$XRP is currently trading around $1.36, slipping 0.71% in the last 24 hours and down 7.60% this month. Despite the pullback, it still holds a massive $83.45B market cap, maintaining 3.61% dominance across the crypto market.

What’s driving the caution right now isn’t just price action.

On Feb 19, 2026, a double-spend vulnerability in the proposed Batch amendment for the XRPL was detected by an AI tool called Apex along with security researcher Pranamya Keshkamat. The issue triggered an emergency response.

The network reacted fast.

On Feb 23, rippled 3.1.1 was released and validators rejected the amendment before it ever reached mainnet. No funds were lost.

In response, RippleX is now introducing AI-powered code review and automated invariant detection, aiming to strengthen XRPL security going forward.

Interestingly, network usage hasn’t slowed down.

XRPL transaction volume has surged about 40%, showing that activity remains strong even while sentiment across the market has turned cautious.

Right now the Fear & Greed Index sits at 19, deep in Extreme Fear territory.

Whale positioning reveals an interesting picture.

Large long whales hold around 280 positions with an average entry near $1.5146, currently underwater compared to the $1.36 price. Meanwhile short whales hold 129 positions around $1.5261, which remain profitable after the recent decline.

Still, recent order flow shows top traders buying aggressively, with about $1.06M in buys vs $210K in sells over the past hours.

The long/short ratio at 0.80 suggests institutional traders remain cautious, but accumulation is beginning to appear near current levels.

Technically, $1.30 remains the key support zone, while $1.45–$1.50 acts as the major resistance band.

A clean break below $1.30 could push XRP toward $1.20, but if buyers defend the range and volume expands above $2B daily, the next recovery targets sit around $1.50–$1.61.

For traders watching the market closely, the $1.30–$1.35 range is where accumulation interest is currently forming, while risk management below $1.25 remains critical.

Extreme fear phases often create opportunity — but only if confidence returns.

The real question now:

Is this just a temporary security scare, or the start of a deeper correction for XRP?

What do you think happens next for XRP?

👇 Share your view.

#Xrp🔥🔥 #Ripple #XRPL #crypto #CryptoNews