The XRP price ended the month of December at around $2.08 after a period of back and forth between gains and declines. Although it ended December just above the $2 mark, the XRP price went through a bullish period in the first half of the month, which saw it peaking around $2.9, its peak price in over six years. 

Despite ending the month at a 28% decline from this six-year peak, XRP has nonetheless achieved the highest monthly candle body close in its history. This interesting phenomenon was noted by crypto analyst Tony Severino, who also suggested that the XRP price is on track to reach $13 this cycle.

XRP Price Completes Highest Candle Body Close In History

XRP ended December at a 6.94% gain from where it started, building upon an unexpected 281.7% increase in November, according to data from CryptoRank. This period of price increases saw XRP receiving considerable attention from crypto analysts and investors, with various predictions of a continued bullish momentum into 2025.

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However, Bitcoin’s failure above the $100,000 price mark seems to have stalled XRP’s momentum alongside many other cryptocurrencies. This caused XRP to spend the latter half of December in a correction plus consolidation path. Nevertheless, the bullish trajectory remains valid for XRP, with recent technical analysis by crypto analyst Tony Severino also lending voice to this.

The XRP price registered its current all-time high of $3.40 in January 2018 but closed out the month at $1.124 to kickstart consecutive bearish candles on the monthly timeframe. As pointed out on the XRP monthly candles by Tony Severino, December 2024 was the highest monthly close for the XRP price.

Although the cryptocurrency failed to break past its current all-time high during December, it managed to accomplish this notable milestone. While this isn’t much of a technical indicator, it lends voice to the lingering bullish momentum surrounding the XRP price, which has prevented further price declines below the $2 mark.

Technical Analysis Points To $13 Price Target

Crypto analyst Tony Severino also highlighted an interesting technical pattern playing out on XRP’s daily candlestick timeframe. According to the analyst, a bull flag seems to be emerging after XRP’s price correction in December. 

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The bull flag pattern identified by Severino is a technical setup often associated with significant price surges. It is characterized by the steep upward movement in November, followed by a period of consolidation in a downward-sloping channel in December. 

A breakout to the upside from the bull flag pattern typically leads to a continuation of the initial rally. In the case of XRP, Tony Severino projected a breakout that would see XRP surge to $13 in the coming months. 

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.37 and is up by about 12% in the past 24 hours. Reaching the projected $13 target would translate to a 450% gain from the current price level.

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

It is no secret that the world we live in is not very accepting of all body types. The body positivity movement has been one of the most popular in the last decade because of our increased awareness of this phenomenon.

The last decade has also seen a lot of technological advances, specifically the increased use of decentralized technologies like blockchain. Now, the metaverse is the hot tech buzzword as we’re all looking to interact in a virtual world. But with a lack of body positivity running rampant in the physical world, will it not spill into the virtual one as well?

This is exactly what BopoVerse, a metaverse community dedicated to body positivity, is working to solve.

Bringing Positivity to the Metaverse

One of the cornerstones of the metaverse is the virtual avatars that we are supposedly going to interact with, usually in the form of collectible NFTs. One thing you might have noticed is that these NFTs are usually of a specific body type.

This is the first way that body exclusion finds its way into the metaverse and this is the first way that BopoVerse is fighting back. All of its over 10,000 NFTs (made by artist David Nieto) feature curvy beautiful women with different features.

The diverse body types that are being showcased by BopoVerse are inspired by a community called Plus PPL. This is a community of body-positive women who come together digitally to inspire one another. Previously, Plus PPL has launched a social app and as a global brand has reached up to 100 million women so far. By tapping into this community, BopoVerse can bring the message of body positivity to even more people.

As these NFTs interact in the metaverse, users can enjoy diversity and inclusion. There won’t be any atmosphere of any body type being excluded or shamed as BopoVerse emphasizes healthy interactions between all its users.

NFT holders will be able to use their digital assets in a commercial way that will be best for both them and the community.

Considering the fact that BopoVerse has announced a slew of projects including a comics series and an online series that will feature NFT characters, there are several avenues for the NFTs to be used.

The goal of these projects, ultimately, is to not only act as commercial ventures but also to empower its users worldwide.

Some of the proceeds from the ecosystem will also be given to charity and users can vote on which charities receive the money. For those who just want to have fun, BopoVerse will have a gaming arena where users can interact as their avatars to play games or just meet with other BopoVerse users.

To get one of the NFTs, BopoVerse is launching its first minting phase in March 31, 2022. There are different NFTs in terms of rarity and the chances of getting one of the rarer ones depend on several factors.

In the second quarter of 2022, BopoVerse will be launching its Discord channel, continuing development on BopoVerse CLUB and Arena, Reveal BopoVerse NFTs and much more. Those interested can sign up to the BopoVerse whitelist by visiting their website and getting more information from their official Instagram and Twitter handles.

A Body Positive Metaverse

As it is in the material world, body position is something that needs to be consciously worked towards. BopoVerse is doing just this by creating a space where users can enjoy all the benefits of the metaverse without any of the body exclusion that finds its way into the virtual world at times.

As the metaverse becomes a bigger part of our lives, body positivity must not be left behind.

As Idan D. the CEO explains, “We want to make an impact in the world. With the metaverse and web 3.0 we can do it. The NFT can help us create a new tribe with a successful brand and start impacting the world and empower people.”

Hopefully, as more projects are created and are made aware of the importance of body positivity, we can strive for a world that is more inclusive of bodies than before.

U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing figure skating body, has started accepting donations in a slew of cryptocurrencies, including meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, after partnering with third-party vendor Engiven.

Executive Director Ramsey Baker claims that cryptocurrencies represent an innovative way of donating funds, adding that the new option will allow athletes and programs to secure more financial support:

We continue to look for new and innovative ways to provide funding to the U.S. Figure Skating athletes, clubs, programs and initiatives.

Engiven automatically converts all donated funds to the U.S. Dollar in order not to deal with volatility.

Founded all the way back in 1921, the nonprofit organization is responsible for regulating standards for skating proficiency in the States. It also picks the athletes and officials who represent Team USA at various international competitions, including the in-progress Olympic Games.

Contributors can choose among several funds, such as Destination Beijing and Friends of Figure Skating.

U.S. Figure Skating mainly derives its revenue from dues and admission fees as well as licensing fees.

Earlier today, U.S. figure skater Nathan Chen set a world record with his outstanding short program, which puts him awfully close to winning gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Prior to that, Team USA secured a silver medal in the team event behind ROC, the team from Russia.

The U.S. has so far won 51 medals in figure skating, including 15 gold medals, which is more than any other country.

Even though crypto has already become mainstream, U.S. Figure Skating is the only sports governing body that accepts cryptocurrency donations so far. It announced its plan to embrace crypto in November.