XRP’s trajectory this year has been defined by short rallies and pullbacks. Although the token has posted a modest 7.7% recovery since the US-Iran conflict, it is still down 20.7% year to date (YTD).
However, a key on-chain signal points to strong underlying momentum, highlighting growing conviction among holders.
XRP Holders Keep Accumulating Despite Price Slump
Santiment’s data shows wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP have climbed to an all-time high of 332,230. This extends a broader upward trend that has been underway since June 2024.
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The analytics firm stressed that rising counts typically signal greater conviction among those less focused on short-term price swings.
“This is especially notable because XRP has spent much of 2026 trading below previous highs, meaning many holders appear willing to accumulate during fear rather than chase momentum,” the post read.
Nonetheless, wallet counts did not rise in a straight line. Between February 6 and 8, the cohort lost over 4,500 wallets in the trend’s sharpest contraction.
Santiment linked the drop to the broader crypto crash and liquidation cascade on February 5. The firm identified no XRP-specific catalyst.
Meanwhile, wallets holding 10,000 or more XRP sit above retail traders and below institutional whales, a tier typically populated by high-conviction individual investors and smaller funds.
When this cohort grows steadily, it’s a quiet form of accumulation that doesn’t show up in price action but reshapes the supply structure beneath it. None of this guarantees an imminent rally.
But the setup that typically precedes XRP’s larger moves is now in place: shrinking float, conviction buyers absorbing supply, and a market that just stress-tested a flush and came out stronger.
For now, XRP continues to move in lockstep with the broader market. The altcoin has seen modest declines of 0.52% over the past 24 hours. At press time, XRP traded at $1.45.
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