The XRP value carried out notably nicely when Bitcoin began to rally from $16,000 to $19,915. Previously a number of days, nonetheless, the “OG” altcoin has significantly underperformed towards the dominant cryptocurrency.
XRP was one of many best-performing massive market cap altcoins during the November rally. From November 1 to 24, it rallied by round 280% on Coinbase, surging from $0.2415 to as excessive as $0.9210.
Previously 4 days, from its highest level on December 6 to its lowest degree on December 9, Bitcoin dropped by almost 9%. In the identical interval, the XRP value declined by round 20%, struggling a considerably deeper correction.

The 1-hour XRP value chart with short-term transferring averages (MAs).
Different main altcoins, together with Stellar, Ethereum, and decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, all noticed the same pattern.
Nonetheless, even because the Bitcoin value started to recuperate from its recent drop to sub-$17,600, the XRP value sharply fell. There are three key the reason why XRP possible struggled previously three days. The potential causes are comparatively low quantity in comparison with Bitcoin, uncertainty out there, and a sell-the-news drop after an airdrop to XRP holders.
The most important catalyst of the XRP value all through the previous week has been the airdrop of Spark tokens. Main exchanges, like Bitstamp, supported the airdrop to permit XRP holders at Bitstamp to obtain Spark tokens.
“Every Bitstamp buyer that holds XRP will obtain new Spark tokens as a part of the airdrop. How a lot Spark you’re going to obtain is determined by how a lot XRP you’ve gotten in your account on 12 December 2020,” the Bitstamp group said on December 8.
An airdrop is a mechanism that enables the holders of an present cryptocurrency to obtain a newly created crypto asset. Within the case of Spark, the airdrop was designed for XRP holders, which could have precipitated a sudden enhance in demand for XRP in a brief interval.
After the airdrop was introduced, researchers at Santiment found that the buying and selling quantity for XRP nearly briefly overtook ETH.
“ how buying and selling quantity has in contrast for the 4 most mentioned crypto property, BTC has risen as costs dropped to beneath $18,000 for the primary time in 11 days. Additionally, XRP is edging nearer to overtaking ETH once more in anticipation for the airdrop,” Santiment researchers wrote.

The amount pattern of XRP.
The XRP value possible corrected as a result of there was a large inflow of demand earlier than the airdrop. After the snapshot of the airdrop was finalized, a sell-off occurred, inflicting the asset to stagnate.
Within the quick time period, low time-frame charts recommend that the XRP value is consolidating and recovering after a extremely unstable interval. The cryptocurrency noticed 10% to twenty% strikes inside a span of hours since December 9, which possible strained the futures market.
The value of a cryptocurrency usually consolidates after a extremely unstable interval as a result of the derivatives market cools down.

The altcoin market cools down because the XRP value stagnates regardless of Bitcoin’s restoration.
When a futures market’s open curiosity drops considerably, which is the whole sum of all energetic open positions, it takes time for the asset to see renewed momentum. Within the foreseeable future, this raises the chance of a low-volatile consolidation part for the XRP value.