A 126% price surge that pushed XRP to an all-time high of $3.6 last July 
started with a pattern that looks a lot like what is happening right now. 
Related Reading: Swiss Bitcoin Reserve Effort Withdrawn After Resistance From 
Central Bank Shorts Dominating Despite Rising Prices Funding rates on Binance 
have stayed negative since February 2026, even as XRP climbed roughly 27% from 
a low of $1.10. That gap between trader sentiment and actual price movement is 
what caught the attention of CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, who flagged the 
setup in a recent market commentary. Short positions have been dominant across 
a 30-day period, data shows, and that stretch of negativity marks the longest 
such run in recent history for the token. The broader altcoin market had a 
rough start to the year. The TOTAL3 index, which tracks global crypto market 
capitalization excluding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins, shed more than 
$540 billion during the correction. Global uncertainty hit altcoins harder 
than most other asset classes. Since early February, however, roughly $125 
billion has flowed back into the index, pointing to a slow but steady return 
of investor interest. XRP dropped as low as $1.10 in February before beginning 
its recovery. Prices have climbed since then, but funding rates have not 
followed. According to Darkfost, this kind of divergence carries weight. When 
the majority of traders are positioned negatively after a drop of more than 
60%, history suggests a reversal may be building beneath the surface. A 
Pattern That Already Played Out Once The same set of conditions appeared in 
April 2025. XRP was trading near $1.25 following a sharp decline, and funding 
rates had just turned negative for the first time in over 16 months. They 
stayed negative well into June 2025. During that time, the price was quietly 
recovering. By the time funding rates flipped positive again, XRP was already 
deep into an uptrend. The rally that followed brought the token to $3.6 in 
July 2025. That move, from roughly $1.25 to $3.6, represented a gain of 126% 
and set a new all-time high for the asset. Related Reading: Nearly 80% Of 
Bitcoin Supply Hasn’t Moved As Long-Term Holders Tighten Grip Capital 
Returning As Bearish Bets Hold What makes the current setup similar, based on 
Darkfost&#8217;s analysis, is not just the negative funding rates. It is the 
combination of those rates holding steady while prices recover and capital 
slowly returns to the altcoin market. Short sellers have held their positions 
even as the price contradicts their outlook. If the 2025 pattern holds any 
predictive value, the continued buildup of short positions against a 
recovering price could eventually produce the kind of squeeze that accelerates 
a breakout. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP Funding Rates Hint At Repeat Of $3.6 Surge Scenario

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Binance receives $1.35B ETH deposit from Garrett Jin as crypto market rebounds

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XRP Funding Rates Hint At Repeat Of $3.6 Surge Scenario

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