XRP Price: Whales Buy Big, ETFs Flow In — But Can XRP Hold $1?

Source: Coincentral2026/08/15 14:51
Analysis
XRP's price action around the $1 psychological level is being shaped by conflicting signals: whale accumulation of over 72 million tokens and renewed ETF inflows contrast with a bearish moving-average stack and a bridge exploit that drained roughly 200,000 XRP. The Coreum-XRP bridge incident, which triggered a shutdown and FBI involvement, introduces a security overhang that could weigh on sentiment even as on-chain activity reaches a two-month high. Institutional participation is broadening, with Morgan Stanley disclosing $1 million in XRP exposure via 13F filings, though ETF holdings still represent only 1.49% of total market cap. The key developments to watch are whether the $1.0020 support level holds on further tests, whether whale accumulation continues at current levels, and how the CLARITY Act legislative timeline in September-October influences market positioning. The divergence between bearish social sentiment and rising on-chain participation may signal a potential turning point, but the bridge exploit and thin trading volume suggest caution.

If you have any feedback or questions about this content, please contact us at crypto.news@kcex.com

TLDR

  • XRP is trading around $1.01, sitting just below key moving averages at $1.03, $1.06, $1.08, and $1.31
  • Whales bought over 72 million XRP in a single day after the dip below $1
  • XRP ETF inflows turned positive at $2.25 million, led by Bitwise after four days of inactivity
  • The Coreum–XRP bridge was exploited for roughly 200,000 XRP, prompting a shutdown and FBI involvement
  • On-chain activity hit a 2-month high with 49,929 active addresses in 24 hours

XRP is trading at around $1.01 after briefly dipping below $1 for the first time since November 2024. The price has since recovered slightly, but it remains under pressure.

xrp price
XRP Price

The altcoin is sitting below all major moving averages. The 7-, 20-, 50-, and 200-day SMAs are stacked overhead at $1.03, $1.06, $1.08, and $1.31, forming a bearish setup.

Daily trading volume came in at $885 million, down from $905 million the day before. Thin volume and a compressed daily range suggest buyers aren’t showing strong conviction right now.

The dip below $1 did attract attention from larger players. Whales bought more than 72 million XRP tokens in a single day. Total whale holdings rose from 12.09 billion to 12.18 billion tokens between August 12 and August 13.

In the last 24 hours, whales bought over 72 million $XRP.

I wonder what they know that we don't… Are they preparing for a bull rally? https://t.co/70eHTdeG8a pic.twitter.com/te6Q8JKB7U

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) August 13, 2026

Analyst Ali Martinez noted the buying activity and questioned whether whales were positioning for a bull rally.

Institutional Interest Returns

Institutions also stepped back in. XRP ETF inflows turned positive at $2.25 million in daily net inflows after four days of no activity. Bitwise XRP ETF accounted for all of that inflow, and leads all XRP ETFs with a cumulative net inflow of $512 million.

Source: SoSoValue

Morgan Stanley also disclosed $1 million in XRP exposure through a 13F filing with the SEC, invested across ETFs from Franklin, Bitwise, and Rex-Osprey. Even with the fresh inflows, XRP ETFs represent only 1.49% of the asset’s total market cap.

A separate issue added to the uncertain environment. The Coreum–XRP bridge was drained of roughly 200,000 XRP after an attacker used a fake deposit to trigger withdrawals. The bridge was shut down and the FBI was brought in.

On-Chain Activity Spikes

Crypto analytics firm Santiment noted that XRP saw 49,929 active addresses in a single 24-hour period, its highest level in over two months. Santiment pointed out that while sentiment on social platforms like X, Reddit, and Telegram had reached a 3-month bearish extreme, on-chain participation was actually rising — a counter-signal that bulls often look for.

😠 XRP negativity surged throughout this week as prices have failed to rally (so far). Crowd commentary is now at a 3-month bearish extreme across X, Reddit, Telegram, and other crypto channels.

⚡ The XRP Ledger, on the other hand, is not so quiet. $XRP just saw 49,929 active… pic.twitter.com/CmXxOHSYt0

— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) August 14, 2026

The $1.0020 support level has held across four separate tests on the hourly chart. TD Sequential has also flashed a buy signal on the monthly chart, and over 3 billion tokens have been accumulated at this price level.

Traders are watching September–October as a potential window for movement tied to the CLARITY Act, a piece of legislation that could shift market sentiment depending on the outcome.

The post XRP Price: Whales Buy Big, ETFs Flow In — But Can XRP Hold $1? appeared first on CoinCentral.

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this website are sourced from public platforms and are for reference only. These articles do not represent the views or opinions of KCEX. All copyrights belong to the original authors. If you believe that any reposted article infringes upon the rights of a third party, please contact crypto.news@kcex.com for removal. KCEX makes no representations or warranties regarding the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of reposted articles, and shall not be liable for any actions or decisions made based on such content. Reposted materials are for informational purposes only and do not constitute advice, endorsement, or basis for any commercial, financial, legal, and/or tax decisions.