TL;DR

• XRP is hovering near critical support at $2. Analysts suggest a rebound could push it toward $2.80, but failure may open the door to short setups and deeper pullbacks.
• In addition, massive whale sell-offs as of late raise the risk about a further correction.

Can Bulls Regain Control?

Ripple’s XRP witnessed a substantial resurgence on March 19 when the company’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, announced the end of the legal battle between his entity and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The price quickly soared to $2.60, but just as abruptly, it headed south in the following days in what seemed a “sell-the-news” moment.

The pullback intensified in the past few days, and XRP neared the psychological level of $2 just hours ago. It currently trades at around $2.09 (per CoinMarketCap’s data), representing a 20% decline since the local peak observed at the time of Garlinghouse’s disclosure.

Despite the negative performance, XRP remains a favorite topic for analysts, and many have touched upon the matter recently. The X user CRYPTOWZRD noted that Ripple’s cross-border token trades quite close to the $2 support area, predicting that a potential reversal from the current position may push the valuation toward the $2.80 resistance level. 

“Moving below $2.10 and holding there for a while can lead to a short. However, moving towards $2.33 and then a healthy reversal will offer a better short opportunity. Holding above $2.33 for a while may lead to a long. We now need to wait for the next healthy, mature trade setup to engage with the trade,” they specified. 

The analyst, using the X moniker The Great Matsby, gave their two cents, too. They assumed that XRP might have already bottomed at the beginning of February when the price briefly tanked under 1.80.

Peter Brandt’s Opinion

Veteran trader Peter Brandt also chipped in. Not long ago, he suggested that XRP’s price has formed a typical head-and-shoulders (H&S) pattern. He predicted bullish future if the valuation soars above $3 and a further pullback to as low as $1.07 if the resistance level of $1.90 doesn’t hold. 

Meanwhile, whales dumped 1.12 billion XRP in the span of 48 hours, potentially setting the stage for a deeper correction. After all, large sell-offs may trigger panic across the space, with smaller players also leaving the ecosystem.

Such efforts also increase XRP’s circulating supply, which, combined with non-climbing demand, should lead to a price slump. The stash of 1.12 billion tokens equals almost $2.5 billion (calculated at current rates).

The first quarter of 2025 has delivered a stark divergence in asset performance, with Ethereum (ETH) plunging to depths not seen since the collapse of FTX while gold has surged to record highs.

As global markets brace for potential economic turbulence, crypto investors are left wondering whether this week, marked by key geopolitical events, could finally bring a reversal.

Ethereum’s Struggles Contrast with Gold’s Rally

Q1 2025 is officially ETH’s worst start to the year, as market analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted after its price plunged 45% across the three-month period. It started the year trading at around $3,200 but steadily shed much of that value, dropping below the $2,500 support in mid-February before touching $2,200.

This past month alone, ETH has lost another 18.5%. The cryptocurrency is trading at $1,813, almost 63% below its all-time high of $4,878, set in November 2021. Additionally, it has lost more than half of its year-on-year value.

The short-term price action is equally grim. Over the past week, the asset has fallen 14%, underperforming the broader crypto market, which declined by a less glaring 7.4%. The 24-hour trading range has also been quite volatile, with ETH swinging between a low of $1,782 and a high of $1,838 amid thin liquidity and weak demand.

Meanwhile, as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap flounders, gold is experiencing one of its strongest rallies in almost four decades. This week, the precious metal jumped to a record high of $3,128 per ounce, marking a 20% gain for the quarter, its best performance since 1986.

According to analysts, the rally has been fueled by growing fears of inflation and economic instability as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to announce sweeping tariffs on April 2, dubbed “Liberation Day.”

“Gold is rallying due to the uncertainties surrounding the tariffs from Trump,” said van de Poppe. He further speculated that ETH’s bottom may coincide with gold’s peak, setting the stage for a possible rebound in crypto markets:

“I don’t know where this will bottom, although I suspect that the peak of Gold and the bottom of Ethereum are going to be correlated.”

ETH/BTC Ratio Hits Four-Year Low

The asset’s struggles are even more pronounced when measured against Bitcoin. The ETH/BTC pair has plummeted to 0.02195, its lowest level since June 2020. At that time, Ethereum’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem was still in its infancy, with just $2 billion in total value locked (TVL).

On-chain data from IntoTheBlock has revealed a critical resistance zone between $2,200 and $2,580, where 12.43 million wallets hold 66.18 million ETH. A breakout above this level could trigger a short squeeze and reignite bullish momentum, but for now, the path of least resistance remains downward.

TL;DR

• ETH has followed the overall decline of the cryptocurrency market, entering red territory again.
• However, the RSI’s lowering ratio and other factors indicate the pullback could be near its end.

Rebound Incoming?

Ethereum bulls suffered another blow in the past several hours, with ETH’s price dipping below $1,800. This represents a substantial 14% weekly decline and comes as the entire cryptocurrency market bleeds out heavily again.

Despite the negative environment, some factors signal a potential resurgence for ETH in the short term. The asset’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen to around 20, registering its lowest point since the beginning of February.

The technical analysis tool measures the speed and change of price movements and helps traders asses possible reversals. Readings below 30 typically suggest that ETH has entered oversold territory, indicating a potential bounce ahead. Conversely, anything above 70 is considered a bearish sign. 

Ethereum’s exchange netflow also signals that the correction could be nearing its end. In the past week, more ETH has been withdrawn from exchanges than deposited, hinting that investors are moving their assets to self-custody. This trend typically lowers the immediate selling pressure.

Price Predictions

ETH has been one of the biggest disappointments of the latest bull cycle, and in fact, Q1 2025 has been among the worst quarters of the cryptocurrency’s history. Recall that at the start of the year, the price stood above $3,300, while the current level represents a 45% decline from New Year’s Eve. 

However, some market observers remain optimistic that ETH can get back on the green track soon. The X user Crypto General expects “a bullish momentum” if the price reclaims $2,000. 

“For long-term people, it’s a golden opportunity to add at such cheap prices. These zones don’t come very often,” they argued.

On the other hand, the analyst envisioned a further breakdown to $1,500 if the price remains below “the skeptical zone” of $1,800.

Michael van de Poppe also chipped in. He reminded that gold has had a highly successful quarter compared to the devastating one witnessed by ETH. Nonetheless, he believes the ongoing week “might be a big one,” pointing to Donald Trump’s upcoming tariffs, which are scheduled to come into effect on April 2 and may trigger another doze of uncertainty in the financial and crypto markets. 

The renowned analyst even suggested that the “Sell the rumor, Buy the news” phenomenon might be in play. This is a twist of the common trading phrase “Buy the rumor, sell the news” and means that people may sell early based on negative speculation. When the actual news turns out not as bad as feared, the prices bounce, and savvy traders buy the dip.