[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Social media (SNS) investor sentiment around XRP has tilted back toward pessimism. An analysis said that historically, such phases often appear near short-term bottoms.

On May 26 (local time), blockchain media outlet The Crypto Basic reported that market intelligence platform Santiment said the ratio of bullish to bearish mentions of XRP recently fell to fear-zone levels.

XRP has continued to move sluggishly amid a broader downturn in major cryptocurrencies. For weeks, the price has mostly traded in the mid-$1.30 range. It rose to $1.50 early this month but was blocked by strong resistance. As the price moves sideways in a narrow range, retail investors' expectations also appear to be cooling quickly.

According to an analysis released by Santiment, the ratio of bullish to bearish mentions of XRP fell to about 1.1. That was the weakest level in the past three weeks, meaning there were only 1.1 bullish views for every 1 bearish view.

In early May, sentiment briefly moved into a FOMO (fear of missing out) zone. XRP rebounded from $1.38 to $1.50 in the first week of the month. But as price uncertainty grew, market sentiment moved back into a zone dominated by fear and skepticism.

The key point is that such pessimism has not necessarily led to further declines. Santiment noted that historically, moments when crowd pessimism increases often appear near local bottoms. In a chart presented alongside the analysis, periods in which prices found stability after strong negative sentiment were also seen several times this month.

Santiment cited the exit of short-term sellers as a factor behind the pattern. It said that when strong fear appears, many short-term sellers have often already left the market, and as a result, bearish remarks can increase even as actual selling momentum weakens. With XRP trading near $1.35, that is why an analysis said the possibility of a rebound, contrary to market pessimism, remains open.

Still, caution remains over the medium- to long-term price path. Market analyst Ali Martinez (알리 마르티네즈) said XRP is trading within a price channel on the monthly chart. XRP hit its current all-time high (ATH) of $3.67 in July 2025 while testing the top of the channel, but later pulled back from that zone and returned to a downward trend.

Martinez said that if XRP continues to follow the channel, it could retest the mid-level of $0.73. That leaves room for a potential drop of more than 46 percent from current levels. He also assessed the level as a strong accumulation zone that could prepare for the next uptrend. This lower-end outlook also aligns with the views of other analysts, including market analyst Knight.

As a result, the XRP market has entered a phase in which the possibility of a short-term sentiment-driven rebound and concerns over a medium- to long-term correction are being raised at the same time. Investor sentiment deteriorated to its lowest level in three weeks, but in the past such fear zones have sometimes instead become a starting point for a rebound after prices stabilize. If the channel trend on the monthly chart holds, the possibility of testing lower price levels also remains, leaving sentiment indicators and the direction of the price channel in focus for the time being.

XRP’s crowd sentiment has swung sharply negative again, with the ratio of positive to negative commentary dropping to just 1.1 bullish comments for every 1 bearish comment. Historically, this kind of fear and skepticism has often acted as a contrarian signal for XRP’s price.… pic.twitter.com/KGubO783yE