Key takeaways:
XRP is forming a descending triangle, a pattern that’s historically bearish over half the time.
A breakdown below $1.80–$2.00 support could trigger a drop toward the $1 realized price level.
Despite bearish risks, fundamentals like an SEC resolution or XRP ETF approval could fuel a future rally.
Numerous XRP (XRP) analysts are calling for a massive price explosion in 2025, citing what appears to be a descending triangle pattern on shorter-timeframe charts.
Is XRP “coiling up for a bigger move”?
Prominent crypto traders like Milkybull Crypto and Gordon have both flagged similar chart structures on XRP’s charts.
Milkybull says XRP is “still coiling up for a bigger move,” pointing to a descending triangle pattern.
Gordon asserts that the same structure is a falling wedge, which is generally considered a bullish reversal setup. He notes that the cryptocurrency “is looking primed to SEND.“
XRP’s price will break above the triangle’s upper trendline and rise by an amount equal to the triangle’s height, if Milkybull and Gordon’s analyses play out as intended.
That brings $3.35 into play as a potential upside target, up almost 50% from the current price levels.
But there’s a problem: both setups hinge on a pattern that often resolves to the downside, especially in the market conditions that XRP currently trades in.
XRP has higher odds of breaking down: Research
Descending triangles that follow uptrends result in bearish breakdowns around 54% of the time, according to chart pattern researcher Thomas Bulkowski,
That number may appear modest, but in crypto, where volatility amplifies failure moves, the risk tilts higher. Some anecdotal studies further peg the bearish resolution rate closer to 60–70%.
The key flaw lies in misinterpreting descending triangle structures as falling wedges. Both patterns slope downward, but the falling wedge’s lower trendline trends deeper.
Descending triangles, by contrast, feature a flat support base and lower highs, often signaling that sellers are growing more aggressive. One prime example of this is XRP’s triangle formation in 2021-2022, which resulted in a breakdown.
In XRP’s current chart, the support area of $1.80-2.00 has been tested multiple times without significant bounces—a red flag.
A decisive breakdown below the support area can therefore lead XRP’s price toward the $1 downside target.
That level also aligns with XRP’s aggregated realized price, the average at which traders acquired their coins.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean XRP can’t rally to new record highs in 2025.
Positive fundamentals, such as a potential resolution of the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit, positive whale flow, and rising odds of an XRP ETF approval, could still overpower any bearish signals that might arise.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
