April 10 2025 – Ripple’s native currency XRP has shown good on-chain fundamentals, with 81.6 percent of its supply in the current profit zone according to data from the blockchain analytics company Santiment. But despite the positive indicators, a rising amount of investors in South Korea are taking a negative stance, raising questions regarding the long-term viability of the recent XRP rally.
XRP Price Momentum Meets Skepticism in Asia
XRP has gained more than 18% over the last two weeks, fueled by the wider market sentiment and optimism about Ripple’s worldwide expansion in payments. It is currently trading at $0.84 which puts the majority of holders who have been holding it for a long time in profits.
However, in Upbit or Bithumb, two of South Korean’s top cryptocurrency exchanges, the volume of trading for XRP has begun to decrease, while sell orders have increased dramatically within the last 48 hours.
“Korean retail traders are known for their momentum-driven behavior,” said Hana Lee, a senior expert at Seoul’s CoinRadar. “The data shows that many of them are now rotating out of XRP and into more volatile altcoins or stablecoins, possibly anticipating a near-term correction.”
Profit-Taking and Regulatory Uncertainty Weigh on Sentiment
The high proportion of profit-making wallets is frequently viewed as a dual-edged sword. While it signals strong performance, it can also trigger waves of profit-taking–especially when price momentum slows.
“Historically, when more than 80% of XRP holders are in the green, we tend to see a pullback shortly after,” said the blockchain expert Vincent Huang of CryptoQuant.
A contributing factor to the cautious atmosphere that is affecting the mood of people in Korea is the uncertainty in the regulatory landscape regarding crypto taxation as well as the possibility of new regulations for central exchanges. In the past, the South Korean government recently reiterated plans to institute more rigorous reporting requirements, which may hinder short-term speculation trading.
What’s Next for XRP?
Despite the current bearish outlook within Korean market, XRP remains a strong fundamental asset. Ripple’s victories over legal challenges in the U.S. and expansion in international payment corridors continue to spur interest from investors especially among institutions.
Analysts recommend keeping an watchful eye on global trade patterns and the movements of whale wallets, because these may indicate whether the current trend of profit-taking is restricted to Korea or the start of a wider shift.
“XRP remains one of the most polarizing assets in crypto,” said Maria Kwon, a digital asset strategist at AlphaTrade. “It’s resilient, but also reactive to both legal headlines and retail trading psychology–especially in high-volume markets like Korea.”