XRP Reclaims $1.28 as Whales Add 1.53B XRP in Six Months
XRP pushed back above $1.28 after a 13% one-day move, returning to a price it had not touched in about two weeks. The easy explanation is the relief rally: traders bought after reports of softer US-Iran tensions. Fine. But my take: the cleaner signal is not the candle, it is the wallet behavior underneath it. Large XRP wallets have been adding for six months, and that can leave less supply sitting around for fast trades.
Monday’s move came as altcoins bounced on reports of a possible US-Iran resolution. That headline took pressure off risk assets, crypto included. Markets do this. When a geopolitical scare cools, traders often run back into risk before the facts are fully nailed down. January 2020 is the closest rough comparison here. After the Soleimani strike panic faded, Bitcoin gained about 4% to 7% within 72 hours as risk appetite came back. Different setup, same reflex.
The stronger signal comes from Santiment’s on-chain data. Addresses holding at least one million XRP now control 74.1% of the token supply, according to the firm. Over the past six months, those wallets added 1.53 billion XRP. That is not pocket-change accumulation. It means a large block of XRP moved into wallets that tend to sell more slowly, even while sentiment was weak and prices were under pressure. Why does this matter? Because when fear eased after the de-escalation headline, buyers had less loose supply to chew through. That helped the rally move fast.
For traders, concentration is the uncomfortable part. If almost three quarters of supply sits with large holders, even a modest demand burst can move price more than a clean chart model would suggest. Most guides say whale concentration is automatically bearish. That is only half right. It can be a sell-pressure risk, yes, but during a rebound it can also mean fewer impatient sellers near the current price. I’ll be honest: I would not call this proof of a new trend. Crypto almost never gives proof when people want it. Still, 1.53 billion XRP added during weak sentiment is hard to wave away.
XRP also has older narratives still running in the background. Ripple’s payment network gives holders a reason to argue that XRP is not just a trade. Tokenization projects on the XRP Ledger have been getting attention beyond the usual retail crowd. I am careful with that story, because crypto loves dressing hope up as utility. Counter to the usual advice, though, narrative is not always worthless. When it is paired with six months of wallet accumulation, it can give large holders a reason to wait instead of dumping into every bounce.
By the time the macro headline hit, the quiet buyers were already positioned. Then price started moving, and sidelined traders had a bad choice: chase or wait. We have all seen that tape before. The US-Iran news removed the immediate drag. Whale buying had already tightened the supply picture. XRP did not need much more than that.
What this means
XRP is trading less like a pure mood coin right now and more like an asset with a tighter supply setup. Wallets holding at least one million XRP added 1.53 billion XRP in six months, according to Santiment. Is this overkill to watch wallet concentration so closely? For XRP right now, no. If demand comes back even modestly, there may be fewer easy sellers around the current price. That can make the next move rougher in either direction.
The next thing to watch is blunt: do those large wallets keep adding, or do they sell into strength? Santiment’s chart for this holder group matters over the next few sessions. Traders should also watch for renewed US-Iran tension, because risk assets can give back relief rallies fast. For XRP itself, Ripple partnership news matters. So does new tokenization activity on the XRP Ledger. The $1.28 area is the first support level I would watch. If it holds, previous highs become the next clear resistance zone.
FAQ
Q: What caused XRP’s recent price surge?
A: XRP rose during a broad altcoin relief rally tied to reports of a possible US-Iran resolution. Months of buying from large XRP holders also helped the move.
Q: How much XRP have whales accumulated recently?
A: Santiment says addresses holding at least one million XRP added 1.53 billion XRP over the past six months.
Q: What percentage of XRP’s supply do large holders control?
A: Santiment says wallets with at least one million XRP now control 74.1% of the total XRP supply.
Q: Why is the concentration of XRP supply important?
A: When more XRP sits in large wallets that usually sell slowly, less supply may be available on the market. That can make price moves sharper when demand returns.
Q: What long-term narratives support XRP’s value?
A: Supporters point to Ripple’s institutional payment network and growing interest in tokenization on the XRP Ledger.
Q: What should traders monitor next for XRP?
A: Watch whale holdings on Santiment, renewed geopolitical stress, Ripple partnership news, XRP Ledger tokenization updates, and whether $1.28 holds as support.