XRP price is facing selling pressure after a failed breakout left buyers struggling to hold the $1.46 support level.
Analyst ChartNerd believes a break below this level puts XRP on track for further losses before the end of 2026.
In a recent post on X, ChartNerd said XRP’s bullish breakout had failed after the price dropped below key Fibonacci levels. Now, buyers need to defend the $1.45–$1.46 area for XRP to recover and move back above the 50-week exponential moving average (EMA).
This is the same support zone he highlighted earlier. His latest warning puts XRP at a key turning point: holding this level supports a recovery, while losing it opens the door to further declines.
At press time, XRP is hovering around $1.48, dipping by 3.5% over the past day. The coin reached $1.55 during this period but quickly retraced to lower levels.
XRP Price Faces Resistance Below
ChartNerd’s chart shows XRP trading in a narrow range, with a downward-sloping resistance line preventing a recovery. Support sits around $1.46.
The pattern resembles a descending triangle. Sellers are pushing the price lower, while buyers are defending the same support level. For XRP to improve its outlook, the price needs to break above the downward trendline and hold there.
The bigger concern is the downside. A break below $1.46 would weaken the current support structure and send the price lower. Meanwhile, holding above it gives buyers another opportunity to push higher, while breaking below it signals further downside.
$1.52 EMA Rejection Keeps Lower Prices in Focus
In another post, ChartNerd described two paths for XRP by the end of the year. Both depend on whether XRP moves back above the 50-week EMA, which sits around $1.52.
If XRP continues getting rejected at $1.52 and fails to hold above it on weekly closes, ChartNerd says the price heads toward the lower-$1 range by year-end.
This would extend the damage from XRP’s failed breakout. Instead of recovering, the token would continue forming lower highs as sellers maintain control. A brief move above $1.52 is not enough. XRP needs to remain above this level to confirm that the downtrend is weakening.
Meanwhile, ChartNerd does not say XRP price will definitely fall to the lower-$1 range. He identifies it as an outcome tied to continued weakness below the 50-week EMA.
What Improves XRP Year-End Outlook?
Despite the bearish warning, ChartNerd also sees a recovery path for XRP. If XRP moves above the 50-week EMA and then rises toward $1.80, the token would form a higher low before the end of 2026.
A higher low means the price finds support above its previous major low. This signals weakening selling pressure and strengthening demand. For XRP, that setup would suggest the recent decline is part of a recovery.
But XRP first needs to hold the $1.45–$1.46 support zone, reclaim $1.52, and then advance toward $1.80. Until it reclaims those levels, downside pressure remains intact.