XRP's Price Surge Attracts Heavy Derivatives Betting

XRP's recent price surge has attracted heavy derivatives betting, leading to its strongest selling pressure of 2026, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost. Over the past two weeks, XRP has jumped about 70% in value, climbing from below $1 to a high of around $1.70.

As XRP continued to rise, futures activity increased, with open interest jumping over 34% to reach $3.45-3.66 billion. Binance's leverage ratio also climbed to 0.21, its highest level in seven months, indicating that more traders were taking larger leveraged positions.

However, this surge in leverage has become a problem for XRP. Binance's net taker volume fell to around -$96 million, marking the strongest selling pressure seen in 2026. This led to around $20 million in long positions being liquidated as XRP moved back toward $1.43.

Despite the heavy derivatives selling, spot demand for XRP remains strong. U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded nine straight days of net inflows through August 26, adding another $28.14 million during the latest session. Total ETF inflows have now reached nearly $1.62 billion.