XRP awarded EU EMI license! Whales invest 2 million to open positions with 20x leverage

Ripple gains Luxembourg EMI license to expand European payments, another breakthrough after the UK. XRP price is $2.13, up 200% in 18 months. With 75 licenses worldwide—the most—handling 95 billion transactions. Whales open a $2.12 long position with 20x leverage, totaling 2 million USD. Support at $2.00, with $3.05 as a key resistance.

XRP Luxembourg EMI License Sparks European Payment Revolution

Ripple’s parent company today received an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from the Luxembourg Financial Sector Supervisory Commission (CSSF), allowing it to expand payment services across Europe. According to official announcements, the EU license will help Ripple support EU institutions in transitioning from traditional technology to seamless, real-time, 24/7 payment methods.

Ripple President Monica Long stated: “The EU is one of the earliest major jurisdictions to implement comprehensive digital asset regulation, providing financial institutions with the certainty needed to move blockchain from pilot phases to commercial scale.” This regulatory certainty is what traditional financial institutions crave. In the past, banks and payment companies were interested in blockchain but hesitant to invest at scale due to regulatory ambiguity. Now, MiCA (EU Crypto Asset Market Regulation) provides a clear framework, and Ripple’s EMI license demonstrates compliance with EU standards.

Luxembourg’s approval follows last week’s announcement that Ripple received an EMI license and crypto asset registration from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). These consecutive regulatory breakthroughs show Ripple accelerating its global compliance deployment. The EU and UK are among the world’s most important financial markets; obtaining licenses in both means Ripple can legally serve hundreds of millions of people and trillions of dollars in cross-border payments.

These licenses in the EU and UK give Ripple over 75 regulatory licenses worldwide, making it one of the most licensed crypto companies globally. This number itself is a competitive advantage. In the highly regulated payments industry, the number of licenses directly determines market access. Ripple’s 75 licenses cover major economies, enabling it to offer a truly global payment network, while competitors may only operate legally in a few countries.

Three Strategic Significance of Ripple’s European Regulatory Breakthrough

Market Access: Legally serve the EU 27 + UK, covering trillions of dollars in cross-border payments

Institutional Trust: MiCA compliance endorsement encourages banks and financial institutions to adopt Ripple technology

Network Effect: 75 global licenses create a coverage advantage, making it hard for competitors to catch up

Ripple Payments continues to expand globally, covering over 90% of the daily forex market, with a total transaction volume exceeding 95 billion USD. This accumulated volume proves Ripple is not just a concept but an operational payment network. Covering 90% of the forex market means Ripple supports real-time settlement for almost all major currency pairs—an extent difficult for traditional SWIFT systems to match.

Whale Signals: 20x Leverage, $2 Million Smart Money

Regulatory progress has been reflected in token price increases. Over the past 18 months, XRP has risen over 200%, currently trading around $2.13, with a market cap close to $130 billion, making it the fifth-largest crypto asset by market cap. Despite a consolidation phase, XRP is expected to rise over 13% by 2026. Analysts believe XRP is preparing to break above $3 again.

A highly liquid whale was found opening a nearly $2 million XRP long position at about $2.12, using 20x leverage. This indicates smart money is returning, ready to ride the next wave higher. The whale’s move is highly instructive. 20x leverage implies very high risk; if XRP drops more than 5%, the position will be forcibly liquidated. Willing to use such high leverage shows strong confidence that XRP will not crash in the short term.

A $2 million position is extremely rare among retail investors—usually only professional traders or institutions deploy such size. This large capital influx is often based on deep fundamental research and inside information. When the whale opened long positions at $2.12, it may have had access to positive news unknown to ordinary investors or a more precise technical judgment. This “smart money” movement is a leading indicator that retail investors should watch closely.

Furthermore, the $2.12 price level is technically significant. It sits just above the $2.00 psychological support, but still has about 40% upside to reach the $3.00 target. Using 20x leverage, if XRP reaches $3.00, the return on this position would be 800% (40% spot gain × 20 leverage). This risk-reward ratio is very attractive for aggressive traders.

Technical Path: Support at $2.00 and Breakout at $3.05

(Source: Trading View)

The weekly XRP chart shows the market consolidating within a broad upward structure, with prices holding above the key $2.00 support level. XRP trades between $2.10 and $2.15, maintaining the psychological $2.00 level and an ascending bottom, indicating that despite a long-term correction, buyers are defending higher lows.

The downward trendline since the previous cycle high remains a major resistance, limiting price movement. The $3.05 zone is the most critical upside level, marking the previous breakout area and a major liquidity zone. Both previous rallies of about 70% and 38% were halted here, further confirming this area as a key supply zone.

Prices are compressing within a narrowing range, often a precursor to a directional move. RSI remains around 40, indicating neutral momentum but no panic selling. Historically, XRP tends to bottom within this RSI zone and then recover after establishing strong support. The 9-week moving average is flattening near current prices, suggesting selling pressure is waning and the market is transitioning from distribution to accumulation.

If XRP can hold above $2.00 and close strongly on the weekly chart, reclaiming the downward trendline, the probability of advancing toward resistance at $2.70–$3.05 increases. A confirmed break above $3.05 would signal a trend reversal and open the door for larger gains. The path from $2.13 to $3.05 requires about 43% growth, which is not impossible for a volatile asset like XRP.

The substantive impact of the EU EMI license may gradually materialize over the coming months. As more European banks and financial institutions adopt Ripple’s technology for cross-border payments, demand for XRP will structurally increase. This fundamental improvement, combined with technical breakout, could create a perfect environment for upward movement.