Large XRP holders have sustained an accumulation trend over the past five weeks, adding to optimism around the cryptocurrency’s latest price recovery above $1.16 as retail participation tempers.
According to on-chain analytics platform Santiment, addresses holding between 100,000 and 100 million XRP expanded their collective balances by 2.8% over the past five weeks. Conversely, micro-wallets holding less than 0.01 XRP reduced their holdings by 5.2% over the same period, signaling a clear divergence between institutional accumulation and retail distribution.
XRP briefly climbed above $1.16 on Tuesday as the broader crypto market recovered. According to CoinMarketCap, the token traded between $1.13 and $1.16 over the past 24 hours and was up 0.06% at the time of writing.
The divergence suggests that larger investors, often referred to as whales and sharks, are increasing exposure while the smallest retail holders step away.
Santiment noted that XRP has historically tracked the behavior of major stakeholders more closely than micro wallets, making the latest accumulation trend a constructive signal for price.
Whale buying grows while inflows drops
The bullish on-chain data comes as selling activity from large XRP holders appears to be easing. According to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, whale deposits to Binance fell to 25.3 million XRP, the lowest level since January 2025. At the beginning of the year, large holders transferred as much as 583 million XRP—worth roughly $1.36 billion at the time—to the exchange.
The 90-day average value of whale inflows has also dropped sharply, declining from around $460 million earlier this year to approximately $69 million. Lower exchange inflows are generally viewed as a sign that large investors are reducing selling activity, limiting immediate supply pressure.
Darkfost said the decline marks an important first step in the exhaustion of major sellers but added that XRP would still require sustained demand to support a longer-lasting rally.
Institutional tailwinds
Santiment said the accumulation trend aligns with XRP’s improving market backdrop. The data pointed to growing institutional access through XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) products and the resolution of Ripple’s long-running legal dispute with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as key factors supporting sentiment.
The firm also cited continued adoption of the XRP Ledger for payments, tokenization and Ripple USD (RLUSD) as keeping the asset in focus. The combination of stronger holders accumulating while smaller retail investors reduce exposure has historically supported positive price momentum for XRP.
Demand still lags
Despite encouraging on-chain signals, broader market participation remains subdued. Spot trading activity has weakened on both Binance and South Korea’s Upbit, indicating that retail demand has yet to return in force. While lower trading volumes suggest limited buying interest, they also indicate that speculative retail enthusiasm has not yet peaked, leaving room for fresh demand if market conditions improve.
For now, whale accumulation and declining exchange inflows provide a supportive foundation for XRP’s recent recovery. Whether the token can extend gains beyond its latest rebound will likely depend on sustained spot buying and broader cryptocurrency market sentiment in the weeks ahead.
Also Read: Why is XRP Price Up Today?
