XRP's Bullish Momentum Falters as Open Interest Plummets

XRP open interest drops to 2025 low, raising questions about altcoin traders' sentiment.

XRP (XRP) price experienced a significant decline of 16.8% between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26, leading to $79 million in leveraged long futures liquidations. This correction occurred despite a largely positive regulatory outlook and increasing odds of approval for a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States.

At the same time, open interest in XRP futures fell to its lowest level in 2025, indicating that traders have been unwinding leveraged positions. While this shift does not necessarily signal a broader bearish sentiment, it raises concerns about whether XRP’s bullish momentum has weakened.

The aggregate open interest in XRP futures dropped to XRP 1.33 billion, marking an 8% decline from the previous week. In comparison, SOL open interest fell 4% over the same period, while the aggregate futures market for DOGE remained flat.

To determine whether traders are losing interest in XRP, it is essential to analyze the funding rate of perpetual contracts (inverse swaps). This rate, charged by exchanges to balance leverage demand, turns positive when long (buy) positions pay to hold, signaling bullish sentiment. Conversely, a negative rate suggests a bearish outlook.

XRP’s 8-hour funding rate has remained near zero since Dec. 9, indicating a balanced leverage demand between bulls and bears. The last brief surge in leverage demand occurred on Dec. 4, 2024, following a 140% rally in XRP’s price over two weeks. Notably, this peak in buying pressure preceded a sharp 22% correction in less than three days.

Current market conditions differ significantly from those in December 2024. XRP’s last rally took place between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, when its price surged 17% from $2.41 to $2.83. However, funding rate data shows no increase in leveraged demand. This suggests that either XRP holders became overly optimistic after the strong gains in late 2024 or shifted their focus to other cryptocurrencies.

One factor dampening enthusiasm among XRP traders is the