XRP has slipped about 4% since the start of 2026, trading near $1.90 on major exchanges, even as on-chain data shows a rise in large holders. The divergence between price and wallet growth is shaping a cautious but closely watched setup for the token as investors weigh accumulation signals against weak short-term trends. The data suggests that while XRP’s market price has struggled to regain levels seen earlier in January, a segment of high-balance holders is quietly increasing exposure, a pattern that often draws attention during consolidation phases. Whale Wallets Rise as Price Holds Below Long-Term Trend On January 29, Santiment reported that XRP has added a net 42 wallets holding at least one million tokens since the beginning of the year, the first increase in “millionaire” wallets since September 2025. The analytics firm noted that the price decline over the same period remains modest at around 4%, pointing to accumulation rather than distribution among larger addresses. At the time of writing, XRP was trading at $1.88, down about 2% over the past 24 hours and roughly 4% in the last seven days, according to CoinGecko data. On a monthly view, the token is slightly higher, up about 2%, but it remains close to 40% lower than a year ago. Technical data cited by Arab Chain placed the Ripple token around 25% below its 200-day moving average, which sits near $2.50. Risk-adjusted metrics also reflect caution. The 30-day Sharpe Ratio is close to zero, suggesting recent returns have offered little compensation for volatility, while short-term momentum readings point to consolidation rather than a strong directional move. This technical picture matches up with recent commentary from market watchers like XrpArthur, who warned against optimistic price targets circulating on social media, arguing that projections of $13 to $30 ignore macro conditions, liquidity, Federal Reserve policy, Bitcoin dominance, and actual usage on the XRP Ledger. ETF Flows, Regulation, and Expectations Shape 2026 Outlook Projections shared this week by crypto investment firm 21Shares offered a more measured framework for XRP’s path in 2026. The company outlined a base-case price near $2.45, a bull case around $2.70, and a bear case closer to $1.60. The outlook leans heavily on regulatory clarity following the August 2025 settlement of the long-running SEC case, which reopened access for U.S. institutions and regulated funds. 21Shares also pointed to U.S. spot XRP ETFs as a structural demand source, noting more than $1.3 billion in assets under management within their first month. Still, the firm cautioned that sustained inflows, growth in tokenization activity, and adoption of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin remain necessary to justify higher valuations. Recent technical coverage shows XRP moving within a narrow range between $1.80 and $2.00, with analysts watching whether the token can reclaim resistance near $2.00. As it stands, the increase in large wallets contrasts with a market that remains hesitant, leaving XRP in a holding pattern as 2026 unfolds. The post XRP Defies Price Dip With 42 New Millionaire Wallets in 2026 appeared first on CryptoPotato .
