DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주) - With XRP showing a pattern similar to the long sideways moves seen in gold, silver and ether, discussion is resurfacing over whether XRP’s long consolidation phase could lead to a major breakout.

On Feb. 3 (local time), blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that cryptocurrency analyst Poseidon (포세이돈) recently noted on X, formerly Twitter, that gold, silver and ether all posted parabolic gains after years of trading in a range. He said gold surged after about 4 years of sideways movement, and silver also showed a strong uptrend after about 5 years of consolidation. He added that ether remains in a compressed state after about 5 years of consolidation and could break out at any time.

After the analysis was shared, the XRP community highlighted that XRP has gone through a much longer consolidation phase than those assets. XRP community analyst Cryptoinsightuk (크립토인사이트욱) pointed out that XRP has continued a long-term consolidation for about 8 years. He argued that the prolonged sideways move may not be a bearish signal but could be a structural accumulation process.

From a macro perspective, gold and silver moved sideways in a wide range for most of the past 8 years before rising, while XRP has shown a gradual tightening of its range over several years, the explanation said. In the short term, XRP has fallen from its recent high of $2.40 to around $1.50, breaking below a psychological support level, but long-term analysts assess that the overall structure is still intact.

Recent moves in the precious metals market also lent weight to the comparison. Gold has neared a record high of about $5,600 this year, with its market capitalisation temporarily approaching $39 trillion, and silver also corrected after breaking above $120. Market experts noted that gold’s market value rose by more than $2 trillion in a single day during its parabolic phase, a scale more than 20 times XRP’s total market capitalisation.

Analysts emphasise that because the cryptocurrency market is less liquid than traditional assets, a shift in direction could produce much faster and sharper price swings.

Elliott Wave analyst XForceGlobal (엑스포스글로벌) also said XRP’s long-term structure corresponds to an accumulation phase. He said XRP is showing a bearish trend in the short term, but is maintaining a multi-year triangle pattern across both macro and micro time frames. Long consolidations compress prices into an increasingly tighter structure, which historically appears ahead of a strong expansion phase, he said. He argued that continued declines should be seen as normal volatility rather than a structural failure.

XForceGlobal presented $6 as a target price for XRP and called it a "conservative level". The target aligns with the minimum Fibonacci extension seen in a prior rally, and the analysis said further gains are possible if momentum fully develops.

As gold and silver have shown historic moves after years of compression, some experts see XRP’s eight-year consolidation as potentially leading to a similar expansion phase. It is unclear whether a breakout will come immediately or after further adjustment, but market participants broadly agree that XRP’s long period of calm will not last forever.

$GOLD: 4 years of consolidation → Parabolic Run. $SILVER: 5 years of consolidation → Parabolic Run. $ETH: 5 years of consolidation... Loading. History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. Ethereum is next. pic.twitter.com/qljLMA5AQK