XRP has completed a golden cross technical pattern against Bitcoin (XRP/BTC) on multiple short-term charts, including the 1-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour timeframes. This is the first such occurrence in 2026, signaling a potential shift in momentum. The pattern, where the 50-period moving average (MA) crosses above the 200-period MA, emerged as XRP began gaining ground against Bitcoin starting January 1st.
The rally has been significant, with XRP posting gains of 5.34% against Bitcoin on January 2nd and 2.34% on January 4th. This surge allowed XRP/BTC to break above a key resistance level, trading above the daily 50 MA at 0.00002257 for the first time since early December. Analysts suggest that if the upward move is sustained, the next target on the Bitcoin pair is the 0.00002391 level, which aligns with the daily 200 MA.
On its USD pairing, XRP's price action is also bullish. The token is up 2.59% in the last 24 hours to approximately $2.14 and has gained nearly 15% over the past week. The rally has pushed XRP above its daily 50 MA on the USD chart for the first time since October, marking a potential fifth consecutive day of gains. The token reached an intraday high of $2.16, with the next major resistance seen at $2.56 (coinciding with the daily 200 MA). A decisive break above this level is viewed as a critical step that could open a pathway for XRP to target the $3 price point.
Supporting the price action is sustained institutional demand. U.S.-listed spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded weekly inflows of $13.59 million. XRP's market capitalization has risen to around $130 billion, solidifying its position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
