XRP is back under pressure because the broader crypto selloff is forcing leveraged traders out of the market just as the XRP Ledger’s next maintenance upgrade has been pushed into November.
XRP Falls Below $1.35 as XRPL Upgrade Delayed
That matters because crypto prices are being driven less by long-term conviction right now and more by position unwinding. More than $220 million in crypto long positions were reportedly liquidated over 12 hours as Bitcoin slipped toward $81,000 and Ethereum toward $2,300, showing how quickly leverage can turn a routine pullback into a sharper downdraft. XRP fell below $1.35 after failing to hold an attempted move toward $1.40, leaving traders focused on whether the $1.30 to $1.32 zone can hold.
Sentiment Indicators
The move is especially important for investors because XRP has been trying to stabilize after a volatile stretch, and this kind of forced selling can overwhelm spot demand in the short term. On the day, XRP was down 2%, even though it remained up 1.1% over the past week. That split tells you the token is still in a fragile recovery phase, where technical levels matter almost as much as fundamentals.
The delay in the XRPL amendment adds another layer of uncertainty. Validator support slipped to 26 of 35 trusted validators, below the 29 needed to preserve the required majority, forcing the expected activation of the fixCleanup3_4_0 upgrade to reset to Nov. 4 at 14:46 UTC. The update is meant to correct issues across several parts of the network, including single-asset vaults, lending, automated market makers, the permissioned decentralized exchange, trust lines, NFTs, escrow and transaction signing.
For long-term investors, the upgrade delay does not change XRP’s investment case on its own, but it does postpone a potential network catalyst. Crypto assets need more than narrative; they need execution. If developers continue to improve XRPL’s reliability and utility, that can support the broader case for adoption over time. But in the near term, traders are responding to price action first and protocol milestones second.
The bigger message is simple: XRP’s next move will likely depend on whether buyers step in as broader crypto sentiment improves. If Bitcoin and Ethereum keep weakening, XRP could stay vulnerable to another leg lower. If the market steadies and XRP reclaims $1.35, the token has room to rebuild toward $1.38 and $1.40. For investors with a multiyear horizon, this is a reminder to focus on the durability of the network, the progress of the ledger, and disciplined position sizing rather than trying to catch every swing. XRP remains worth watching, but patience is still the smarter play.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| XRP buyers | ▲Lower entry prices | ▼Near-term momentum |
| Leveraged longs | ▲— | ▼Forced liquidations |
| XRPL developers | ▲More time to fix issues | ▼Delayed upgrade catalyst |
| Patient long-term holders | ▲Potential accumulation opportunity | ▼Short-term volatility |
