XRP Holds Near $1 as Sentiment Turns Bearish Amid ETF Flows and Futures Positioning

XRP is trading near $1.00 on August 17, 2026, as sentiment turns bearish. The token has lost 7.8% over the past thirty days, making it the weakest among Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The social media sentiment about XRP has reached its most negative reading in three months, according to Santiment. Nearly everyone has turned bearish, leaving less supply to weigh on any recovery attempt.

XRPL's 'Activity Spike' is less meaningful than it looks, as two-thirds of the recent traffic came from market-making bots posting and canceling orders rather than genuine payment transfers.