XRP Gains 25%, $26 Million Shorts Squeezed After Gensler Discloses SEC Resignation

Ripple’s (XRP) price rallied by 25% in the last 24 hours following Gary Gensler’s announcement that he would resign as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair on January 20, 2025.

This development comes as a relief to the popular “XRP Army,” which has had to deal with suppressed price action due to the Gensler-led SEC’s nonstop petitions against Ripple. But that is not all that happened. 

Ripple Bears Face Notable Liquidation Following Gensler’s Notification

Gensler’s announcement appears to be a positive development for the broader crypto market. But XRP holders seemed to benefit the most. This was particularly significant given the unresolved Ripple-SEC legal issues that have persisted throughout the SEC Chair’s tenure.

As a result, it came as no surprise that XRP price rallied and outpaced those of any other cryptocurrency in the top 10. Furthermore, the development triggered liquidations totaling $26.11 million over the last 24 hours.

Liquidation occurs when a trader fails to meet the margin requirements for a leveraged position. This forces the exchange to sell off their assets to prevent further losses. In XRP’s case, the liquidation primarily resulted in a short squeeze.

Crypto Market 24-Hour Liquidations. Source: Coinglass

A short squeeze happens when a large number of short positions (traders betting on price declines) are forced to close, driving the price higher as they rush back to buy back the asset.

At press time, XRP trades at $1.40 and currently has a market cap of $80.64 billion. With Gensler almost gone, crypto lawyer John Deaton noted that XRP price gains could be higher, and the market cap could climb to $100 billion.

“XRP soon will achieve a $100B market cap. Times are changing,” Deaton wrote on X.

Meanwhile, CryptoQuant data shows that the total number of XRP sent into exchange has significantly decreased. Typically, high values indicate increased selling pressure in the spot market. This is because it suggests that more assets are being offloaded, potentially driving prices lower.

However, since it is low, XRP holders are refraining from selling. If this remains the case, the token’s value could rise higher than $1.40.

XRP Exchange Inflow. Source: CryptoQuant

XRP Price Prediction: $2 Coming?

According to the 4-hour chart, XRP has been trading within a range of $1.04 to $1.17 since November 18. This sideways movement has resulted in the formation of a bull flag — a bullish chart pattern that signals potential upward momentum.

The bull flag begins with a sharp price surge, forming the flagpole, driven by significant buying pressure that outpaces sellers. This is followed by a consolidation phase, where the price retraces slightly and moves within parallel trendlines, creating the flag structure.

Yesterday, XRP broke out of this pattern, signaling that bulls have seized control of the market. If this momentum persists, XRP’s price could surpass $1.50, potentially approaching the $2 threshold.

XRP 4-Hour Analysis. Source: TradingView

However, this bullish scenario hinges on market behavior. If holders decide to secure profits, selling pressure could push XRP’s price below $1, erasing recent gains.

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