Although Ripple’s cross-border token was unable to sustain the rally that began on Thursday, it still helped drive a notable spike in overall network usage across the ecosystem.
At the same time, analysts observed that some investors are “quietly buying long positions” while the asset remains below the critical 100 EMA line.
Network Usage Rocketed as Price Tried to Break Out
XRP’s price surged on Thursday, likely fueled by momentum around the CLARITY Act in the US. The bill advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee, a development many market participants saw as a major step toward potential passage and, ultimately, improved regulatory clarity for digital assets.
Given Ripple’s long-running dispute with the SEC over whether XRP should be classified as a security, the token was viewed as a potential beneficiary of clearer legislation. Following a bipartisan 15–9 committee vote in favor of the bill, XRP climbed from about $1.42 to $1.55 — its highest level in roughly two months.
That price movement translated into increased activity on the XRP Ledger. Santiment Intelligence reported that the surge in price produced the highest level of on-chain activity since March, with both active addresses and network growth reaching their strongest 24-hour levels in months.
📈 The $XRP price surge above $1.54 for the first time in 2 months was enough to help the network erupt to its highest level of on-chain activity since March. The XRP Ledger just had its highest 24-hour period of:
🏃 Active Addresses (48,453: Highest Since March 30)
👶 Network… pic.twitter.com/iInHHdei5P— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) May 15, 2026
The token was rejected near $1.55 shortly after the spike and fell back to its previous level, where it currently trades. Santiment noted the activity bump likely reflected price-driven FOMO, but emphasized that higher transaction activity remains an important factor for mid- and long-term price appreciation.
Someone Is Quietly Buying
Commenting on XRP’s price action, prominent analyst CW said the “position delta value actually increased,” indicating that “someone is quietly buying long positions.” According to the analyst, these buyers added to their holdings when the token pulled back to lower prices.
In another post, CW pointed out that XRP has yet to clear the 100-period exponential moving average (100 EMA), which stands as the first meaningful resistance. If XRP can break above that level, the next target would likely be the 200 EMA, currently near $1.70 — a level the token has not reached in over three months.