Technical Analysis

In December 2025, analyst JD highlights XRP’s retest of the 21-month EMA, echoing a similar setup seen before its January 2018 all-time high. JD suggests that if XRP can hold this key trendline over the next 20 days, it could open the door to a fresh record high in Q1 2026, though a sharp correction could also follow. The pattern underscores how crucial this EMA level is for XRP’s potential upside and downside in 2026.

Bitcoin slipped below $90,000 and stabilized in the mid-to-high $80,000s, with three price zones guiding near-term action. A support band at $83,500–$85,000 and a consolidation pocket at $86,500–$87,000 frame the range, while $90,800–$91,500 stands as an upside target if $88,500–$89,000 is reclaimed.

Bitcoin has hovered around $89,000–$90,000, well below the October peak near $126,000. Samson Mow says Dec. 26 matters more than recent candles, as the December options expiry with heavy call interest between $100,000 and $118,000 and put clusters around $85,000–$90,000 could unlock a larger move.

On December 16, XRP slipped 4.35% and was changing hands at $1.9164, hovering just above key support near $1.8209. Intraday action shows a move higher after breaking local resistance at $1.8975, opening the way for a potential test of the $1.95 area. If no strong bounce develops and support around $1.8209 fails, chart readings suggest a corrective extension toward $1.80 in the short term and possibly the $1.30–$1.60 zone on a midterm horizon.

XRP is trading near $1.88 after breaking below the $1.93 support level, with a 24-hour drop of almost 6% and a weekly loss above 8%. Trading volume has surged over 87% to more than $3.6 billion, while several analysts warn that technical weakness and heavy whale selling could open the door to a move toward the $1 area. Key levels highlighted include $1.92, $1.75 and the 200-week moving average near $1.07.

On 16 December, Bitcoin fell 4.5% to an intraday low of $85.7k before rebounding to $86.5k, while broader crypto market capitalization slipped 4.4%. Over the same 24-hour window, $652 million in crypto positions were liquidated, with Ethereum seeing $233.5 million in liquidations against Bitcoin's $184.8 million, as rising Open Interest and leverage pointed to elevated volatility and downside risk.

On December 15, the crypto market shed nearly $150 billion as Bitcoin traded close to $85,000 and major tokens fell 4%–8% in a day. Reported mining shutdowns in China and $357.6 million in Bitcoin ETF outflows added pressure. By December 16, heavy leverage contributed to about $649.4 million in liquidations, including a $11.58 million BTC order on Binance.

Total crypto market capitalization fell by $140 billion to $3.02 trillion in late Monday trading, with Bitcoin dropping to $85,200 after losing $90,000 support. BTC hovered just below $86,000 during Tuesday’s Asian session amid heightened volatility. The decline marked the lowest level since the December 2 leverage flush.

MYX Finance’s token climbed about 8% in the last 24 hours, breaking above the $3 and $3.45 resistance bands and briefly hitting $3.9 on 15 December. While spot volumes and price structure turned bullish, derivatives data showed falling Open Interest and negative funding, suggesting the rally above $3.7 could have been a short squeeze and may face heightened volatility.

Bitcoin’s rejection near the $94,000 zone and a potential retest of the $80,000 area are heightening concerns over Strategy’s highly leveraged BTC balance sheet. The company now holds 671,268 BTC worth just over $50 billion, with its mNAV and convertible note structure creating added risk if the BTC price stays low into upcoming maturities. Investors are watching how falling mNAV and rising dilution pressure may force tough choices between new debt issuance and possible Bitcoin sales.