- Whales have added $1.5 billion worth of XRP, signaling strong institutional demand
- Seven spot XRP ETF applications await the SEC’s decisions from October 18, boosting hopes of approval
- XRP is holding the $3 support as lower interest rates and government bond movements fuel the bullish trend
XRP entered October with renewed momentum, breaking above $3 and drawing attention from traders, institutions, and regulators.
The digital asset, which often ranks behind Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) in major rallies, has captured broad market interest.
A combination of whale accumulation, rising speculation around XRP ETFs, and a favorable macroeconomic backdrop has set the stage for what could be one of XRP’s most pivotal periods in years.
Rising Whale Appetite for XRP
Large holders have become more visible in recent days. Wallets holding between 100 million and 1 billion XRP added more than half a billion tokens, worth approximately $1.54 billion.
That inflow has pushed whale balances close to record highs and underscores current confidence among large holders.
Despite some profit-taking, whale positions remain elevated, reflecting continued faith in XRP’s trajectory.
At the same time, short-term investors have been building positions: one- to three-month holding cohorts have grown steadily, while the share of supply changing hands within a single day has surged significantly.
The simultaneous accumulation by whales and retail traders has created a rare alignment of positioning, with both sides of the market betting on a short-term breach above $3.10.
XRP ETF Approval Odds Surge Ahead of October Decisions
Much of the recent enthusiasm stems from imminent rulings on multiple spot XRP ETF applications.
The U.S. SEC is scheduled to issue the first decision on October 18, with six additional cases following in the days after.
Regulatory shifts — including the reintroduction of general registration standards — have increased the likelihood of approvals and drawn comparisons to the regulatory path that led to Bitcoin ETFs.
Bitcoin ETFs have already attracted over $150 billion in inflows; if XRP ETFs win similar approvals, even on a smaller scale, mainstream investor access could be transformative for the market.
Prediction markets, including Polymarket, have already priced approval probabilities above 99%, further fueling speculative activity in anticipation of a green light.
Institutions Are Accumulating XRP
Beyond ETF speculation, corporate treasuries have begun to add XRP to their holdings.
Nasdaq-listed VivoPower announced plans to allocate $19 million to XRP, while Japan’s Gumi boosted its XRP holdings by more than $13 million.
These moves reinforce the idea that companies see XRP not only as a speculative token but also as a long-term asset with utility in cross-border payments.
Ripple itself has been advancing institutional adoption.
In Japan, SBI Holdings expanded institutional lending services for XRP following its partnership with Ripple, deepening liquidity in Asian markets.
Ripple also committed $1.3 million in stablecoins to fund a new digital asset center at UC Berkeley, a hub focused on blockchain research and tokenizing real-world assets.
These initiatives strengthen the narrative that XRP is positioning itself for broader financial adoption.
XRP Price Outlook
XRP rose nearly 11% over the past week and more than 490% year-to-date, highlighting its ability to capitalize on a bullish cycle.
However, the token has been forming a descending triangle since early August; recent action suggests mounting pressure for a decisive breakout.
The token has reclaimed both the 20-day and 50-day moving averages; the relative strength index (RSI) sits in neutral territory and momentum indicators like the MACD have turned bullish.
The coming weeks could prove more decisive than the rest of the year combined, driven by whale inflows, institutional bond flows, the looming ETF deadlines, and a macro backdrop that has turned supportive.
Short-term resistance at $3.10 remains the key hurdle for continued upside momentum.
A sustained close above $3.10 could open the door to targets near $3.40 and potentially $3.66.
Some analysts see a run toward $4.20 as possible if strong volume and further institutional flows accompany the move.
Nevertheless, for XRP to maintain its current bullish breakout, it must hold support at $2.99 — a level that proved resilient in recent sessions.