- Activity cools down
- Structural changes
The XRP Ledger now seems to be exhibiting early symptoms of network fatigue. The quantity of completed transactions has dropped significantly from more than 1 million to about 525,000, according to recent data. Compared to early October, when XRPL was routinely handling well over 1.5 million transactions every day, this marks a notable decline.
Activity cools down
The XRP network’s activity and overall health are called into question by such a sharp drop. In the past, market sentiment and adoption strength have been linked to the number of on-chain transactions. A prolonged decline in activity frequently indicates a cooling user base, less movement of liquidity or a decline in the need for on-chain settlement, all of which can have an impact on price stability.
From a market standpoint, the price movement of XRP reflects this slowdown. Following the steep decline that erased a significant amount of short-term gains earlier in October, the asset is still stuck below key moving averages. XRP is currently trading at about $2.50 and is having trouble recovering from the 200-day EMA, which has now turned into resistance close to the $2.80-$2.90 range.
It is not encouraging that there is a combination of weak technicals and decreasing network activity. Numerous large-scale settlements and remittance-related activities may have temporarily halted or moved elsewhere, as indicated by the sharp decline in transactions. Additional indications of a slowdown in activity include the flattening of on-chain metrics like payment volume and transaction success rates.
Structural changes
That being said, the XRP Ledger does not necessarily have a structural failure. Similar declines during periods of consolidation have previously been seen by XRPL, which then experienced a strong recovery after general market conditions improved. However, the data currently available suggests that XRP may experience further price and utility stagnation if activity keeps declining at this rate.
The next few weeks will reveal whether this decline is a temporary anomaly or the start of a more concerning downward trend for XRP’s ecosystem. As of right now, the on-chain signals are still bearish.