XRP Collapse Begun: Strategist Warns of $2T Crypto Sell-Off
Crypto market strategist Levi Rietveld says the “XRP collapse has begun,” warning traders to prepare for further downside. In a recent post, he argues the current sector-wide drop is “almost completely artificially created,” even as the market has suffered a sharp correction.
Rietveld cites the scale of the drawdown: since a crypto peak in October 2025, the broader market has erased more than $2 trillion in market capitalization, representing roughly a 48% decline from highs. He expects selling pressure to continue hitting large assets, including XRP, BTC, ETH, SOL, and ADA.
For XRP specifically, he highlights recent weakness: XRP fell about 7% on one day, then posted two consecutive days of losses. While he says this is not the worst XRP drawdown in its history, he claims the current environment “feels different” due to a major shift in sentiment—fear is now dominating trading.
Despite the bearish framing, Rietveld’s positioning view is that markets may be forming a “clean bottom” during the bear phase. He says he is preparing for additional weakness while watching for conditions that could follow once the correction stabilizes.
Key takeaway for traders: expect elevated volatility and risk-off behavior around XRP and major majors (BTC/ETH) until price action confirms bottoming signals.
Bearish
The article is fundamentally bearish because it frames the ongoing move as the start of an XRP-led collapse and emphasizes fear-driven selling. The strategist cites large macro damage ($2T+ market cap wiped; ~48% below peak) and points to continued pressure across majors (XRP, BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA), which historically tends to keep liquidity thin and rallies sold.
In similar past bear-market phases, when sentiment flips from neutral to fear and traders debate “bottoming,” price often oscillates—sudden bounces can occur, but follow-through is weak until chart structure improves (e.g., higher lows/clear trend reversal). Short-term, traders may expect elevated volatility around XRP (recent ~7% daily drop plus two consecutive down days). Long-term, if the proposed “clean bottom” materializes, it could set up a more durable rebound; however, the article provides no confirmation that a bottom is in place, so risk management remains central.