XRP price eyes breakout as golden cross, whale accumulation and XRPL activity surge

• XRP holds above the $1.13 breakout level.
• Whale selling drops as large holders increase accumulation.
• XRPL daily payments surpass 500,000 transactions.

XRP recently moved above the $1.13 level, a price zone that many traders had been watching as a major resistance area.

Holding above this level has shifted attention toward higher resistance levels, with market analyst Dark Defender identifying $1.22, or approximately $1.2269, as the next upside target using Elliott Wave analysis and Fibonacci extension levels.

XRP a clear break and expected to complete the 5 Wave structure we set on 30 Jun. I will add it as a second post for you to check!

$1.13 is the KEY. $1.22 is in sight. (NFA)

Enjoy your day!#XRPArmy #ripple pic.twitter.com/gPCyQQgfzO

— Dark Defender (@DefendDark) July 21, 2026

Dark Defender’s analysis suggests that maintaining support above the breakout zone remains critical for the bullish structure to stay intact.

A sustained move above the current range would strengthen the technical setup, while a drop back below the breakout level could trigger another test of lower support.

Golden cross and breakout strengthen XRP’s technical picture

Another development attracting attention is the appearance of a golden cross, a chart pattern that occurs when a shorter-term moving average crosses above a longer-term moving average.

This signal has historically been associated with improving medium-term momentum.

Although a golden cross does not guarantee higher prices, it is widely regarded as one of the stronger confirmation signals when it appears alongside a confirmed breakout.

The combination of a resistance breakout and a golden cross has created a stronger technical backdrop than either signal would have provided independently.

Focus is now on whether XRP can build enough momentum to challenge the next resistance area identified by Dark Defender.

Whale accumulation replaces heavy selling pressure

On-chain data has also shown a noticeable change in the behaviour of large XRP holders.

Recent blockchain metrics indicate that whale selling pressure has dropped to its lowest level recorded since 2025.

Earlier in the year, hundreds of millions of XRP were regularly transferred by large holders to exchanges, increasing potential selling pressure.

Those exchange inflows have since declined sharply, suggesting that major holders are becoming less active sellers.

At the same time, blockchain data points to accelerating whale accumulation, indicating that some large investors are increasing their XRP positions instead of reducing them.

Normally, buying activity from large wallets reduces immediate selling pressure on the market.

Even so, whale accumulation alone does not determine future price direction. A sustained rally still depends on broader market demand and continued buying interest across both institutional and retail participants.

XRPL network activity reaches important milestone

Beyond price action, the XRP Ledger has also recorded stronger network usage.

Daily payment activity on the XRPL recently climbed above 500,000 transactions, marking one of the strongest levels of network utilisation in recent months.

Payment volume is one of the key indicators used to measure blockchain activity because it reflects how frequently the network is being used for transfers and settlement.

The increase in payment activity comes alongside growing development across the XRPL ecosystem, including projects focused on integrating artificial intelligence with blockchain infrastructure.

While these initiatives are still developing, they point to broader activity taking place beyond simple token trading.