XRP Slides 4% Amid Bitcoin Sell-Off, but Cup-and-Handle Setup to $5 Intact

News Background

XRP continues to trade under regulatory uncertainty as markets await key SEC decisions on spot crypto ETFs in September.Active XRP Ledger addresses rose 20% over three days, signaling renewed network engagement ahead of the planned September 12 Decentralized Media launch.Chinese fintech firm Linklogis integrated its trillion-dollar supply-chain financing platform with the XRP Ledger, sending its equity 23% higher and adding to signs of institutional interest.Whale activity remains elevated: 900 million DOGE worth $200 million moved to Binance earlier this week, highlighting ongoing large-holder repositioning across memecoins.

Price Action Summary

XRP declined 4.30% during the 24-hour period from August 28 at 13:00 to August 29 at 12:00, dropping from $3.02 to $2.89.The token traded in a $0.17 band (5.75% of session peak), sliding sharply from $3.02 to $2.84 during the initial sell-off at 15:00 GMT on Aug. 28.Accumulation interest surfaced around $2.85–$2.86, with volumes above the 75.9 million daily average during the 07:00–09:00 GMT recovery phase.In the final hour (11:56–12:55 GMT on Aug. 29), XRP rebounded from $2.87 to $2.89, briefly touching $2.91 at 12:31 on a 19.6 million surge.

Technical Analysis

Support: Strong base forming at $2.85–$2.86; intraday stability at $2.88 underscores accumulation.Resistance: Selling pressure remains at $3.02, with $2.91 acting as a near-term ceiling after the bounce.Momentum: RSI steady in the mid-50s after a dip to 42, reflecting neutral-to-improving momentum.MACD: Histogram is converging toward a bullish crossover, suggesting potential upside follow-through.Patterns: Bearish trajectory from $3.02 capped rallies, but a cup-and-handle setup remains on watch with technical targets in the $5–$13 zone if momentum extends.Volume: 273M tokens traded during peak session activity; 19.6M surge at 12:30 GMT confirmed institutional buying at $2.88–$2.91.

What Traders Are Watching

Ability to defend $2.85–$2.88 support as the foundation for further recovery.Break above $3.02 resistance could open a path toward $3.20 in the near term.Bearish scenario points to $2.80 if $2.85 fails.Network growth (20% jump in active addresses) and Linklogis’ integration with XRPL as fundamental tailwinds.Monitoring whether institutional accumulation offsets whale-driven distribution in coming sessions.Read MoreCoinDesk: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto News and Price Data[#item_full_content]