[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] XRP formed a short-term golden cross on the four-hour chart against bitcoin, but the price slipped soon after. That has prompted caution over the timing of further gains.

On the 26th (local time), blockchain media outlet U.Today reported that on the XRP/BTC chart, the 50-period moving average crossed above the 200-period moving average.

The signal is generally read as short-term bullish, but the market response was not immediate. On the four-hour XRP/BTC chart, six consecutive bearish candles formed after the golden cross. That meant the bullish signal diverged from the actual price move.

Still, it is hard to say XRP's relative strength versus bitcoin itself has broken down. XRP has risen steadily against bitcoin since Sept. 16 and stayed above both the 50-period and 200-period moving averages on the four-hour and daily charts. It has maintained a stronger trend than bitcoin.

Signals also overlapped on the dollar-denominated chart. XRP rose to $1.65 on the 25th and, in the same move, posted its first daily golden cross of 2026. At the time, whale transactions worth $100,000 totalled 1,917, the strongest in about a month, and new XRP wallets rose to 3,647. After Bitwise on the 18th refiled amended registration documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an XRP spot exchange-traded fund, XRP rose for four straight sessions.

In the short term, profit-taking pressure was confirmed. XRP was down 1.19 percent over 24 hours at $1.52. In the prior session, it climbed to $1.62 before giving back part of the gains.

The market is viewing the $1.60 zone as a key resistance level. Crypto analyst Ali said the URPD indicator shows limited resistance up to $1.60, but profit-taking could emerge there because about 2.5 billion XRP previously changed hands in that range. That suggests the area around $1.60 is a short-term inflection point that could decide the next direction.

Technical patterns are also drawing attention. On the daily XRP chart, the right shoulder of a large inverse head-and-shoulders pattern was seen as having been completed. The market is watching whether XRP breaks above $1.60. If a decisive rise breaks through the neckline, the pattern would be completed and could open the possibility of further gains toward $2.

On-chain indicators also pointed to limited downside risk. XRP's 365-day MVRV stood at -11.75 despite the price rebound. That means investors who entered the market over the past year remain in loss territory. On that measure alone, the structure looks closer to having room for further recovery than short-term overheating.

Whale activity also continued. Over the past five days, whales bought more than 470 million additional XRP, worth about $724 million. With large holders continuing to increase their XRP exposure with an eye on the next move, demand remained intact despite the short-term pullback.

XRP is facing a confluence of factors, including a golden cross versus bitcoin, a shift to strength on the dollar chart, whale accumulation and ETF-related expectations. But with supply overhang near $1.60 and short-term profit-taking confirmed, the market appears to be waiting for an actual breakout rather than focusing on the bullish signals themselves. Resistance around $1.60 and whether profit-taking persists remain key variables for the next direction.