The end-of-year crypto market is filled with gloom, with the entire market losing $3.2 billion in value, and Bitcoin experiencing a net outflow of $443 million in just one week. Yet, amidst this extreme fear, XRP has defied the trend, attracting a net institutional inflow of $70.2 million, leaving other mainstream cryptocurrencies far behind.

The logic behind this "contrarian move" is quite clear—regulatory certainty. The five-year lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple has finally been settled, with XRP's secondary trading explicitly classified as non-security. Coupled with the regulatory exemption granted by the SEC, the barriers to entry for the entire ecosystem have instantly disappeared. Institutions can now invest with confidence.

Just look at the numbers to see how hot it is: the net assets of XRP's US spot ETF have surpassed $1.25 billion. These large funds are no longer chasing short-term spot volatility but are instead favoring a more secure approach through compliant ETFs.

On the technical side, the price has been oscillating between $1.85 and $1.91. Although there is clear resistance around $1.90, buy orders at $1.86 remain solid as a rock. The continuous inflow of ETF funds acts like a natural shield, effectively preventing a potential free-fall decline.

When the market's fear and greed index drops to just 23, the institutions voting with real money tend to favor assets worth paying close attention to in the long term. Once the price breaks through the $1.91 barrier, a wave of short covering may begin, and a push toward the $2.00 level could be imminent.