XRP Plunges - Ripple CEO Reacts to Historic $850M Bloodbath

The cryptocurrency market is currently undergoing an extremely severe correction, with many leading digital assets experiencing significant declines. Amidst this downturn, XRP has emerged as one of the worst performers among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, prompting Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse to address investors and offer a perspective of resilience.
Garlinghouse took to X (formerly Twitter) to share investment advice from Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Quoting Buffett, Garlinghouse wrote, "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful!" This sentiment, originally coined by Buffett in his 1986 Letter to Shareholders, emphasizes the opportunity to acquire discounted assets during market hysteria. Ripple leadership seemingly views the current market distress as a buying opportunity, despite the widespread panic.
This optimistic outlook from Garlinghouse comes at a challenging time for XRP holders. The token has collapsed by more than 20% and is down nearly 70% from its record peak of $3.65 reached last July. Market data indicates XRP is currently trading significantly below this peak and is on the verge of falling below Circle's USDC stablecoin by market capitalization. The industry's main gauge of market emotion, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, plummeted to a reading of 9 on Friday, a level previously seen only during major crashes in March 2020, 2018, and 2022. Despite this extreme fear, figures like Michael Arrington, founder of Arrington Capital and TechCrunch, suggest this time may be no different, aligning with Garlinghouse's hopeful stance.
Interestingly, XRP has shown a remarkable decoupling from Bitcoin amidst this market turmoil. According to new metrics from Santiment, XRP sentiment remains firmly positive even as Bitcoin and Ethereum enter one of their most fear-driven zones in years. This algorithmic divergence is also reflected in derivatives positioning, where XRP's long/short ratio is the most skewed among major cryptocurrencies, suggesting a unique resilience. While not immune to market shifts, this positioning sets XRP up to potentially outperform on a rebound, with targets around the $1.50s level, provided Bitcoin finds a stable foothold.
In related news, SBI Holdings, a major Japanese partner of Ripple, is diversifying its blockchain strategy by launching Strium. Teaming up with Startale Group, SBI is introducing a layer-1 network specifically designed for tokenized equities. With 80 million users and a strong institutional footprint, SBI aims to integrate Strium into its digital asset ecosystem, bridging traditional finance and on-chain markets through regulated, enterprise-grade rails. While Ripple remains a key partner, the launch of this sovereign L1 signifies a new phase of diversification in institutional blockchain adoption in Asia, extending beyond the XRP Ledger.
Conversely, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has faced a grim outlook, breaking below a critical support level of $0.00000680, closing at $0.00000628 with over 5% daily losses. The chart setup for SHIB is now firmly bearish, with no substantial support until the $0.00000500 range, representing a potential 26% downside risk. Technical indicators, including a recent death cross (23-day moving average below 50-day), confirm this downward trajectory, with a lack of significant investment inflows. Unless SHIB reclaims the $0.00000680 level soon, further declines are anticipated.
The broader crypto market, meanwhile, saw Bitcoin sink beneath the $70,000 floor for the first time in over a year, erasing all gains made after the 2024 election. Asian trading hours witnessed massive liquidations, tallying between $955 million and $2.56 billion in forced exits. BTC is now 44% below its October 2025 high of $126,000, with year-to-date losses nearing 20%. Other privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR) also experienced significant losses, confirming a market-wide sell-off with virtually no safe harbor among the top 100 coins (excluding stablecoins). However, some altcoins like Hyperliquid (HYPE), TRON (TRX), and Toncoin (TON) demonstrated relative strength with less severe drops. For Bitcoin, holding the $67,200 support is crucial to avoid a drop to the $60,000 zone. XRP's support is near $1.25, with resistance at $1.56. The immediate future hinges on macro flows, weekend whale action, and whether sentiment recouples with price. Currently, XRP enjoys crowd support, while SHIB is in free fall, making Bitcoin the biggest risk factor.
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