XRP Gains Retail Momentum via Rakuten Wallet Integration in Japan

XRP is expanding its retail utility in Japan through a strategic integration with Rakuten Wallet, enabling millions of users to bridge loyalty rewards with digital assets. This move marks one of the largest retail deployments of XRP as a payment method to date. The partnership allows Rakuten’s 44 million users to convert loyalty points—valued at over $23 billion—directly into XRP. These assets can then be traded within the app or spent at approximately 5 million merchant locations via the Rakuten Pay app, integrating crypto utility into a major global economy. Market sentiment has reacted positively to the news. Data from Santiment indicates that XRP's positive/negative sentiment ratio has climbed to 3.9, the second-highest level in two years. This represents a sharp increase from the 1.135 value recorded on March 29, reflecting renewed investor optimism regarding the token's adoption. However, price action remains constrained by technical overhead. XRP is currently facing a significant resistance zone between $1.40 and $1.45, where the 50-day exponential moving average and 100-day simple moving average converge. Furthermore, cost-basis distribution data shows approximately 2 billion XRP held at this level, suggesting a high probability of break-even selling. While the asset recently rallied 18% from a local low of $1.27 on April 5, it has struggled to maintain momentum above $1.48. Analysts suggest that a decisive break above the $1.40-$1.45 supply area could clear the path for a rally toward a measured target of $2.10.