XRP traded near $1.02 on Aug. 12 after extending a broader decline on Bitstamp, while futures positioning on Binance remained above its 30-day average. The token's technical structure stayed bearish, with support near $0.87 still visible below current levels.

Bitstamp showed XRP near $1.0166 during European morning trading. The weakness mattered because traders continued to hold substantial derivatives exposure while spot price hovered near the psychologically important $1 level. That combination increased liquidation sensitivity if XRP lost that area. At the same time, network activity rose, creating mixed signals across spot, derivatives, and on-chain data.

XRP's decline came amid a wider crypto market pullback in early August that also pressured Bitcoin and other major digital assets. The sell-off followed volatility in global equities and unwinding of yen carry trades that rippled across risk assets. XRP, ranked among the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, often amplifies broader market moves because of its large retail holder base and historically elevated trading turnover on exchanges.

The price action also followed the conclusion of the SEC's long-running case against Ripple. On Aug. 7, Judge Analisa Torres issued a final ruling ordering Ripple to pay a $125 million civil penalty for institutional sales violations, well below the roughly $2 billion the SEC had sought. While the outcome was widely viewed as favorable for Ripple, the token's price had already priced in much of the optimism from the programmatic sales ruling and faced selling pressure alongside the broader market downturn.

XRP Price Holds Near $1.02 After Fresh Weakness

Bitstamp data showed XRP trading around $1.02 on Aug. 12. The exchange quoted XRP near $1.0166, with the token lower over 24 hours. That left XRP price close to the $1 psychological level.

The supplied TradingView daily chart showed a descending structure from May highs. Price remained below the chart's falling resistance line and several Fibonacci retracement levels. The chart placed nearby resistance around $1.10, $1.15, and $1.23.

The same chart showed support around $0.98 and a deeper level near $0.87. Those levels framed the immediate XRP price outlook without assuming a breakdown. A daily recovery above $1.10 would weaken the current bearish structure.

Technical Structure Keeps $0.87 in View

Crypto Tony wrote on Aug. 12 that XRP appeared weaker than expected. He argued that $0.87 could become the next downside target. His view matched the lower support zone visible on the supplied daily chart.

However, that target remained a technical scenario rather than a confirmed destination. XRP still traded above the lower extension area during the morning session. The chart also showed intermediate support near the $0.98 region.

A sustained break below $0.98 would strengthen the bearish case from a technical perspective. Holding that area could instead delay further downside and keep XRP inside its descending range. The XRP market therefore remained dependent on confirmation around nearby support.

Binance Futures Open Interest Stays Above Recent Average

CryptoQuant contributor Arab Chain reported elevated XRP futures open interest on Binance. The dataset showed about 435.1 million XRP in open contracts, while the 30-day moving average stood near 403.6 million XRP.

Arab Chain calculated a 30-day open-interest Z-score near 1.20. That placed positioning above its recent average while price remained weak. The reading did not show whether traders held net-long or net-short exposure.

Higher open interest can increase liquidation sensitivity when price moves sharply. It does not independently predict direction. That distinction mattered while XRP traded near a widely watched support zone.

Earlier CryptoQuant data showed Binance open interest near 369.6 million XRP on July 30. The latest reading therefore indicated renewed positioning after that late-July contraction. Traders had added exposure even as spot performance stayed under pressure.

Network Activity Rises as Bridge Incident Adds Risk

Ali Martinez reported that XRP Ledger active addresses increased sharply during August. His Aug. 12 post showed addresses rising from 23,642 on Aug. 1 to 43,543. That represented an 84.18% increase in the cited dataset.

Rising address activity showed more network participation, but it did not guarantee price appreciation. The metric also lacked direction regarding buying, selling, or transfer intent. Price continued trading near $1.02 despite the increase.

Separately, tx confirmed an exploit affecting its XRP Ledger bridge on Aug. 9. The operator said an attacker drained XRP from the bridge reserve wallet. Tx halted the bridge and identified the software vulnerability.

CoinDesk reported that the exploit drained nearly 200,000 XRP within 97 minutes. The report cited tx and on-chain records describing false deposit recognition. Tx later engaged blockchain forensics specialists and filed an FBI complaint.

XRP Ledger documentation describes bridges as separate systems connecting locking and issuing chains. That architecture helps separate this bridge failure from base-layer consensus.

The exploit affected bridge verification software rather than the XRP Ledger itself. That distinction limited the incident's direct technical implications for the base network. Still, the event added another risk factor around XRP-linked infrastructure. Cross-chain bridges have been a recurring target for exploits across the crypto sector, with losses from bridge attacks exceeding $2 billion collectively since 2021, according to data tracked by security researchers.

XRP now faces a clear technical test around the $0.98 support area. The supplied TradingView chart placed $0.87 below that level as the next deeper support. A recovery above $1.10 would provide the first evidence of improving short-term structure.

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