New XRP Buyers Accumulate at Lower Prices, But This Could Pressure Mid-Tier Holders

New XRP buyers now hold XRP at lower average prices, placing them in a stronger position than long-term holders amid current price uncertainties.

While the XRP price has struggled since Jan. 6, dropping below $2 in the recent market-wide downturn, new entrants have begun accumulating more tokens at lower prices, effectively lowering their average cost basis, and creating a larger gap compared to mid-tier holders with a higher cost basis.

Notably, this gap looks similar to past market conditions that pressured mid-tier holders and led to a price crash. This is because, as short-term buyers benefit from cheaper entries, mid-tier holders could face increasing pressure, especially if the price fails to break higher and selling accelerates around $2.

Key Points

• Buyers from the last 1 week to 1 month hold XRP at lower average prices than investors who bought 6 to 12 months ago.
• XRP continues to face strong resistance around $2.00, which capped upside throughout Q4 2025.
• Each failed move toward $2.00 last year triggered weekly realized losses between $500 million and $1.2 billion.
• A similar cost-basis difference in early 2022 preceded a roughly 60% decline from the $0.70–$0.90 range to near $0.30.
• XRP currently changes hands at around $1.96, facing renewed pressure under the $2 psychological level.

New Buyers Accumulate XRP at Lower Prices

Market intelligence platform Glassnode recently revealed this trend, confirming that the market last witnessed it in early 2022. Notably, the signal comes from the holder cost basis, which tracks the average price different groups paid for their XRP. 

According to the on-chain data shared by Glassnode, buyers who entered the market within the last 1 week to 1 month now hold XRP at lower average prices than investors who bought between 6 and 12 months ago.

As a result, newer buyers sit in a stronger position because they accumulated at cheaper levels. Meanwhile, mid-tier holders now face a growing challenge, as the market price continues to hover near or below their entry levels. When price fails to move higher, these investors remain underwater or stuck near break-even.

When this gap continues widening, pressure on investors holding for 6 to 12 months could build. Notably, short-term buyers gain confidence to keep adding, while mid-term holders grow impatient. History shows that markets rarely sustain this imbalance for long.

This Trend Emerged in Early 2022

Glassnode confirmed that the current trend resembles market conditions from February 2022. At that time, XRP traded in a narrow range between $0.60 and $0.90 before the market turned sharply lower. Over the following months, the price fell by about 60%, eventually reaching lows around $0.30 by mid-2022 following the Terra collapse.

The decline came after a similar gap in holder cost bases. Specifically, investors who bought earlier became trapped as the price stalled, while selling pressure gradually intensified. Once capitulation began, downside momentum accelerated, especially as broader crypto market conditions weakened.

XRP Struggles Below $2

Today, XRP’s spot price remains locked near a major resistance zone. Notably, the $2.00 level repeatedly capped upside throughout 2025, acting as a psychological barrier. Each attempt to break above this area met strong selling pressure.

A previous report from The Crypto Basic confirmed that these failed rallies triggered weekly realized losses ranging from $500 million to $1.2 billion. Investors consistently sold into strength near $2.00, often at a loss, confirming the resistance and increasing available supply at that level. Analyst Dom recently suggested that XRP must reclaim $2.05 to enter a safe zone.

What This Means for New and Existing XRP Investors

For investors entering the market newly, the current situation gives them some level of protection. Specifically, these short-term buyers now hold XRP at lower prices, giving them flexibility to withstand short-term volatility. Many of these investors continue to accumulate, bolstering their demand at lower levels.

However, mid-tier holders face a more difficult situation. If XRP fails to reclaim and hold above $2.00, selling pressure from this group could increase. Many already absorbed losses earlier in 2025 when repeated rallies toward $2.00 failed and triggered large realized losses.