XRP could outperform bitcoin as XRP/BTC chart shows rare Ichimoku breakout since 2018

Traders are watching if XRP can reclaim the $2.31-$2.32 range or remain in a descending channel.

XRP slid to $2.27 after breaking below $2.32 support, but a high-volume flush into $2.21 drew bids and stabilized the move — leaving traders focused on whether the bounce can reclaim $2.31-$2.32 or if the market remains stuck in a descending channel.

News background

XRP traders are weighing a short-term breakdown in spot price against a longer-term bullish setup on the XRP/BTC ratio.

Chartist “The Great Mattsby” said XRP/BTC is close to breaking above the monthly Ichimoku cloud for the first time since 2018, a shift that historically signals XRP is positioned to outperform bitcoin if confirmed. The setup is drawing attention as cross-asset rotation narratives start to re-emerge early in the year, even as spot markets stay sensitive to liquidity pockets and stop-driven moves.

That relative-strength framing matters because XRP’s latest selloff came with evidence of forced selling rather than a slow bleed — the kind of move that often resets positioning and sets up a cleaner technical base if buyers can hold key levels.

Technical analysis

XRP fell 5% over the 24-hour period ending Jan. 7 at 02:00, dropping from $2.39 to $2.27 after losing $2.32 support and extending a descending channel that has capped recent rebounds.

The key event came at 16:00 on Jan. 6, when volume surged to 256.3 million (142% above the 24-hour SMA) and price printed the session low at $2.21. That spike behaved like a capitulation-style flush: aggressive selling hit the tape, but follow-through failed to push the market materially below $2.21, implying demand absorbed the move.

From there, XRP attempted to recover but stalled near $2.31, reinforcing that zone — along with the broken $2.32 level — as the first meaningful resistance band. The inability to reclaim that range keeps the near-term structure bearish, even as the market shows signs of stabilizing after the high-volume low.

Short-term action suggests the base is trying to form. The 60-minute structure showed multiple defenses of the $2.258-$2.260 area, with higher lows developing after the 01:33 low at $2.257. Buying volume concentrated on pushes higher, while pullbacks came on lighter activity — a constructive look, but still inside a broader downtrend until $2.31-$2.32 is reclaimed.

Price action summary

• XRP fell from $2.39 to $2.27, breaking below $2.32 support
• The session low printed at $2.21 during a 256.3M volume surge (142% above average)
• Recovery attempts have repeatedly stalled near $2.31, keeping the descending channel intact
• Intraday stabilization formed around $2.258-$2.260, with buyers defending the range multiple times

What traders should know

The trade is clean right now: $2.21 is the line, and $2.31-$2.32 is the gate.

• If $2.21 holds and XRP can reclaim $2.31-$2.32, the move starts to look like a high-volume shakeout followed by a trend resumption attempt — opening the path back toward $2.39, where overhead supply from the breakdown sits.
• If $2.21 fails, the capitulation low stops being a floor and turns into a trigger. That would likely invite another wave of liquidation-style selling into the next demand pocket (which traders will typically map using prior consolidation zones and market structure rather than a single indicator).

The other layer to watch is XRP/BTC: the monthly Ichimoku setup getting circulated by Mattsby is a relative-strength signal, not a spot-price guarantee — but if XRP/BTC confirms the breakout, it increases the odds that dips in XRP are bought more aggressively than dips in bitcoin, especially during risk-on rotation windows.

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