Ripple’s XRP is drawing fresh attention from traders as derivatives data shows rising speculative activity.
According to Arab Chain, XRP open interest on Binance climbed to about $475.4 million, moving above its 30-day average of around $440.7 million. The Z-Score also rose to about 1.65, showing that leverage is starting to build again in the futures market.
Open interest measures the total value of active futures contracts. When it rises, it usually means more traders are opening positions. This can support stronger price moves, but it can also increase volatility if the market turns sharply.
XRP Price Holds Near Key Resistance
According to crypto.news price data, XRP traded near $1.43 on May 14, down about 1.95% over the past 24 hours.
The token moved between $1.41 and $1.47, while daily trading volume stood near $2.21 billion. That keeps XRP close to the important $1.45 to $1.50 resistance zone, which traders are watching for a possible breakout.
A clean move above this range could improve short-term momentum. However, if buyers fail to break through, XRP may continue trading sideways or face another pullback.
ETF Inflows Pause After Strong Session
XRP ETF demand also cooled after a recent spike. SoSoValue data showed daily net inflows at $0 on May 13, after reaching $5.31 million on May 12.
Cumulative net inflows remained near $1.36 billion, while total net assets slipped from $1.16 billion to $1.14 billion.
The pause came after a strong ETF session earlier in the week. U.S. spot XRP ETFs reportedly recorded $25.8 million in combined net inflows on May 11, the highest daily figure since Jan. 5. Franklin Templeton’s XRPZ led that session with $13.6 million, followed by Bitwise and Grayscale.
Wallet Growth Supports Accumulation Narrative
On-chain wallet data continues to support the idea that some holders are accumulating XRP.
Santiment reported that XRP Ledger wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP reached a record 332,230. The firm said this trend has been building since June 2024, even though XRP spent much of 2026 below earlier highs.
However, Santiment also remained cautious about a wallet drop seen in February. The firm said there was no confirmed XRP-specific event directly tied to that decline. Instead, the timing appeared connected to the broader market crash and liquidation activity.
Traders Watch the $1.50 Breakout Level
For now, the main technical level remains $1.50.
Analysts are watching whether XRP can break above the $1.45 to $1.50 zone with enough strength. A breakout could validate a triangle setup and open the door toward $1.90, with $2 becoming the next major psychological level.
However, XRP still needs confirmation. Rising open interest can create stronger upside moves, but it can also lead to sudden liquidations if leveraged traders are caught on the wrong side.
XRPL Ecosystem Catalysts Build
Beyond price action, the XRP Ledger ecosystem is also seeing new developments.
Recent reports said XRPL plans to introduce native lending pools and programmable escrow tools. These features could support on-chain credit markets and expand the network’s utility.
Ripple has also been linked to a pilot involving JPMorgan, Mastercard, and Ondo Finance for tokenized Treasury settlement workflows connected to XRPL infrastructure.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has continued to describe XRP as a payments-focused asset, pointing to settlement speeds of 3 to 5 seconds, low costs, and more than 4 billion completed transactions.
Will Leverage Spark More XRP Volatility?
XRP’s rising open interest shows that traders are becoming more active again. This could lead to stronger price moves if XRP breaks above resistance.
Still, the market remains at a sensitive point. ETF inflows have paused, price is still below the key $1.50 level, and leveraged positioning can quickly increase volatility.
For bulls, a confirmed breakout above $1.50 would be the strongest signal. Until then, XRP remains in a watch zone where both upside momentum and liquidation risk are building.
