New York, Feb 8, 2026, 12:18 EST — Regular session
- XRP picked up about 0.6%, changing hands near $1.42 after swinging between almost $1.41 and $1.47 over the last 24 hours.
- During the latest drop, Santiment flagged a surge in on-chain movement, with both whale transactions and fresh addresses ticking higher.
- This week, traders are eyeing U.S. retail sales, jobs figures, and CPI data for signals on rates and risk sentiment.
XRP managed a modest gain Sunday, holding near $1.42 after a tough week for crypto. The token swung between $1.41 and a peak of $1.47 over the last day, with trading volume landing close to $2.6 billion. (CoinMarketCap)
Crypto markets climbed, with Bitcoin adding 2.8% to trade near $70,632. Ether was also higher, up 2.5% at $2,090.
Liquidity’s the snag here. “Reduced liquidity translates into sharper and more erratic price movements,” Kaiko research analyst Thomas Probst told Reuters. Kaiko figures bitcoin’s average 1% market depth sits at close to $5 million—a measure of how much can trade near spot before prices lurch. Jefferies’ Andrew Moss isn’t optimistic. He expects more volatility and doesn’t see evidence that a floor is in place yet. (Reuters)
XRP’s price action turned choppy. According to Santiment, the token slipped under $1.15, only to rip back above $1.50 in less than a day as “whales”—big holders—moved in on the downside. The analytics firm tallied 1,389 whale transactions over $100,000 on the XRP Ledger, the most in four months, while unique addresses surged to 78,727 in just eight hours—a peak not seen in six months. (Sanbase)
Still, weekend markets have a habit of flipping direction quickly, and a rebound won’t solve deeper structural issues. If tech shares stumble again or bond yields spike, smaller tokens could take a sharper hit than bitcoin—there just aren’t enough buyers waiting nearby to catch the fall.
XRP, the token connected to Ripple and its XRP Ledger—a platform aimed at payments and token trading—tends to benefit from that narrative during rallies. Still, when risk appetite fades, traders often just see it as another leveraged play.
Right now, it’s the question of better liquidity that has traders’ attention—not simply the next headline. The real signals: tighter spreads, more subdued intraday moves, and a drop-off in those stop-triggered surges.
Macro events take center stage this week. U.S. retail sales arrive Tuesday, followed by the January jobs report Wednesday; CPI inflation numbers cap things off Friday. A handful of Federal Reserve officials are also set to speak. (investopedia.com)
If inflation comes in hotter, rate-cut optimism likely gets dialed back fast, squeezing speculative plays again. On the other hand, a weaker read might fuel the relief rally. Even so, traders point out that with liquidity still thin, XRP barely needs a nudge to move in either direction.
