XRP Whales Add 2.8% More Holdings, Strengthening Bullish Breakout Case
XRP's climb to a 2-week high is being supported by more than improving sentiment. Fresh on-chain data from Santiment Intelligence shows the network's largest holders are steadily accumulating, reinforcing expectations that institutional and high-net-worth investors are positioning for further gains.
Wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million XRP, commonly referred to as whales and sharks, have increased their combined holdings by 2.8% over the past five weeks. The buying spree coincided with XRP reclaiming $1.16 before easing to $1.14, according to CoinCodex.
Well, this accumulation is a tip of the iceberg because large investors typically add to positions during periods of consolidation rather than chase rallies, signaling growing confidence in XRP's medium- to long-term outlook.
Retail investors, however, have moved in the opposite direction. Santiment reports that wallets holding less than 0.01 XRP reduced their balances by 5.2% over the same period.
Historically, XRP has often delivered stronger performance when major holders accumulate while smaller wallets sell, making the current divergence another bullish signal.
XRP Eyes Major Breakout Amid Whale Buying and Rising Institutional Demand
Santiment acknowledged that XRP’s on-chain strength is also supported by improving fundamentals. Institutional access continues to expand through XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Ripple's resolved legal dispute with the SEC, and the XRP Ledger’s broader adoption across cross-border payments, tokenization, stablecoins, and AI-driven financial applications.
Furthermore, growing usage of Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin has further boosted activity across the ecosystem.
Derivatives markets are adding to the bullish narrative. Open interest has continued to build despite relatively subdued spot trading, suggesting traders are positioning for a larger directional move rather than reacting to short-term price fluctuations.
Combined with XRP's series of higher lows, the broader market structure continues to favor the bulls.
From a technical standpoint, analysts are closely monitoring a developing triple-bottom pattern, a formation often associated with major trend reversals.
A decisive breakout above key resistance on strong volume could trigger the next leg higher with some long-term price targets being $9, $15, and $31.
Therefore, the combination of whale accumulation, strengthening fundamentals, rising derivatives participation, and improving technical indicators points to a market that may be building momentum for a significant breakout.