XRP has recently experienced a notable shift in its trading activities, highlighted by a significant uptick in transactions exceeding $100,000 on the XRP Ledger, reaching a peak not seen in three months. This increase in large transfers suggests rising engagement from major investors, especially as the token’s price has started to decrease, hinting at potential volatility in the near future.

Whale Activity Increases While Exchange Balances Drop

According to analytics platform Santiment, whale movements of XRP surged from 2,170 on Monday to 2,802 the following day, marking the highest level in daily transfers since October. Santiment noted that such active engagement from large holders is typically followed by substantial price fluctuations.

This rise in transactions is in stark contrast to conditions on trading platforms. As reported by CryptoOnchain contributors, XRP reserves on Binance have diminished to approximately 2.6 billion tokens—the lowest figure since January 2024. This decline suggests that investors are opting for self-custody solutions rather than selling off their assets.

Additionally, the Arab Chain analytics team observed a decreasing trend in whale deposits to Binance since mid-December, signaling a reduction in selling interest among large players, while retail activity has remained steady.

Just recently, CNBC recognized XRP as the “hottest crypto trade” of 2026, reflecting growing interest in assets that can yield substantial returns, surpassing that of Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) following strong ETF inflows last year.

Current Price and Market Outlook

At the time of writing, XRP is priced around $2.13, experiencing a 6% decline over the past day. Earlier in the week, it approached $2.40 before profit-taking drove prices lower in a broader market retreat.

Recent trends indicate that XRP remains up about 16% over the last week and nearly 14% over the past two weeks, while monthly gains are slightly above 3%. Analysts are closely monitoring a key support level at $2.27; maintaining a position above this threshold is crucial for sustaining bullish momentum.

In summary, the combination of rising whale transfers and decreasing exchange balances suggests strategic positioning rather than panic selling, even as short-term price swings are anticipated.