XRP flounders in an air pocket as red flags mount for a break below $1
XRP flounders in an air pocket as red flags mount for a break below $1
Amid Bitcoin (BTC)’s sharp downturn, XRP is experiencing a far steeper plunge than other digital assets after breaking below a key support level and entering a massive downward “air pocket,” a zone with virtually no underlying price support.
According to cryptocurrency-focused media outlet The Crypto Basic on February 6 (local time), Scott Melker, host of the “Wolf of All Streets” podcast, said that XRP recently broke decisively below the $1.61 level on the weekly chart, a major support zone, officially entering an air pocket phase. An air pocket refers to a price range where buying interest is extremely scarce, offering little to slow selling pressure. Assets entering such zones often collapse far more rapidly than during typical corrections. Melker explained that while Bitcoin is tenuously holding the $60,000 level, XRP’s unusually heavy selling pressure stems from structural weaknesses visible on the chart.
Melker noted that the $1.61 level was far more than a psychological threshold, calling it a critical technical stronghold. This support had previously acted as a solid floor during major downturns, including the sharp crash on October 10 in the fourth quarter of 2025 and another steep sell-off in April of the same year. However, once this last line of defense was breached amid broad-based selling, buy orders that could absorb the decline vanished, causing the drop to accelerate uncontrollably. “Below $1.61, there is a vast void with almost no real buying interest,” Melker said, suggesting that the current decline was technically foreseeable.
Worsening supply-demand conditions across the broader crypto market are further exacerbating XRP’s fall. As Bitcoin slipped below $65,000, global cryptocurrency market capitalization shrank by approximately $430 billion in just six days, intensifying liquidity shortages. Major altcoins such as Solana (SOL) have also struggled after falling below key weekly moving averages, but XRP’s losses, compounded by its air pocket situation, far exceed the market average. Melker cautioned that in a phase of structural breakdown like the current one, past support levels are unlikely to hold, urging investors to exercise heightened caution.
The outlook for future support appears even more pessimistic. Melker predicted that with the $1.61 support now broken, the next meaningful zone where a rebound could realistically occur lies below the psychologically significant $1.00 level. This implies the potential for another large-scale sell-off from current prices. He added that “most potential support levels capable of attracting strong buying interest are currently located below $1,” emphasizing the need for a conservative approach that avoids prematurely calling a market bottom.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently addressed large-scale token movements by stressing the importance of long-term investing in an effort to calm the market. However, experts broadly agree that in a technically trapped air pocket environment, verbal reassurances alone are insufficient to reverse the price trend. Investors are closely monitoring whether Bitcoin can defend the $60,000 level and whether XRP can halt its decline around $1.00 and establish a new support base, while prioritizing prudent risk management.
*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and no responsibility is assumed for any investment losses incurred based on it. The content should be interpreted solely for informational purposes.*
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