XRP’s XRP ballooning open interest reflects a surge in speculative activity and hints at a potential price breakout in the near term, market watchers say, as the token trades around $2.20 as of Tuesday morning.

“XRP’s open interest has surged to nearly $5 billion (over the weekend), indicating increasing speculative activity as traders take sizable positions in the derivatives market,” Bitget chief market analyst Ryan Lee said in a message to CoinDesk.

“This spike suggests strong potential momentum, with market participants bracing for a decisive move," he added.

XRP’s price is currently trading in a tight consolidation range — often a technical precursor to breakouts — while consistent spot buying pressure adds to the bullish sentiment.

Historically, similar setups in XRP have resulted in rapid rallies, catching short sellers off guard and triggering short squeezes. Yet, while the elevated open interest signals anticipation, the direction of the next big move remains far from certain.

However, without a decisive catalyst, Lee warned, such high levels of open interest could also amplify volatility, with traders at risk of large-scale liquidations if sentiment turns sour.

“Without a clear catalyst, such elevated open interest could exacerbate volatility in either direction,” Lee explained. “A bullish surge may trigger a short squeeze, while an influx of profit-taking or macro-driven risk-off sentiment could fuel liquidations and downside pressure.”

Market watchers are closely monitoring developments around the XRP Ledger (XRPL), which could serve as a fundamental catalyst, as well as any ETF-related momentum that may emerge from institutional interest.