70% of XRP Holders Just Got Reality Check? Here’s the Latest
With only days remaining in 2025, BullRunners founder Nick Anderson has delivered an assessment of the current market sentiment, particularly for XRP.
Rather than reinforcing expectations of a late-year surge, Anderson highlighted emerging data that suggests many investors are bracing for a restrained close to the year. His remarks present a shift away from optimism toward a more measured outlook, grounded in recent polling and certain developments across the digital asset space.
70% of #XRP Holders Just Got Reality Check? pic.twitter.com/xoqGjE87yN
— BULLRUNNERS (@BullrunnersHQ) December 27, 2025
Gemini Poll Points to Subdued Outlook
At the center of Anderson’s analysis is a new poll conducted on Gemini’s prediction platform. According to the results he highlighted, roughly 70% of participants now expect XRP to remain below $2 as the new year approaches.
With XRP trading near $1.88 at the time of his comments, the poll reflects growing acceptance that a decisive breakout may not materialize before year-end.
Anderson framed this as a “reality check” for holders who had anticipated a strong late rally. The data suggests that expectations have cooled over recent weeks, moving from hopes of acceleration to acceptance of continued consolidation.
He noted that XRP has been confined to a narrow range, oscillating between the mid-$1.80s and the $2 level, a pattern reinforced by lighter holiday trading volumes and limited fresh catalysts.
DeFi Tensions Add to Market Uncertainty
Beyond XRP itself, Anderson pointed to turbulence within decentralized finance as another factor shaping sentiment. He referenced governance tensions surrounding Aave, where questions have emerged about founder involvement in token purchases during a critical vote over control of key brand assets.
While denials have been issued, the episode underscores ongoing concerns about alignment between development teams and token holders in major protocols.
He also drew attention to a brief de-pegging event involving USX, a stablecoin on Solana, which reportedly slipped to around $0.80 before recovering close to parity after liquidity support was injected. Although the issuer maintained that the token remained fully backed, Anderson emphasized that even overcollateralized assets can experience stress when liquidity thins, particularly during quieter market periods.
Implications for XRP Holders
Taken together, these developments reinforce a more cautious mood across the market. For XRP holders, the Gemini poll serves as a signal that many participants are preparing for stability rather than expansion in the immediate term. Anderson suggested that in the absence of new inflows or decisive positive news, conservative expectations could shape trading behavior into the new year.
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At the same time, he acknowledged that thin liquidity cuts both ways. While it can suppress momentum, it also leaves room for sharper moves should buying pressure return unexpectedly.
A Market Defined by Prudence
Anderson’s message ultimately centers on preparation rather than prediction. By highlighting restrained expectations for XRP alongside structural risks within DeFi, he portrayed a market entering 2026 with caution.
For investors, his assessment implies that navigating the months ahead may depend less on anticipation of rapid gains and more on close attention to sentiment, liquidity, and governance signals shaping the crypto market.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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Investment Firm Borrows $1B in Stablecoins on Aave to Buy Ethereum
Investment firm Trend Research has an open long spot position on Ethereum ETH $2 914 24h volatility: 0.8% Market cap: $356.52 B Vol. 24h: $23.41 B at a nominal value of approximately $1 billion by depositing ETH collateral, borrowing stablecoins, buying Ether, and redepositing it on Aave AAVE $150.4 24h volatility: 2.7% Market cap: $2.31 B Vol. 24h: $218.66 M for a leveraged, high-conviction play.
This long position was spotted and reported by Lookonchain on December 29, with activity dating back to October 2025.
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According to its recent post on X, Trend Research has borrowed $958 million in stablecoins from Aave for that goal.
Trend Research(@Trend_Research_) keeps borrowing $USDT to buy $ETH.
Trend Research currently holds 601,074 $ETH($1.83B) and has borrowed a total of $958M in stablecoins from #Aave.
Based on the on-chain $ETH withdrawal prices from #Binance, the average purchase price is… pic.twitter.com/MLNVeN8r2l
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) December 29, 2025
The firm is leveraging Ethereum’s DeFi protocols by depositing ETH as collateral and borrowing stablecoins on Aave.
It then uses the borrowed stablecoins to buy Ether on Binance, withdraws the purchased ETH back to its on-chain address, and redeposits a portion on Aave to increase collateral and borrowing capacity for further leveraged positions.
Trend Research has an estimated dollar cost average of $3,265 for its ETH purchases, per Lookonchain.
How Is Trend Research Long-Positioning on ETH?
At the time of writing, the firm holds over 600,000 in Aave-deposited ETH, a position worth $1.8 billion at current prices, at $2,993 per Ether.
According to Arkham, this is held in the form of AETHWETH, an interest-bearing token issued by Aave when users make lending deposits and that later can be redeemed back by withdrawing the collateral.
Its recent activities on Dec. 29 started with an 11,520 ETH withdrawal from Binance, five days after depositing 20 million USDT to the exchange.
This amount was fully deposited on Aave’s lending contract and used as collateral for another 20 million USDT purchase that was deposited to Binance.
The pattern repeated with a 9,330 ETH withdrawal from Binance, again deposited on Aave, followed by, again, a 20 million USDT borrow and deposit on Binance.
Trend Research’s balance and onchain activity, as of December 29, 2025. | Source: Arkham Intelligence
ETH has been struggling to break back above the $3,000 resistance, a key level many analysts are eyeing to signal a bullish reversal for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Analysts believe sustained momentum could propel Ethereum up to $8,500.
In the meantime, Aave, Ethereum’s leading lending and borrowing DeFi protocol, is going through a historical moment governance-wise.
Aave Labs is pushing “token alignment” proposals in ongoing community discussions, seeing its first related proposal failing with record token-weighted participation.
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Vini Barbosa has covered the crypto industry professionally since 2020, summing up to over 10,000 hours of research, writing, and editing related content for media outlets and key industry players. Vini is an active commentator and a heavy user of the technology, truly believing in its revolutionary potential. Topics of interest include blockchain, open-source software, decentralized finance, and real-world utility.
Vini Barbosa on X
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Ethereum Whale Withdraws 2,218 ETH from Kraken as Wallet Reaches 2,738 ETH
According to OnchainLens monitoring data, a notable whale pulled assets from Kraken about seven hours ago, signaling meaningful on-chain activity and liquidity shifts. The exit included 2,218 ETH ($6.52 million), 37.1 million SKY ($2.36 million), and 4,772 AAVE ($7.3036 million).
The same wallet previously received 519 ETH ($1.62 million) from Wintermute 19 days ago and now holds 2,738 ETH ($8.07 million) in aggregate, underlining a sizable on-chain reserve and potential liquidity influence.