanced at 0.93, meaning the heavy long bias is concentrated specifically on Binance and OKX.

What Happens If XRP Breaks Below $1

Traders are watching closely for a potential drop below the $1 mark, which could trigger forced liquidations among leveraged long positions running low on collateral, adding further selling pressure to the market. XRP was trading around $1 during Asian morning hours Monday.