BNB Outperforms Market, Flips XRP to Become Fourth-Largest Cryptocurrency

The native token of the Binance exchange, BNB, has surged amidst a broader market recovery, posting a 2.5% gain over 24 hours to reach a price of approximately $872. This performance allowed it to overtake Ripple's XRP in market capitalization, securing the position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $118 billion compared to XRP's $113 billion.

The rally is supported by above-average trading volume, which analysts interpret as potential institutional accumulation rather than just retail activity. Technically, BNB has held above the critical $850 support zone, printing higher lows—a classic accumulation pattern. Traders are now watching for a consolidation above $870 to challenge the $880 resistance, with the psychological $900 level as the next target.

Fundamentally, optimism is being driven by developments on the BNB Chain. The recent launch of "Probable," an on-chain prediction market on PancakeSwap, has renewed interest in the ecosystem's utility, supporting a long-term growth narrative beyond speculation.

However, the flip in ranking comes amid underlying market weakness. BNB briefly dropped below $850 earlier in the week, losing 3.5% of its value. On-chain and derivatives data present a mixed picture. While volume suggests accumulation, other metrics signal bearish pressure. CryptoQuant data shows increased retail futures activity with a sell-dominant phase, and funding rates have turned negative to -0.006%, indicating that short positions currently outweigh longs—a condition that often precedes further price drops.

Technical indicators on the 4-hour chart are bearish. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads 42 and is pointing downward, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has executed a bearish crossover. If the price closes below the $844 support, analysts warn of a potential decline toward the $709 weekly support level. Conversely, a bullish reversal could see BNB target the 50-day Exponential Moving Average at $923 and the Transactional Liquidity level at $1,017.