The investors’ fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) for XRP is at a multi-year peak as of April 13, 2026.
The XRP’s Ratio of Positive vs. Negative Commentary on social media – a metric tracking bullish versus bearish remarks – dropped to the third lowest level in two years, according to data from Santiment. At reporting time, this index hovered in the FUD zone, indicating a fearful crowd.
Historically, XRP’s price has often shown bullish momentum whenever the crowd sentiment ratio entered the FUD zone. For example, after the social sentiment ratio bottomed in February 2025, XRP rebounded to its all-time high (ATH) above $3.64.
“With retail finally turning their backs on XRP after a 63% price drop over the past 9 months, this kind of signal can help you capitalize on their bearishness if you’re willing to be patient a bit longer,” Santiment noted.
XRP fear spikes as on-chain signals otherwise
The sharp decline in XRP’s positive-to-negative sentiment ratio has coincided with a notable growth of the XRP Ledger (XRPL). As Finbold recently reported, XRPL’s addresses have steadily increased year-to-date (YTD), reaching an ATH above 8.18 million at press time.
Additionally, as Finbold pointed out, the average number of transactions per ledger has surged to levels historically associated with macro bull markets.
What’s next for the token?
The extreme FUD for this token has coincided with its multi-week consolidation, which followed a capitulation earlier this year. The large-cap altcoin, with a market capitalization of about $81.4 billion at the time of publication, had fallen over 28% YTD to trade at approximately $1.32 on Monday.
As Finbold highlighted, the ongoing XRP consolidation is similar to that of several other cryptocurrency pairs and could end up being a bearish pennant, a continuation chart pattern. As such, the current high FUD for this token could signal a potential bull trap rather than a sustained recovery, as demonstrated by the temporary rebound and renewed selling pressure in October 2025.
