XRP Partners Bahrain Fintech Bay & Whale Selling Pressure
Ripple (XRP) Expands Middle East Influence With Bahrain Fintech Bay Amidst Mounting Whale Selling Pressure
On October 9, 2025, Ripple – a leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions – announced a significant strategic partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB). This move is expected to solidify Ripple's foothold in the Middle East, an increasingly dynamic region in the blockchain and digital asset space. However, this positive development coincides with XRP's price facing substantial selling pressure from large investors, commonly known as "whales," raising market concerns.
The partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay is a major step for Ripple in expanding its digital asset infrastructure, including the RLUSD stablecoin, into a strategic Middle Eastern market.
1. Strategic Partnership Between Ripple And Bahrain Fintech Bay
Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB) is a premier fintech incubator and ecosystem builder in Bahrain, playing a crucial role in advancing blockchain and digital asset technologies. The partnership with Ripple outlines clear objectives:
• Pilot Project Development: Supporting proofs-of-concept and pilot projects within Bahrain's fintech ecosystem.
• Solution Showcases: Demonstrating cutting-edge solutions in blockchain, cross-border payments, digital assets, and tokenization. Notably, Ripple aims to offer its digital asset custody solution and its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin to financial institutions in Bahrain.
• Knowledge Initiatives: Leading collaborative educational and acceleration programs.
• Event Engagement: Fostering new industry partnerships through specialized local ecosystem events.
Significance of the Partnership:
• Bahrain's Position Strengthened: Bahrain is recognized as a financial services hub and a pioneer in regulating and adopting crypto assets. This partnership further cements Bahrain's status as a burgeoning digital and blockchain hub in the Middle East.
• Ripple's Expanding Footprint: Building on its license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in March 2025, this collaboration further expands Ripple's presence in the Middle East, bringing Ripple's total global regulatory licenses to over 60.
2. Whale Selling Pressure And XRP Price Volatility
While the partnership news provides a long-term positive signal, XRP's price has been under significant sell-off pressure over the past month. As of October 9, 2025, XRP's price had declined by 6% and was trading around $2.83.
In the past 30 days alone, whale wallets holding between 1 million and 10 million XRP tokens have offloaded approximately 440 million tokens, valued at over $1.2 billion, indicating weakening sentiment among major investors.
Factors Contributing to Selling Pressure:
• ETF Skepticism: Despite predictions of a spot XRP ETF launch, many whales have opted to sell rather than accumulate.
• US Government Shutdown: The uncertainty surrounding the US government shutdown has delayed SEC decisions on spot XRP ETFs, which were anticipated between October 18 and 25, 2025.
• Profit-Taking and Short Positions: The sale by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen in July, coupled with whales opening short positions between $2.90 and $2.96, has contributed to bearish sentiment.
• Technical Indicators: XRP's MVRV (Z-Score) has dropped to 2.21, signaling that the average profit of holders has weakened. The Network Value to Transaction (NVT) ratio spiked to 1,800, suggesting a disconnect between XRP's market cap and on-chain activity, implying recent price gains might be speculative rather than organic demand.
3. Price Analysis and Outlook for XRP
Amidst intense selling pressure, key price levels for XRP are:
• Critical Support Level: $2.80 (or $2.83) represents a strong support zone with high trading volume.
• Key Threshold: If XRP breaks below $2.72, another crucial support level, the price could further decline towards $2.39.
• Recovery Potential: Some analysts suggest that if the $2.72 level holds, XRP could retest $3.08. A breakout above $3.30 could potentially push the token's price up by 60-85% in the long term, possibly reaching above $4.
Conclusion
Ripple's partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay is a strong indicator of the company's expansion and commitment to the global digital asset ecosystem. However, the XRP market is currently dominated by macro factors and whale behavior, leading to significant price depreciation. Investors should closely monitor the US government situation, SEC ETF decisions, and critical technical price levels to make informed decisions.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely to provide information and market insights at the time of publication. We make no promises or guarantees regarding performance, returns, or the absolute accuracy of the data. All investment decisions are the sole responsibility of the reader.