- XRP exchange reserves stabilize after prolonged selling pressure
- Whale activity declines as market shifts toward smaller participants
- Price remains range-bound with demand needed for breakout
XRP’s market structure has been quietly shifting, and it didn’t happen overnight. After a long stretch of heavy distribution, where selling pressure was pretty obvious, things have started to cool off a bit. Exchange reserves on Binance, for example, dropped from around 3.05 billion tokens in mid-2025 to roughly 2.75 billion now, while price sits near $1.38. That earlier peak lined up with much higher prices, around $3.50, which suggests a lot of supply was flowing in back then.
Selling Pressure Eases After Capitulation Phase
As the cycle moved forward, both price and reserves fell sharply into early 2026. That period felt like a reset, reserves dipped to around 2.55 billion, and price touched near $1.25. It had that classic capitulation feel, where weaker hands step out and the market kind of… clears itself.
Since February, though, things have stabilized. Reserves are hovering near 2.75 billion again, but without the same aggressive inflows we saw before. That’s important. It suggests sellers aren’t rushing to exchanges anymore, or at least not in the same way. And when supply slows like that, it can open the door for accumulation, assuming demand shows up.
Whale Activity Fades, Market Structure Shifts
Another noticeable change is in order flow. Earlier in the cycle, large whale-sized trades were clearly supporting price, especially in that $2 to $3 range. Those bigger players were active, absorbing supply and helping maintain structure.
Now, that activity has faded. The average order size has dropped, which usually means whales have stepped back, or maybe already positioned themselves. With them less involved, price has drifted lower, settling closer to the $1.30 range.
That shift matters. Without large players actively supporting the market, price tends to move more naturally, less controlled, but also more dependent on broader participation. It’s not necessarily bearish, just… different.
Liquidity Remains a Limiting Factor
On the spot side, activity is still there, but it’s not exactly strong. Volume looks moderate, steady enough to keep things moving, but not enough to drive a breakout. Since that February reset, reserves and price have been holding relatively stable, but buying pressure hasn’t really picked up in a meaningful way.
Retail traders seem to be doing most of the work right now, while institutional flows remain quiet. That imbalance makes it harder for price to push through key resistance levels, especially around $1.50 to $1.60.
Liquidity conditions reflect this too. Order books aren’t particularly deep, and spreads can widen when volume drops. That creates a situation where price can move quickly if demand spikes, but also stall if it doesn’t.
Market Awaits Stronger Demand
So, XRP is sitting in a kind of balanced, but fragile state. Selling pressure has eased, whales have mostly stepped back, and supply on exchanges isn’t growing aggressively anymore. All of that points to a market that’s no longer under heavy stress.
But without stronger demand, especially from larger players, price remains stuck in a range. If inflows increase, things could shift quickly, maybe faster than expected. If not, consolidation might just continue a bit longer.
Either way, this feels like a transition phase. Not the end of the move, but definitely not the beginning either.
