NAIROBI (CoinChapter.com)— XRP, Chainlink (LINK), and Pepe (PEPE) have seen wild price swings in recent weeks, driven by speculative trading and shifting investor sentiment. XRP surged on ETF speculation before facing sharp profit-taking, LINK continued its correction after Trump’s re-election failed to ignite bullish momentum, and PEPE remains trapped in a bearish trend.
XRP Faces Profit-Taking Despite ETF Hype
Ripple (XRP) briefly rallied 22% between Feb. 10 and Feb. 14 after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission acknowledged Grayscale’s spot XRP ETF filing. However, the bullish momentum faded as traders capitalized on the news to lock in profits, leading to a 7% decline. XRP currently hovers around the $2.60–$2.65 support zone, a crucial level that traders are closely watching.
Ripple (XRP) Take Buy/Sell Ratio. Source: CryptoQuant
CryptoQuant’s Taker Buy/Sell ratio, which measures buyer versus seller dominance in recent trades, fell to 0.93 on Feb. 17 from 1.02 on Feb. 13. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that sellers are exerting more pressure than buyers, signaling potential further downside unless a new bullish catalyst emerges.
XRP price projection hints at potential breakout. Source: XEgrag Crypto believes XRP is mirroring its 2017 bull run, where the token surged 1,500% in a few weeks. He points to XRP trading above the Bull Market Support Band (BMSB), a technical indicator that historically preceded major breakouts. If history repeats itself, XRP could rally toward $27. However, resistance at $3.15–$3.50 remains a critical hurdle.
LINK Struggles as Whales Reduce Activity
Chainlink (LINK) has been on a downward trajectory since hitting a local high of $30 in Dec. 2024. The token has declined nearly 29% since Donald Trump’s re-election, as traders viewed his presidency as a “sell-the-news” event rather than a bullish trigger for crypto markets.
LINK/USD 1-day price chart. Source: TradingViewLINK’s price closely follows Bitcoin, with a correlation of 0.97, according to IntoTheBlock. With Bitcoin facing short-term correction pressures, LINK is expected to follow suit. On-chain data reveals that whale transactions exceeding $100,000 have plummeted 78% since Nov. 30, indicating reduced institutional activity.
Source: Ali MartinezAfter LINK price formed a potential bearish flag pattern in the past week, crypto analyst Ali Martinez is convinced major volatility is brewing ahead. The analyst predicts LINK could drop another 30% before finding strong support at its macro-rising logarithmic trendline.
PEPE Faces Pressure, But Can It Rebound?
Pepe (PEPE) has been stuck in a downtrend, losing 46% since its peak in Dec. 2024. Its market cap has taken a hit, dropping from $10 billion to $4.1 billion, as meme coin hype cools off. Right now, PEPE is struggling to hold key support levels, and traders are watching closely to see if a reversal is on the horizon.
PEPE/USD 1-day chart. Source: TradingViewThe daily chart shows PEPE trading below its 50-day EMA ($0.00001334) and 200-day EMA ($0.00001362)—a clear sign that the bears are still in control. These moving averages have now turned into resistance levels, making it tough for PEPE to break higher unless buying pressure returns.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits at 36.74, meaning the token is approaching oversold conditions. If PEPE fails to hold its support at $0.00000780, a further drop toward $0.00000487 (1.618 Fibonacci level) could be next. In a worst-case scenario, the 2.618 Fibonacci level at $0.0000042 could come into play if sellers continue to dominate.
Source: Ali Martinez/XThe falling wedge pattern on the daily chart, however, is a classic setup for a breakout. Analyst Ali Martinez believes if PEPE holds above $0.0000092, it could stage a strong recovery. His price target? $0.000028, which would mark a 188% surge if the pattern plays out.
The futures market also signals fading interest, with open interest dropping from $556 million in Jan. to $258 million. But despite the price drop, the number of PEPE holders has actually increased from 384,000 to 404,100, showing that long-term investors aren’t giving up just yet.
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