XRP rose 6.4% to $1.47 on September 21 after Bitcoin climbed 5.3% to $84,702, its highest level since January 31. The move triggered roughly $300 million in short liquidations (forced buybacks of bearish positions), with XRP carrying the largest share of shorts to unwind. CoinGlass recorded about $313 million in liquidations during the hour Bitcoin crossed $84,000, 96% of them shorts, while 24-hour liquidations reached around $710 million, with shorts accounting for 86%. Ethereum gained 5.4%, Solana surged 6.6% and Zcash rose 4.5%. XRP’s negative funding rate (the periodic payment between futures traders) had persisted for more than a week, indicating crowded bearish positioning, while the token had recently lagged the wider market. Despite the daily gain, XRP remained down 1.5% over 30 days and about 20% for the year, although it was up 4.6% over the past week after falling 8% a week earlier. The token traded above its 200-day moving average of $1.35 and 20-day average of $1.32. Key support levels were $1.41, $1.35 and $1.30, while resistance stood at $1.50, $1.55 and the August high of $1.70. A rising 50-day moving average may soon cross above the 200-day average, a pattern known as a golden cross. The rebound may lose momentum after short positions are cleared, and Ripple’s planned release of one billion XRP from escrow (tokens held under a release schedule) on October 1 could weigh on the price beforehand. A close above $1.50 could put $1.55 and $1.70 in focus, while a close below $1.41 would indicate that squeeze pressure had ended.