XRP tokens linked to Ripple have seen a resurgence in positive discussions on social media, a phenomenon that has historically preceded a correction in price. The ratio of positive to negative sentiment regarding XRP on social media reached the FOMO zone on April 29, peaking at 3.9 on Santiment's tracker. This is the highest reading since March 19, when a similar spike was followed by a sharp decline. Sentiment ratios exceeding the FOMO threshold indicate overwhelmingly positive crowd commentary, which Santiment interprets as a contrarian signal.
Historically, when social media chatter reaches such levels, the token tends to consolidate or correct in subsequent days as the demand driving the social wave dwindles. The recent integration of XRP with Rakuten Pay, enabling the conversion of points into XRP, has sparked significant excitement. This development allows an estimated 44 million Rakuten users to utilize XRP across over 5 million merchant locations, trade it within the Rakuten Pay app, and convert their Rakuten points directly into XRP.
The announcement was hailed by Ripple's senior ecosystem growth manager, Tatsiya Kohrogi, as one of the most significant milestones for XRP. The market took two weeks to fully grasp the implications, with sentiment gradually building before spiking this week. Despite the social media fervor, XRP traded at $1.37 on Thursday, marking a 2.1% decline over 24 hours and a 3.7% decrease over the week. Santiment also identified March 29 as a prior 'buy the dip' opportunity, when XRP sentiment reached the fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) zone, and the token subsequently rebounded.
The pattern throughout 2026 has been consistent, with crowd sentiment leading price movements by 24 to 72 hours in either direction, and crowd extremes often marking reversals rather than continuations. XRP has primarily traded between $1.37 and $1.60 throughout April. A clear break of either side will determine whether the Rakuten integration signals the start of a sustained revaluation or another fleeting headline.