XRP whales absorb 72M as ETFs stall

TLDR

Large XRP (XRP) holders have bought around 72 million tokens near $1 while spot XRP ETFs show very weak new inflows, shifting demand away from funds toward whales.

1. On chain data shows whales added about 72 million XRP in 24 hours, lifting total large holder balances above 12 billion and coinciding with heavy exchange withdrawals.
2. Spot XRP ETFs are stuck near $1 billion in net assets, with August inflows so far only a few million dollars and several recent sessions recording zero net flows.
3. This divergence between whale accumulation, ETF stagnation and a flat price near $1 sets up a binary path where support and regulatory news could decide XRPs next big move.

Deep Dive

1. Whale Buying At $1

Multiple reports confirm whales bought roughly 72 million XRP in a single day, around $72 million at the current price, bringing large holder balances to about 12.18 billion XRP and adding dozens of new million-plus wallets over recent months. This buying has occurred with XRP hovering near $1 and down around 70 percent from its early 2025 peak, suggesting some large holders see the current zone as value rather than capitulation. At the same time, exchange withdrawal metrics show the share of XRP transactions moving off centralized exchanges at their highest levels since 2019, reinforcing the picture of big accounts shifting coins into long term storage.

2. ETF Flows And Demand

Spot XRP ETFs previously locked nearly 1 billion XRP, but recent inflows have faded, with net assets dipping below the $1 billion mark and only about $3.27 million of new capital in the first half of August plus several zero-flow sessions according to one tracker, as highlighted in the U.Today piece on 72 million XRP accumulation and ETF net assets. Another session later in August did see a modest $2.25 million inflow into one XRP fund, yet flows remain thin compared with prior months and with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Separate analysis shows XRP derivatives open interest now far exceeds ETF exposure, indicating leveraged traders and whales dominate price formation more than regulated funds.

3. Signals To Watch Next

Right now XRP trades around $1 with a market cap near $62.9 billion and only a small negative move over the past week, so price has not yet followed whales higher or broken decisively lower. Key near term signals are whether the $1 area and lower supports around $0.87 to $0.80 hold, whether ETF inflows restart as the CLARITY Act and other regulatory steps progress, and whether whale behavior flips from accumulation back to depositing on exchanges. If whales keep buying while ETF flows and retail interest stay muted, XRP could simply grind sideways until a clearer regulatory or macro catalyst arrives.

Conclusion

XRPs current setup is unusual: large holders are aggressively buying near $1 while regulated ETF demand is stalling and derivatives activity grows. That mix reduces near term selling pressure but leaves the next major move dependent on whether support holds and institutional flows reaccelerate. Watching price levels around $1, ETF net flows and whale exchange behavior will be crucial for understanding how this imbalance resolves.