Ripple wins final OCC approval for National Trust Bank, but XRP continues to edge lower

• Broader macroeconomic uncertainty across the crypto market keeps XRP moving sideways around $1.30.
• Final US OCC approval for Ripple’s National Trust Bank clears the way for its plans to manage RLUSD reserves and offer crypto custody services.
• A weak technical structure continues to restrict XRP, which remains in step with the market near $1.30.

Losses of roughly 16% from October’s $1.56 high and 21% from September’s $1.66 peak leave Ripple (XRP) trading at $1.30 on Tuesday. Technical obstacles continue to constrain the token following weeks of sustained headwinds and risk-averse sentiment.

Macro pressures persist as Fed decision approaches

An unchanged interest rate range of 3.75-4.00% is widely expected when the Federal Reserve (Fed) announces its decision on Wednesday, the main focus for markets. Nevertheless, high oil and energy prices, alongside stubborn inflation, continue to fuel wider macroeconomic concerns.

Despite a resilient economic backdrop, inflation in the United States (US) remains above the long-term 2% target that the regulator is determined to reach. According to CME’s FedWatch Tool, the probability of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) leaving rates on hold in October stands at 90%, with an increase to follow in December. As part of its broader outlook for bringing inflation down, Crypto Finance anticipates two additional rate rises by the end of 2027.

In an analysis report sent by email, Crypto Finance said: “Wednesday's Fed meeting is the key macro event. We expect rates to remain unchanged, so the focus will be on the dot plot and any shift in the forward path. Markets currently price a 90% probability of a skip, followed by a December hike and two further hikes by year-end 2027, taking the target range to 4.50–4.75%,”

Ripple National Trust Bank secures final OCC approval

Following conditional approval in December, Ripple National Trust Bank has now received final authorisation from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This places the blockchain company under federal supervision for the management of RLUSD stablecoin reserves. The same licence will also allow Ripple to offer enterprise-grade crypto custody services.

Writing on X, Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse said: “We’ve always said crypto and banks work better together, this is what that looks like. Real innovation, real accountability, federal oversight.”

XRP defends key support as technical outlook stays bearish

At $1.30, XRP’s bulls are trying to protect short-term psychological support ahead of a further attempt at recovery. Sideways price action has not removed the token’s near-term bearish bias, as it continues to trade below the key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs).

Overhead resistance comes from the 100-day EMA at $1.33, the 50-day EMA at $1.36 and the 200-day EMA at $1.37. Their positioning suggests the pair remains constrained within a wider corrective phase. At $1.45, the SuperTrend line adds to the indication that rallies continue to attract supply.

With the Relative Strength Index (RSI) close to 41 and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) narrowing marginally below zero, momentum remains muted. These readings point to weak, but stabilising, downward pressure.

The first resistance level is the 100-day EMA near $1.33. Beyond it, the 50-day EMA at $1.36 and the 200-day EMA around $1.37 form a closely grouped technical barrier. Bulls would have to regain these levels to move the outlook away from its bearish bias.

Further up, the SuperTrend line at $1.45 provides a higher resistance area, ahead of the longer-term bearish trend structure at $1.61 and $1.70. The daily chart offers no clear technical support below $1.30, so a decline would leave XRP looking for renewed demand. Continued trading below the cluster of EMAs, meanwhile, favours rangebound to weaker price action over the short term.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)