The XRP community has seen all kinds of theories about why the token struggles to break free. But over the past few weeks, analyst Patrick L. Rilley (with 2.4k followers on X) has gone viral with a bold claim: Bitcoin pumps and dumps are deliberately used to control XRP’s price.
Back on August 14th, Rilley argued that whenever XRP looks ready to break out, Bitcoin conveniently dumps at the same time. He suggested this isn’t just coincidence but rather a pattern. His post pointed out that almost all of XRP’s failed breakout attempts line up with sudden BTC sell-offs.
In his words, “they are scared” – implying that larger players don’t want to see XRP gain momentum because it would threaten Bitcoin’s dominance.
When Maxi's say that $XRP price is manipulated, do they really not understand the correlation of $XRP's chart and #Bitcoin dumps? Out of all the breakout rejections for $XRP, you will find a very high instance of extremely well timed $BTC dumps.
— Patrick L Riley (@Acquired_Savant) August 14, 2025
They are scared.
What you'll learn 👉
His New Post on August 25th
Today, Rilley doubled down. He claimed that Bitcoin’s price moves are not just random but designed to keep XRP locked into what he calls a “statistically impossible perfect 12-year chart.” He even brought in Elliot Wave theory, suggesting XRP’s long-term chart is nearing completion of a massive wave structure.
The implication here is that XRP is being artificially held back until this cycle plays out – and when it finally completes, the breakout could be explosive.
As I was saying, Bitcoin pumps and dumps are used to control and prevent the $XRP price from moving outside of what is a statistically impossible perfect 12-year chart. Elliot Wave completion incoming. https://t.co/a2UAyhQxtt pic.twitter.com/64a6ciR0wk
— Patrick L Riley (@Acquired_Savant) August 24, 2025
The XRP Chart
The chart he shared shows XRP hovering around $3.02, struggling to push higher after multiple attempts near $3.12. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s recent dips have lined up closely with XRP’s rejections.
From a technical perspective, XRP is sitting just above its 99-period MA at $2.97, which has been acting as support. The 200-day moving average is climbing, giving the bigger picture a bullish tilt. But in the short-term, the repeated failures near $3.12 highlight how fragile this setup is.
Could He Be Right?
Here’s where things get tricky. On one hand, there is a clear correlation between Bitcoin’s volatility and XRP’s inability to break higher. That part is factual – Bitcoin’s dominance means its dumps usually drag the entire market lower.
But calling it “manipulation” is where this theory stretches thin. It’s more likely that XRP, like most altcoins, simply reacts to Bitcoin’s swings. When BTC dumps, liquidity exits the market, and altcoins suffer more because they’re less liquid.
The Elliot Wave angle is interesting, though. XRP’s long-term chart does show a massive structure that could line up with a big move in the next cycle. Whether that move is “controlled” by Bitcoin or just correlated with it is open to interpretation.
Read also: How Much Will 2,000 Arbitrum Be Worth by 2026? ARB Price Prediction
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