According to on-chain analytics firm Santiment, XRP’s largest holders have pushed their combined balances to the highest level in nearly eight years, as the token tests the upper end of a recent trading range near $1.50. Santiment reported that wallets holding at least 10 million XRP now control 45.83 billion tokens, worth roughly $68.5 billion at the price mentioned in its update. The firm described this as a whale-led push, noting that these wallets now hold 68.5% of XRP’s total supply. “XRP is teasing a $1.50 market value, and whale wallets are leading the charge,” Santiment wrote on X. “Wallets with at least 10M XRP now hold a combined 45.83B XRP tokens ($68.5B USD), the most they’ve held since May 2018. This translates to 68.5% of the coin’s supply.”
Why This Is a Crucial Moment for XRP Price
The $1.50 level has drawn extra attention because it aligns with a key technical zone on the daily chart. Crypto analyst Cheds Trading described the move as an “XRP bounce into range peak on daily,” sharing a chart that shows the price pressing into the upper boundary of a multi-month consolidation range. This means the current move isn’t just about whale balance growth. XRP has rebounded from a lower support zone and is now trading into an area where previous rallies stalled. A decisive move through that area would change the near-term structure, while failure would reinforce the range that has contained the asset since the sharp sell-off earlier this year.
Related Reading: XRP Is Quietly Taking Over And These Are The Things That Investors Keep Missing
Santiment’s broader wallet data adds another layer to the whale accumulation story. In a separate update on May 13, the firm said the XRP Ledger had reached an all-time high of 332,230 wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP. According to Santiment, that count has been steadily growing since June 2024. “The continued rise in XRP Ledger wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP is an important long-term signal because it shows that larger holders have kept accumulating even during periods of volatility and uncertainty,” Santiment wrote. “Historically, rising numbers of mid-to-large wallets suggest increasing conviction from investors who are less focused on short-term price swings and more interested in long-term positioning.”
Santiment also highlighted the context behind the trend. XRP has spent much of 2026 trading below previous highs, meaning the rise in larger holder groups has occurred during times when momentum wasn’t consistently supportive. The firm framed this as evidence of accumulation during weaker market conditions, rather than a simple reaction to upside volatility.
Related Reading: XRP Ledger Hits Record High In 10K+ Wallets As Larger Holders Accumulate
There was one notable interruption. Santiment said the number of wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP dropped by more than 4,500 between February 6 and February 8. The firm noted there was no confirmed XRP-specific event directly tied to that decline, but added that the timing “strongly suggests” it was linked to the broader crypto crash and liquidations on February 5. Since then, the growth in wallets with 10,000 or more XRP has exceeded the pre-drop level, according to Santiment. That recovery is central to the bullish interpretation of the data: larger holders appear to have rebuilt and expanded their positions after the liquidation-driven reset.
The immediate market question is whether whale accumulation can lead to a clean break above the range peak near $1.50. Santiment’s data points to rising concentration among the largest wallets and continued growth in mid-to-large XRP holders. At press time, XRP traded at $1.469.
Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the recent XRP whale activity and the potential price surge to 150
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is an XRP whale
A whale is a person or entity that holds a very large amount of XRPenough to potentially influence the market price if they buy or sell
2 Why is it news that whales now hold the most XRP since 2018
Its a big deal because it signals that major investors are confident The last time whales held this much was in 2018 just before a big price run It often suggests they expect the price to go up
3 Does this mean XRP will definitely hit 150
No nothing is guaranteed Its a positive sign but prices can still drop due to market news regulations or sudden selling Its a strong indicator not a promise
4 If whales are buying should I buy XRP too
Not automatically Whales have longterm strategies and can afford big risks You should only invest what you can lose do your own research and never follow whales blindly
Intermediate Advanced Questions
5 How exactly do whales accumulate tokens without driving the price up too fast
They often use dark pool exchanges overthecounter trades or split large orders into many small ones over time This hides their activity and prevents a sudden price spike
6 What does the supply shock theory have to do with this whale accumulation
Supply shock means that if whales are holding tokens off exchanges there are fewer tokens available for regular buyers If demand stays the same or rises the reduced supply can push the price higherpotentially toward 150
7 Is this whale activity related to the SEC lawsuit outcome
Yes very likely Many whales may have been waiting for clarity on Ripples legal battle with the SEC The partial legal win in 2023 reduced uncertainty making them comfortable buying again
8 How can I track whale movements in real time
You can use blockchain explorers like XRP Scan or sites like Whale Alert They show large transactions but remember not every big transfer is a buyit could be a whale moving tokens to an exchange to sell
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