Monero Plunges 38% From $800 Peak While Derivatives Activity Signals Retail Retreat

Alexey Bondarev
Alexey BondarevJan, 21 2026 17:04
XMR climbs 8.49% in a day, clearing $352 resistance and opening a path toward $400 and the $480 supply zone. (Image: Shutterstock)
XMR climbs 8.49% in a day, clearing $352 resistance and opening a path toward $400 and the $480 supply zone. (Image: Shutterstock)

Monero (XMR) has dropped approximately 38% from its recent peak of $800 reached last Wednesday to trade below $500 during the American session on Wednesday, as broader cryptocurrency market weakness and declining derivatives activity signal reduced retail engagement with the privacy-focused token.

What Happened: Privacy Token Slides Amid Market Selloff

The decline mirrors a wider retreat across major cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell from $97,000 last week to around $89,000 on Wednesday. Ethereum (ETH), the leading altcoin by market capitalization, extended its slide below $3,000 but held above $2,900.

Derivatives data shows futures Open Interest for Monero at approximately $218 million on Wednesday, down sharply from roughly $272 million on Tuesday.

The pullback in outstanding futures contracts suggests traders are reducing risk exposure as the token tests critical support levels.

Also Read: The One Signal Everyone Missed Before Bitcoin Crashed And Wiped Out Nearly $1B

Why It Matters: Technical Breakdown

Technical indicators point to mounting downside pressure.

The Relative Strength Index has fallen below the midline on the daily chart, emphasizing increasing sell-side momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator remains below its signal line, aligning with the bearish structure.

Should selling persist, XMR may retest the 50-day Exponential Moving Average at $484 or potentially the 100-day EMA at $432.

A sustained hold above the 50-day EMA could restore confidence in a recovery toward $500, with resistance levels at $600, $700 and $800 marking key upside milestones.

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Alexey Bondarev

Alexey Bondarev is the Head of Content at Yellow.com, having reported on crypto for the last 10 years. He specializes in in-depth Research and Learn pieces, with a focus on analytical reporting, industry context, and the bigger forces shaping crypto, from the AI era and security technologies to fintech innovation. He believes that everything digital will imminently overcome everything analogue and is working hard to make that come true.

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