What to know:
- XRP whales increased holdings by 2.8% while retail wallets reduced exposure, highlighting growing institutional conviction despite recent price consolidation.
- XRP spot ETFs attracted renewed net inflows, reinforcing institutional participation alongside improving market sentiment and strengthening the asset’s broader outlook.
- Proposed XRP Ledger upgrades include batch transactions, confidential transfers, and Multi-Purpose Token enhancements, expanding functionality while supporting ecosystem development efforts.
Large XRP investors are increasing their holdings while retail traders reduce their exposure, reinforcing signs of growing institutional conviction. According to Santiment, wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million XRP expanded their combined balances by 2.8% over the past five weeks. During the same period, wallets holding less than 0.01 XRP reduced their balances by 5.2%, highlighting a widening gap between whale and retail activity.
The accumulation unfolded while XRP traded between approximately $1.05 and $1.12. Instead of reducing exposure during the consolidation phase, large holders steadily added to their positions. Consequently, their buying activity coincided with XRP’s gradual recovery above the $1.16 level.
CoinGecko data shows that XRP has gained more than 3% over the past week, while according to Santiment, its price has historically tracked the activity of whale wallets more closely than that of the smallest retail holders. That pattern has encouraged traders to monitor large wallet activity as a potential signal of broader market direction.
ETF demand supports institutional participation
Besides on-chain accumulation, institutional demand has also improved through XRP spot exchange-traded funds. Recent fund flow data shows that XRP spot ETFs attracted $5.09 million in net inflows on July 21. Those gains followed inflows of $2.27 million on July 20 and $6.10 million on July 16.
The positive flows reversed a brief period of outflows recorded earlier this month. Consequently, renewed institutional interest has complemented whale accumulation. Even so, broader cryptocurrency market conditions and macroeconomic developments remain important factors influencing XRP’s price performance.
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Growing ETF demand also reflects sustained interest from professional investors. Combined with whale accumulation, the trend suggests that larger market participants are increasing exposure despite recent price consolidation.
XRP Ledger prepares major upgrades
Meanwhile, upcoming improvements on the XRP Ledger have become another key development, with validators expected to vote on one of the network’s most significant amendment packages within the coming weeks.
The proposed upgrades include batch transactions, confidential transfers, and enhancements to the Multi-Purpose Token standard. Additionally, the package aims to improve transaction efficiency while expanding the network’s capabilities for developers and businesses building on the ledger.
Network development has become another closely watched factor alongside capital flows. Market participants are evaluating whether infrastructure improvements can strengthen XRP’s long-term utility while supporting broader ecosystem growth.
Whale accumulation, recovering ETF inflows, and planned XRP Ledger upgrades have strengthened XRP’s overall market backdrop. While those factors do not guarantee additional price gains, they reflect increasing participation from larger investors as retail holders reduce their exposure.
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