New York, Feb 25, 2026, 13:39 (EST) — Regular session
- XRP jumped roughly 8% over the past day, topping out near $1.47.
- Derivatives saw brisk trade again—futures volumes surpassed spot, and liquidations also edged higher.
- All eyes are on whether the broader risk rebound sticks, with pivotal U.S. events later Wednesday and rolling into March set to test sentiment.
XRP jumped 8% to $1.47 on Wednesday, recovering from a 24-hour low of $1.34. Volume during that stretch was around $3.54 billion. Even so, the token remains down some 62% from its $3.84 all-time high, according to CoinMarketCap data. 1
The rebound came as risk appetite found its footing in crypto, tracking a tech-driven push higher in stocks. Bitcoin picked up around 8% to reach $69,470, while ether climbed roughly 12% to $2,074, market data showed. Investors are pivoting back to AI names in the run-up to Nvidia’s earnings, with “AI is the dominant theme,” said Aaron Schaechterle, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors. 2
Leverage was a major factor. CoinGlass tracked XRP futures volume at roughly $5.27 billion over the last 24 hours—spot trading was much lower, at $1.29 billion. That ratio typically signals heavy speculation. The data also pointed to $7.1 million in XRP futures liquidations. Open interest? Around $2.43 billion in notional value. 3
That mix has real consequences for traders—it can flip a normal bounce into a quick surge, then snap back just as fast. Forced liquidations on exchanges, which shut down leveraged trades, tend to amplify moves either way.
No single XRP headline really explained Wednesday’s move. Instead, price action resembled a catch-up play as markets flipped through macro themes—tariffs, AI jitters, then circling back.
XRP still can’t shake the shadow of Ripple’s legal fight and U.S. regulatory ambiguity. The SEC wrapped up its lawsuit against Ripple last year, Reuters said, locking in a $125 million penalty and shelving any further appeals. 4
Even after that overhang cleared, XRP behaves much like a high-beta risk asset. On days when investors move money across the broader crypto landscape—particularly as derivatives drive activity—XRP often moves in tandem with bitcoin.
Still, the rebound comes with strings attached. Futures trading remains brisk, open interest high—conditions that could set up another forced liquidation spree should sentiment sour, especially if bitcoin slips or volatility surges again.
Traders aren’t just watching crypto flows — focus is shifting toward the upcoming inflation report, a number that could shake up rate and risk asset forecasts. The U.S. Labor Department has February’s CPI slated for release March 11 at 8:30 a.m. ET. 5
Next up: Nvidia drops its fourth-quarter FY26 numbers at 2:00 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, according to the company’s investor site. That report has sparked cross-market volatility lately. 6
