XRP slipped back below $1.40 after another failed push through resistance, as traders locked in gains and pushed the token lower. During the 24-hour session ending May 18, XRP fell from $1.4138 to $1.3865. The move did not break the broader consolidation pattern, but it showed once again that selling pressure remains active near the top of the range.
Heavy selling hit near the $1.42 area
The sharpest decline came in the May 17 23:00 UTC session. Volume reached 144.3 million, and XRP dropped from around $1.42 to lows near $1.378. Buyers returned later around $1.38, allowing the token to recover part of its overnight losses by the close. The rebound was visible, but it was not enough to change the short-term tone inside the range.
Triangle compression still defines the setup
Analysts continue to focus on XRP’s multi-month symmetrical triangle, a structure that has steadily squeezed volatility for months. The latest rejection near $1.42 reinforced that sellers still control the upper boundary, while support around $1.38 is still attracting dip buyers. The bounce from session lows mattered because it kept XRP from breaking cleanly below the lower edge of its recent consolidation.
$1.38 support and $1.39-$1.40 recovery zone now in focus
Volume surged during the selloff and faded quickly afterward, a pattern that points more to profit-taking than to broad liquidation. For traders watching the next move, $1.38 stands out as the key support level. If that gives way, the risk of a deeper move toward $1.30 increases. On the upside, XRP needs to reclaim the $1.39 to $1.40 area to steady near-term momentum. At the same time, the broader triangle continues to tighten, leaving the market more sensitive to a larger directional move in the coming sessions.
The pullback followed a period of stronger optimism tied to U.S. crypto legislation and firmer XRP ETF inflows earlier this month. Even so, that positive backdrop has not yet translated into a sustained breakout, and XRP remains confined within the same compressed trading structure.