XRP just locked in a death cross against Bitcoin as the 23-day moving average fell under the 200-day, the kind of textbook bearish signal traders better not dismiss. The pair trades at 0.00002247 BTC with Bitcoin quoted near $111,000, and XRP’s price is at $2.49 in dollar terms. The formation arrives on the back of last week's violent liquidation, when XRP/BTC collapsed to 0.000013 BTC before recovering. That spike low was temporary, but the chart now shows what happens after panic fades: rallies start hitting a ceiling. The moving averages cluster near 0.00002400–0.000025 per BTC, and until XRP clears that band, it is capped. The last time this happened was in 2022: the cross dragged on for months, not days. This time, the backdrop looks worse. Bitcoin dominance has surged, altcoin liquidity is thinner and post-liquidation order books leave XRP exposed. A pullback into the mid-0.00001800s would cut the dollar price under $2 if BTC stays above six figures. That is the hidden risk the chart is portraying. Current situation For now, XRP holders see $2.49 and breathe easier than they did during the flush, but the moving average structure says it is false comfort. The death cross is about trend direction, not instant collapse. It signals that every rebound runs headfirst into resistance, and most of them fail. The burden shifts to bulls. Only a decisive break back above the averages can flip the story. Without it, Bitcoin keeps dictating the pace, and XRP trades as a follower, not a leader. The signal is simple, and the math is cold: $2.49 today, maybe $2.00 tomorrow if buyers do not show up.