XRP Rejected at $1.52: Why $1.46 Is Now the Critical Level for a Year-End Rally

$XRP price is facing selling pressure after a failed breakout left buyers struggling to hold the $1.46 support level.

Analyst ChartNerd believes a break below this level puts $XRP on track for further losses before the end of 2026.

In a recent post on X, ChartNerd said $XRP’s bullish breakout had failed after the price dropped below key Fibonacci levels. Now, buyers need to defend the $1.45–$1.46 area for $XRP to recover and move back above the 50-week exponential moving average (EMA).

This is the same support zone he highlighted earlier. His latest warning puts $XRP at a key turning point: holding this level supports a recovery, while losing it opens the door to further declines.

At press time, $XRP is hovering around $1.48, dipping by 3.5% over the past day. The coin reached $1.55 during this period but quickly retraced to lower levels.

$XRP Price Faces Resistance Below

ChartNerd’s chart shows $XRP trading in a narrow range, with a downward-sloping resistance line preventing a recovery. Support sits around $1.46.

The pattern resembles a descending triangle. Sellers are pushing the price lower, while buyers are defending the same support level. For $XRP to improve its outlook, the price needs to break above the downward trendline and hold there.

The bigger concern is the downside. A break below $1.46 would weaken the current support structure and send the price lower. Meanwhile, holding above it gives buyers another opportunity to push higher, while breaking below it signals further downside.

$1.52 EMA Rejection Keeps Lower Prices in Focus

In another post, ChartNerd described two paths for $XRP by the end of the year. Both depend on whether $XRP moves back above the 50-week EMA, which sits around $1.52.

If $XRP continues getting rejected at $1.52 and fails to hold above it on weekly closes, ChartNerd says the price heads toward the lower-$1 range by year-end.

This would extend the damage from $XRP’s failed breakout. Instead of recovering, the token would continue forming lower highs as sellers maintain control. A brief move above $1.52 is not enough. $XRP needs to remain above this level to confirm that the downtrend is weakening.

Meanwhile, ChartNerd does not say $XRP price will definitely fall to the lower-$1 range. He identifies it as an outcome tied to continued weakness below the 50-week EMA.

What Improves $XRP Year-End Outlook?

Despite the bearish warning, ChartNerd also sees a recovery path for $XRP. If $XRP moves above the 50-week EMA and then rises toward $1.80, the token would form a higher low before the end of 2026.

A higher low means the price finds support above its previous major low. This signals weakening selling pressure and strengthening demand. For $XRP, that setup would suggest the recent decline is part of a recovery.

But $XRP first needs to hold the $1.45–$1.46 support zone, reclaim $1.52, and then advance toward $1.80. Until it reclaims those levels, downside pressure remains intact.