XRP Struggles Against USD, Even Weaker vs BTC

XRP is trading around $1.43, still deep in a correction that has erased the majority of its bull market gains. With both moving averages trending downward and the price trapped inside a descending channel, the altcoin continues to underperform against broader market expectations as Q1 2026 draws to a close.

Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair

Despite bouncing from the February low near $1.20, XRP has struggled to build any meaningful momentum on the USDT pair. The recovery has been gradual and unconvincing, with the price failing to clear even the first layer of resistance at $1.80. This level is the higher boundary of the channel and a key supply zone that has been reinforced multiple times over the last couple of months.

Both the 100-day MA (~$1.60) and 200-day MA (~$2.10) remain well above the current price and are still declining, leaving XRP with a stack of overhead resistance before any bullish case can be made. The RSI has also recovered from oversold territory and is hovering around 50, which reflects neutral momentum at best.

A sustained close above the $1.80 level is the minimum requirement to shift the short-term outlook, while a breakdown below the $1.20 zone reopens the path toward the key psychological level at $1.00.

The BTC Pair

The picture against Bitcoin is arguably worse. XRP/BTC has slipped to 1,994 sats, now testing below the 2,000 sats support level that had held on a closing basis through most of the correction. That subtle but significant breach suggests XRP is continuing to lose ground relative to Bitcoin, with the 100-day (2,200 sats) and 200-day (2,100 sats) moving averages both overhead and converging downward.

The broader descending channel structure has been in place since the July 2025 peak near 3,000 sats, and there is no technical sign of a reversal on this pair yet. The RSI has also dropped back below 50, pointing to a potential bearish shift in the short-term, following the rejection from the 100-day moving average.

As a result, unless XRP/BTC reclaims the 2,000 sats level convincingly and breaks above the channel’s upper boundary, the ratio looks more likely to drift toward the lower boundary of the channel near 1,600 sats, or even lower in the coming months.