XRP whales accumulate 4.63B tokens during market downtrend

XRP's largest holders accumulated 4.63 billion tokens valued at about $4.9 billion during the token's decline from its July peak, on-chain data show.

"The cohort did not buy the top and hold — they bought throughout the downturn," Kamilah Stevenson, host of a wealth-focused YouTube show, said in a July 27 episode citing wallet and exchange-flow data.

Large-wallet balances fell to about 7.5 billion XRP by mid-August as holders sold into the rally, then climbed to roughly 11.8 billion by December, paused for three months, and resumed rising in March to a current 12.13 billion, Stevenson said. Wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million XRP accumulated steadily, while those with 100,000 to 10 million XRP distributed. Binance outflow dominance reached 91.4%, and retail activity across major exchanges fell about 8.4%. Large holders accounted for roughly 90.5% of exchange flows, suggesting withdrawals into self-custody rather than deposits for sale.

More than 332,000 wallets now hold at least 10,000 XRP, while new wallet creation dropped to its lowest since November 2024, indicating limited new-user demand even as established holders repositioned. Stevenson compared the setup with similar exchange readings seen before XRP advances in October 2024 and June of the prior year but cautioned that "large holders can be early."

The accumulation pattern mirrors a broader trend of supply concentration among sophisticated investors during price weakness. XRP traded at about $1.10 in late July, down from its 2026 peak above $3, according to CoinGecko data. The token's 41,000% gain from its 2014 price of $0.002 means a $1,000 investment made 12 years ago would be worth about $550,000 today.

If whale buying continues at the current pace and retail demand eventually returns, the reduced circulating supply could create conditions for a price squeeze. The next test for XRP will be whether it can hold support near $1.00 and attract fresh buying interest from smaller participants.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.