XRP vs ETH: The 2018 pattern reappears, XRP is expected to surpass Ethereum and reach a historic high of $5.

Since April, the performance of Ethereum has continued to outperform XRP due to the introduction of DATs like Bitmine and Sharplink gaming, leading XRP to lag behind in the XRP vs ETH chart. However, analyst CryptoBull has observed that the weekly price chart of XRP against Ethereum is reproducing a similar pattern to the first significant breakthrough in 2018, when XRP reached an ATH of $3.84. This similarity suggests that XRP may experience a significant reversal and could surpass Ethereum before the end of the year, with the potential to break through $5.

Historical Pattern Reappears: XRP is Expected to Replicate the Glory of 2018

Despite the fact that the market capitalization of XRP currently lags behind Ethereum by about 300 billion dollars, the observations of technical analysts have brought strong bullish expectations for XRP.

• Fractal Theory Support: Analyst CryptoBull has noted that the current price trend fractals of XRP and Ethereum are highly similar to the patterns observed during the first major breakout period of XRP in 2018. This pattern repetition is often seen by traders as a strong signal of a market trend reversal.
• Best Month of the Year Boost: This optimistic expectation is reinforced by seasonal factors: historically, November is usually the best month for cryptocurrency performance. Data shows that Bitcoin averages a 46% increase in November, and this “ripple effect” often extends to major altcoins like XRP.
• Exceeding Expectations: Analysts predict that this pattern suggests XRP is likely to outperform Ethereum and set a new ATH before the end of this year, potentially even breaking the $5 threshold.

Technical Analysis: Consolidating XRP or a Dip to $2.40 to Hunt for Liquidity

From the XRP/USDT 1-hour chart, XRP has been consolidating within a clear range, with key resistance located in the $2.66 to $2.79 area.

• Consolidation and Breakthrough Key: The price movement shows that after a recent pullback, a consolidation pattern is forming, which is a typical behavior of the market to hunt for liquidity before a decisive breakthrough. 2.661 USD is a key breakthrough level. If XRP can increase in volume and stabilize above this level, it will confirm the end of the consolidation and may initiate a rally to retest the 2.79 USD resistance or even higher.
• Short-term bearish expectation: However, traders should expect the price may experience a downward “spike” in the short term, which is a normal behavior of the market trying to find pockets of liquidity below the current level before attempting a breakout.
• Support and Structure Maintenance: Key support levels seem to be forming in the $2.46 to $2.50 range. Holding this area is crucial for maintaining the current bullish structure. Once lost, XRP may dip to the lower levels of $2.35 to $2.40 until new buyers step in.
• Weakened Resistance: Technical analyst EtherNasyonaL points out that when a resistance level is tested more than three times and the price continues to accumulate above the main support level, that resistance will eventually be broken. Each test weakens the sellers' defense, supply gets absorbed, liquidity thins out, and market pressure gradually accumulates.

Ethereum and XRP (Ripple) latest developments

Ethereum's core progress focuses on technical optimization of its infrastructure and a surge in network activity:

• Fusaka Upgrade Lock Date: After the meeting on October 30, Ethereum core developers officially scheduled the highly anticipated Fusaka Upgrade (the second hard fork in 2025) for December 3.
• PeerDAS Functionality: The core feature of the Fusaka upgrade is PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling), a technology designed to significantly reduce bandwidth requirements and lower transaction costs on Layer 2 (L2) networks by allowing validators to only verify a portion of data blocks, thereby making Ethereum more scalable.
• Record Network Activity: Despite the macroeconomic environment causing market fluctuations, the daily transaction volume and active address count on the Ethereum mainnet reached historical highs, while Gas fees remained low, indicating a strong market interest in on-chain protocols such as DeFi and NFTs.
• Institutional Interest Increases: As the ETH price breaks through $3,900, institutional demand surges, with asset management firms such as DeLeion Capital launching new asset management plans focused on Ethereum.

XRP is mainly focused on the enterprise development of Ripple, regulatory dynamics, and the expectations for ETFs:

• Ripple Prime Brand Restructuring: Ripple has completed the acquisition of the bulk brokerage firm Hidden Road and rebranded it to Ripple Prime in October. The platform offers a one-stop service for institutional clients, providing trading, financing, clearing, and risk management, aimed at promoting the development of institutional-level crypto business.
• RLUSD Stablecoin Integration: Ripple's dollar stablecoin RLUSD has gained more applications within the ecosystem. Multiple institutions (such as Brale) have announced the integration of RLUSD, and clients have begun using RLUSD as collateral, enhancing the utility and reach of this stablecoin.
• ETF Expectations and Regulatory Dynamics: The market is highly focused on the possibility of XRP spot ETF approval. The Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise stated that the XRP ETF could “easily become” a billion-dollar fund within a few months of its launch. Additionally, the 120-day review period by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for Ripple's application for a U.S. chartered banking license is nearing its end, which is also a focal point of market attention.
• Market Volatility: Despite positive corporate and regulatory news, XRP prices saw a significant drop at the end of October, falling below key support levels due to hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve and a broader decline in the cryptocurrency market.

Conclusion

Despite the recent temporary lag of XRP in market capitalization and performance compared to Ethereum, the reappearance of the key breakout fractal from 2018 on its weekly chart injects strong bullish sentiment into XRP price prediction. Coupled with the historic market optimism in November, XRP is expected to break the current consolidation and launch an attack towards its all-time high. For altcoin investment, closely monitoring the breakout point at 2.66 USD and the support area at 2.46 USD is key to capturing the next wave of market movement.