Crypto traders tend to view price surges in less reliable cryptocurrencies, such as dogecoin (DOGE), as indicators of market instability. However, it appears that XRP, the cryptocurrency designed for payment solutions, may also serve as a signal for bull-market peaks in bitcoin (BTC).
In contrast to meme coins like DOGE and shiba inu (SHIB), XRP possesses actual utility. It is utilized by Ripple for cross-border transaction facilitation, placing it in a different category than meme coins.
Nonetheless, since 2017, XRP has acted as a contrary indicator for bitcoin enthusiasts, usually experiencing significant rallies—often climbing several hundred percent in a brief period—during the concluding phases of BTC bull runs, signaling when bitcoin eventually peaks.
XRP experienced an impressive tenfold increase from December 2017 to early 2018, which coincided with bitcoin’s peak near $20,000, before entering a prolonged bear market that lasted nearly a year.
A similar sharp increase in XRP prices was observed in early 2021, corresponding with the peak of the subsequent bitcoin bull market. Further, XRP’s surge of about 240% in late 2024 anticipated bitcoin’s bull market peak above $109,000, followed by a drop below $80,000.
As the adage goes: “Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.”
The next time BTC is in a bullish phase, astute traders should monitor XRP for cues that may hint at the conclusion of the bull run.
