XRP remains capped below a key technical level that once underpinned its 2025 advance, with market structure still pointing lower despite a brief rebound in March. The $1.80 area, which acted as a floor for much of last year, flipped to resistance in January 2026 and has repeatedly rejected attempts to recover, according to market analyst Sjuul (AltCryptoGems).
$1.80 Support Turns Into Resistance
Throughout most of 2025, XRP traded inside a wide parallel channel with a ceiling near $3.45 and a floor around $1.80. Even as price momentum faded after a July 2025 peak near $3.60, the token held that lower boundary through year-end.
That changed in January 2026, when XRP closed the month below $1.80 for the first time in the cycle. Since then, the former support has functioned as resistance, repeatedly halting recoveries. “It is clearly downtrending with a series of lower lows and lower highs, and above all, it is still below that key level at $1.80,” Sjuul said in a March 18 market breakdown.
Channel Breakdown Keeps Downtrend Intact
On the daily chart, XRP’s structure since the July peak has been defined by lower highs and lower lows, keeping the broader downtrend intact regardless of short-term bounces. A sustained close back above $1.80 would be required to reclaim the prior channel and invalidate the current bearish setup, the analyst noted.
March Bounce Fades Below $1.60
XRP staged its strongest multi-day advance since September 2025 between March 9 and March 16, rising about 15% and closing at $1.54 on March 16 after reclaiming the $1.50 handle. The move followed a late-February drop to $1.27 during the initial market reaction to the Israel–Iran conflict.
The rebound stalled near $1.6074 earlier this week, however, and XRP then pulled back for three consecutive sessions. As of March 18, 2026, the token was trading around $1.46 — still well below the $1.80 threshold.
Key Levels To Watch
The path forward centers on a single number, according to Sjuul: $1.80. A decisive break and hold above that level would open the door to re-entering last year’s channel and neutralizing the immediate bearish bias. Failure to do so leaves XRP vulnerable to a retest of the $1.20–$1.30 area.
That zone acted as a thinly traded “no support” region during XRP’s rapid rally in November 2024, meaning price moved through it quickly at the time with few orders placed there. While it has since offered a cushion during dips, continued rejection at $1.80 could see the market gravitate back toward that range.
XRP is the native token of the XRP Ledger, a blockchain often used for cross-border value transfers. Price action and technical levels such as $1.80 remain closely watched by traders assessing trend direction and risk.