XRP News Today: Whales Buy 72 Million $XRP as Price Nears $1 Support
XRP is back in the spotlight this week. In today's XRP news cycle, whales scooped up more than 72 million coins in a single day, even as the price slid to its weakest close in nearly two years. That mismatch between falling price and rising whale interest is what has traders talking.
This XRP price prediction breaks down what the on-chain data actually shows, what analysts are watching for support, and why address activity is telling a more complicated story than the headline number.
What happened to XRP price today
The altcoin closed near $1.00 on August 12, according to Santiment Intelligence data. That is the lowest daily close since November 2024 and roughly 69% below the January 2025 peak near $3.30.
As of the latest snapshot, the altcoin trades around $1.00, down about 0.1% over 24 hours, with a market cap near $63.29 billion. The 24-hour trading range sat between a low of $0.9991 and a high of $1.01.
For context, XRP's all-time high remains $3.84 from January 2018, putting the coin roughly 74% below that mark. Its all-time low was $0.002802 back in July 2014.
Why whales bought 72 million $XRP in 24 hours
Crypto analyst Ali Charts flagged a sharp jump in whale holdings. In the last 24 hours, large wallets added over 72 million coins, pushing whale holdings from roughly 12.05 billion to about 12.18 billion tokens.
That is a fast move for large holders, and it came right as retail price action turned negative. Charts asked the obvious question: are whales preparing for a bull rally, or just buying a dip they think is temporary?
Whale accumulation during a price drop is not automatically bullish. It can mean big holders see value at these levels. It can also mean they are simply averaging down. The chart alone does not answer that.
$XRP address activity is rising, but new users are not
Santiment's on-chain read adds nuance most headlines skip. Active addresses picked up meaningfully in August, but that activity is coming from existing wallets, not new ones.
Metric | July 2026 | August 2026 | Change |
Active addresses (daily avg) | ~26,400 | ~35,700 | Up about one-third |
New addresses (daily avg) | ~2,270 | ~2,260 | Roughly flat |
Busiest day | — | Aug 11 | Busiest since Jun 5 |
In short, current holders are transacting more, but no fresh wave of users is showing up. That matters for any ripple price prediction, because sustainable rallies usually need new demand, not just existing wallets moving coins around.
Whale exchange flows are falling, not rising
Analyst Crypto Patel pointed to a different but related signal: whale-to-exchange flow. That metric has dropped roughly 38.9%, meaning big holders are not aggressively depositing XRP onto exchanges to sell.
That is a mildly supportive sign. It suggests the recent decline is not being driven by whale dumping. But Patel's broader read stays cautious, citing persistent lower highs and lows alongside weak spot demand.
Key support and resistance levels to watch
According to analysis, $1 is the level that matters most right now.
Lose $1 decisively: the next major downside target becomes $0.50, a 50% drop from current levels.
Reclaim $1.15: needed to meaningfully improve the technical structure and ease bearish pressure.
Until one of those levels breaks, the asset looks stuck in a holding pattern between whale accumulation and weak retail demand.
XRP ETF and ecosystem news today
Away from price charts, XRP's institutional and utility side kept moving. Bitwise clients bought $2.25 million worth of the spot ETF in a single day, the only net buyers across the entire XRP ETF market that day.
That brings Bitwise's cumulative inflow to $512 million, with total assets under management at $942 million and $1.513 billion in inflows since launch.
On the DeFi side, Flare Networks announced that FXRP is now live as collateral on Derive, described as the largest onchain options exchange. The integration lets users trade XRP options and perpetuals against FXRP on a self-custodial, permissionless basis.
XRP price prediction: what to watch next
Putting the pieces together, the $XRP price today sits at a genuine crossroads. Whale accumulation and falling exchange inflows offer some support. Flat new-address growth and a technically bearish structure argue the other way.
Traders watching XRP latest news this week should treat $1 and $1.15 as the two lines that matter most. A clean break either way will likely set the tone for XRP's next move, rather than any single headline on its own.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and speculative. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
