2 key reasons why XRP’s January advance was wiped in a single session

XRP’s January rally unraveled on the 26th of January, erasing earlier gains and sending the token back toward familiar support.

The altcoin slipped to $1.88 at press time, with a downside wick near $1.81, wiping out its January advance in a single session.

Source: TradingView

That drop marked a sharp reversal after XRP’s earlier surge, leaving traders reassessing confidence in the recovery attempt.

Momentum indicators offered little relief. RSI remained subdued, while MACD stayed weak, signaling limited bullish conviction.

This left traders focused on whether XRP could stabilize near $1.88 or risk another breakdown.

ETF inflows stayed positive

Ripple [XRP] saw $3.43 million in inflows from Bitwise, leading the charge despite the disaster on the 26th of January. Despite this, XRP ETFs recorded over $1.36 billion in total inflows by the 23rd of January.

These new whales and institutions are clearly not jumping ship, even as the price falters. But how long will they hold out before pulling back, especially with XRP underperforming?

Source: SoSoValue

Institutional confidence remains, but for how much longer will they keep investing in a coin that can’t hold its ground?

Whales accumulated XRP dip

Whale activity surged when XRP dropped below $2, but it wasn’t until it hit $1.88 that things truly got intense. CryptoQuant’s data showed that whales were devouring the dip with reckless abandon. 

Source: CryptoQuant

It was as if they saw this as their last chance to load up before a potential rebound. Yet, despite this aggressive accumulation, the price couldn’t hold, and now XRP stands at a precarious $1.88.

So, here’s the million-dollar question: Can whales continue to prop up XRP, or is this dip too much to overcome?

Ripple CEO stays bullish

Brad Garlinghouse hasn’t lost hope. At the World Economic Forum, he boldly stated, 

“I’m very bullish, and yes, I’ll go on record as saying, I think we’ll see an all-time high.” 

His view leaned on growing adoption and improving regulatory clarity. Still, XRP’s recent price action struggled to reflect that optimism.

This disconnect kept traders focused on near-term structure rather than long-range forecasts.

Technically, XRP hovered at a critical inflection point. Failure to hold $1.88 would expose the $1.73 level, which marked the next major support on the chart.

A decisive breakdown below $1.73 could accelerate selling pressure and deepen the retracement.

Until then, XRP remained range-bound, with buyers defending support but lacking momentum for a sustained rebound.

Final Thoughts

• XRP reversed sharply after momentum faded, with weak RSI and MACD showing limited bullish conviction.
• Although ETFs saw $3.43 million in daily inflows and whales accumulated near $1.88, broader market demand remained cautious, preventing a sustained rebound.