Crypto Crash Recovery? Bitcoin Struggles While XRP Network Growth Hits Highest Level Since January
The crypto market has been in a rough spot this week. Bitcoin lost the critical $100,000 support and even dipped toward $98,900 before bouncing slightly. Ethereum wasn’t spared either, falling more than seventeen percent over the last seven days. Almost every top-ten altcoin followed the same downward trajectory.
The sentiment shift was fast and brutal. Just a month ago, Bitcoin was celebrating a fresh all-time high near one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars. Now, more than one trillion dollars in market cap has evaporated since October sixth.
But despite the sea of red, there are early signs that this downturn may be setting up the next relief move, especially for XRP.
What you'll learn 👉
The Crypto Market’s Emotional Rollercoaster
Santiment data shows the entire conversation across crypto socials has shifted into panic mode. The keyword “one hundred K” became the top trending topic as Bitcoin broke below six-figure territory. Search trends swung from speculative meme coins back toward Bitcoin and Ethereum, a classic reaction during fear-driven crashes.
This shift is confirmed by social sentiment metrics. Tuesday marked one of the 3 most bearish days of the past half-year for Bitcoin, and historically, these major spikes in fear have lined up closely with local bottoms.
Ethereum’s sentiment looks even more extreme. According to Santiment, this week was the second most bearish moment in the last 6 months for ETH discussions. Similar levels of fear in October produced a near-immediate bounce.
Whales took the opportunity to reposition, too. Mid-to-large Bitcoin holders (wallets controlling 10 to 10,000 BTC) bought nearly 17,800 coins over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, retail traders continued their aggressive dip-buying spree, convinced this downturn won’t last long.
That dynamic is important: real recoveries usually begin when whales quietly accumulate as retail gives up. We’re not fully there yet, but the setup is forming.
XRP Price Dips… Then Snaps Back
Like the rest of the market, XRP initially dumped hard, falling into the two-dollar and twenty-cent region. But unlike many altcoins still struggling today, XRP had a decent recovery. In the last 24 hours alone, it pumped more than 12% off the lows.
This recovery was backed by major activity on the XRP Ledger.
Santiment reported a massive pump in newly created XRP wallet; 21,595 new addresses added in just 48 hours.
That is the fastest wallet growth XRP has seen since January.
The network growth chart shows two key takeaways:
• Big adoption spikes have historically aligned with strong price rebounds
• This latest surge suggests renewed demand during the crash, not panic selling
Even more interesting: while Bitcoin and Ethereum sentiment plunged deep into fear territory, XRP chatter has been surprisingly neutral.
Read also: Analyst Doubles Down on XRP Over Bitcoin: Here’s What He Sees
Why This Matters for the Next XRP Move
Crypto often turns before sentiment does. When network expansion accelerates during a downturn, it signals real usage and real conviction.
Bitcoin still faces resistance reclaiming six-figure support. The Ethereum price remains stuck under selling pressure from derivatives liquidations. Many altcoins are simply drifting with no momentum.
But XRP is behaving differently, and that divergence is worth watching.
If network growth stabilizes at these elevated levels and price holds above recent lows, XRP could be one of the earliest majors to fire back once the broader market finds its footing.
For now, the chart tells a simple story:
Fear hit the market hard, but XRP’s community quietly stepped forward.
Read also: MegaETH: A Lightning-Fast Ethereum Layer-2 That Feels Like Solana (But Stays 100% ETH-Aligned)
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