XRP News Today: Price Crashes 12.6% as Network Payments Surge 107%

XRP News Today: Why Payments Are Surging While Prices Keep Falling

The token has had a rough seven days, falling from about $1.25 to $1.09. Yet some of the numbers behind the scenes look quite different from the price chart. 

Here is the latest XRP news today, covering the price move, traders pulling back, record-level network activity, a lending upgrade still waiting for votes, and a $40,000 education program.

Price Snapshot: A Tough Week for the Token

According to CoinMarketCap, the token trades at $1.09, down 12.64% over the past week and 1.95% in the last 24 hours. 

A week ago it was near $1.25. It climbed to roughly $1.33 around 5 November, then slid steadily through the weekend, with a sharper drop on 9 November.

Source: CoinMarketCap Live Data

The 24-hour chart shows a calm, sideways pattern. The price bounced between $1.08 and $1.11 without a big breakout either way. 

Trading volume rose about 30% even as the price slipped, which suggests many people are still actively buying and selling at these levels.

Traders Are Pulling Back: Open Interest Keeps Falling

Open interest is the total amount of money traders have currently put into leveraged bets, meaning bets placed with borrowed funds. 

Falling open interest means fewer people are taking risky positions.

Source: BankXRP Post

The 30-day average on Binance dropped from about 512 million to about 453 million since mid-October, a fall of roughly 11.5%. 

Over the same period, the price fell to $1.11 at the time of that post. You can see the full chart in this CryptoQuant analysis, which notes this is the lowest level since September.

Why does this matter?

• Risky bets are being cleared out. Fewer borrowed-money trades mean less chance of sudden, forced selling.

• The decline may be slowing. The source suggests watching for open interest to flatten, because that has usually come before the market steadying.

• It is not a buy signal. It simply shows traders are cautious right now.

Network Payments Hit Their Highest Level Since June

While the price fell, real usage went the other way. Token Relations on X reports that weekly payments on the XRP Ledger reached 9.06 million last week. 

That is 107% higher than mid-October and the highest weekly total since early June. 

Payments are now up 34% since the start of the year. You can check the live numbers on XRPScan metrics.

This gap between falling price and rising usage is the most interesting part of today’s story. 

A price shows what traders are willing to pay. Payment counts show how often people actually use the network. Right now, the two are telling different stories.

Lending Upgrade Still Short of the Votes It Needs

A major upgrade called the Lending Protocol (XLS-66) is not yet ready for mainnet, the main live network. 

According to BankXRP on X, it would allow fixed-term loans without collateral, funded from pooled vaults (XLS-65). 

Institutions would handle the borrower checks off-chain.

The voting situation, as tracked on XRPScan amendments, looks like this:

• Needed: about 80% of trusted validators, held for two weeks

• Current support: around 60%

• Votes so far: about 21 out of 35 on the core lending amendments

In simple terms, roughly one in five more validators would need to come on board. 

If that happens, the network could offer a new use case that goes beyond payments.

$40,000 in Awards for Educators and Creators

The XRP Ledger Foundation has launched Education Month, with up to $40,000 in awards for educators and content creators. 

As announced by XRPLF on X, entries can explain upcoming upgrades like the Lending Protocol, how the ledger works, the role of the token, and the project’s core ideas.

This matters because the lending vote depends on validators understanding what they are approving. Clearer explanations could help more people take part.

Conclusion

XRP news today picture is mixed but interesting. The price is down about 12.6% on the week to $1.09, and traders are reducing risky bets. 

At the same time, payments are at a multi-month high, and the lending upgrade is about 20 points short of its target. 

Keep an eye on open interest flattening and on any further validator votes in the coming days.

Disclaimer

This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Crypto assets are high risk, their prices can be very volatile, and you can lose some or all of your money. Always do your own research and consider speaking with a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.