Ahmed Barakat is a journalist and copywriter based in Georgia with a growing focus on blockchain technology, DeFi, AI, privacy, digital assets, and fintech innovation. The CryptoNews editorial team is composed of seasoned writers specializing in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Their expertise ensures comprehensive, accurate, and insightful content for... XRP price climbed back above $1.35 while futures open interest fell sharply, a combination that could leave room for fresh leverage. The immediate test is whether price revisits $1.35 before attempting to clear resistance at $1.43-$1.46 and extend toward the $5s. Our analyst flags $1.40 as the point of control for both the previous week and month, marking the price area with the most trading activity over those periods. The reclaim improves the short-term structure, but conditions are fragile. Falling XRP open interest can indicate that leverage has been cleared; it can also reflect traders closing positions, so it is not a standalone bullish signal. The setup overlaps with a key support area identified in a separate XRP price prediction discussion, where traders are also watching the $1.38 region. XRP’s move above $1.40 is primarily due to short sellers closing positions, rather than to a full short squeeze. It is a bullish structural development, but the short-term picture remains quite fragile. This gap matters: position closure can help lift price without showing that new spot demand has taken control. Futures open interest fell while price held steady, potentially leaving room for new leveraged positions to enter. That is a possible source of fuel for a next move, not evidence that traders have already added risk in the direction of a breakout. Funding rates are normal, with no sign of excessive bullish positioning. This reduces one obvious sign of crowded longs, but it does not rule out renewed selling or a further reduction in exposure. XRP price therefore turns less on the open-interest decline itself than on whether price can defend support and reclaim the resistance band. The $1.34-$1.46 Range Sets the Near-Term Test XRP rebounded strongly from $1.34 last week and, according to the analyst, has remained inside the same range for about a month and a half. Sunday’s rally also left potential price gaps near $1.39, $1.38 and $1.37. Our analyst expects those levels could be revisited before the token has a sustained chance to challenge the range’s upper end. A separate technical view provides additional context through $1.38 support and higher resistance zones . The separately verified level is $1.38 support. That broadens the context, but nearer decision points remain $1.36-$1.37 on the downside and $1.45 overhead. The forecast is not for an immediate straight-line rally. Our analyst expects a relatively quiet week and is unsure that market conditions will support a fast move higher; a brief push up followed by a return to the gap area remains possible. The sequence matters: support first, resistance next, and only then a stronger case for higher prices. The XRP $5 target focuses on resistance through $1.46 and an upside area in the $1.50s after a possible dip and resistance reclaim. For now, the technical setup is narrower: XRP recovered the $1.40 point of control, leverage has reportedly declined, and the analyst sees a possible retest before another attempt higher. The next useful confirmation is whether buyers defend $1.36-$1.37 and whether XRP can reclaim $1.45. A move toward $5 remains conditional on a much larger advance beyond the immediate range.