XRP Slips Below $1 as Market Selloff Revives Bitcoin ‘Death’ Narrative
XRP dropped below the $1 mark on August 14, 2026, touching as low as $0.99 as a broad crypto market selloff dragged prices lower. The move quickly triggered a familiar wave of bearish commentary online, with some traders declaring the token — and crypto broadly — on its way out. But not everyone in the market is reading the dip the same way.
A Familiar Pattern of Panic
Coach JB, a crypto trader and commentator, highlighted that Bitcoin alone has been declared “dead” more than 470 times since its creation — a figure that has circulated widely among crypto bulls as a rebuttal to recurring bearish calls. He argues that investors who bought into that narrative and stayed out of the market each time would have missed out on substantial long-term gains, though this framing reflects hindsight bias and isn’t a guarantee of future performance.
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The “Bitcoin is dead” narrative has been a recurring theme since the cryptocurrency’s early days. From the Mt. Gox collapse in 2014 to the 2018 bear market and the 2022 crypto winter, each major downturn has produced a fresh wave of obituaries. Yet Bitcoin has repeatedly recovered, reaching new all-time highs in subsequent cycles.
How XRP and Bitcoin Have Performed Since 2020
According to figures shared by Coach JB, since January 2020:
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- Bitcoin is up approximately 796%
- XRP is up approximately 445%
- Gold is up approximately 179%
- S&P 500 is up approximately 137%
- U.S. real estate is up approximately 55%
These figures reflect historical price performance over a specific window and don’t account for the volatility experienced along the way, including XRP’s multi-year legal battle with the SEC or Bitcoin’s own sharp drawdowns during that period. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
A Dollar-Cost Averaging Strategy Through the Dip
Rather than treating the drop below $1 as a signal to exit, Coach JB says his own approach has been to dollar-cost average — buying more aggressively as prices fall and taking profits as prices recover. He disclosed that his largest holdings are currently XRP, followed by Bitcoin and Solana, and that he began accumulating XRP years before it became a mainstream trade, and Bitcoin starting around 2023.
He also offered a near-term price outlook, suggesting XRP could continue trading between roughly $0.60 and $0.90 before a potential recovery later in the year, and that Bitcoin could see further downside into the $40,000-$50,000 range. It’s worth stressing that this is one individual’s speculative outlook, not a verified forecast, and crypto markets remain highly unpredictable. Nobody, including seasoned traders, can reliably predict short-term price movements.
What This Means for Crypto Investors
The current selloff comes amid a broader risk-off sentiment across global markets, with concerns about inflation, regulatory uncertainty, and macroeconomic headwinds weighing on digital assets. For long-term investors, the key takeaway from the “Bitcoin is dead” history is that market cycles are normal, and sharp drawdowns have often been followed by recoveries.
However, that doesn’t mean every token will rebound, or that the current downturn won’t deepen. XRP’s legal history with the SEC, which concluded in 2023 with a partial victory for Ripple, remains a lingering factor in its price trajectory. Regulatory clarity in the U.S. has improved since then, but global regulatory developments continue to influence market sentiment.
For those watching the market, the next few weeks could be critical. Key support levels for XRP sit around $0.90, while Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $50,000 will likely determine the direction of the broader crypto market. As always, investors are advised to conduct their own research and consider their risk tolerance before making any decisions.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and uncertain. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.
