XRP whale withdraws 231M as ETFs add $28M – Who’s right?

A key decider could be forming for XRP’s next move.

After a week of strong inflows, the market is at a crossroads. The fundamental question is whether this marks the beginning of a broader sell-off or a consolidation phase ahead of the next leg higher.

XRP’s price action provides some clues as to what may happen next.

In technical terms, XRP was one of the best performers in the risk-on environment that characterized the market throughout the past week. It rose sharply by 53%, closing the week at $1.50.

However, a 7% pullback this week has pushed XRP back toward $1.40, leaving many market participants wondering what will happen next. And a closer look at the chart reveals several potential warning signs.

To begin with, the decline in the price of Ripple [XRP] is an isolated event.

Among the major cryptoassets, only XRP is negative this week, whereas the likes of Solana [SOL] have already recorded gains of over 6%. This dynamic suggests that the weakness in XRP is more of an “asset-specific” phenomenon, rather than a sign of a broader market downturn.

Against this background, it’s no wonder that the recent whale activity around XRP has split the market.

While some argue that the large sell-off is only another market manipulation attempt by whales, others believe that the activity is consistent with accumulation.

However, given the weakness in XRP’s price action, the manipulation case cannot be ruled out, raising the question: Could this whale activity be the key factor deciding whether XRP breaks $1.5?

XRP whale outflows from Binance hit a six-month high

Investors are always watching the whales’ actions when the markets are unstable.

History tells us that strong accumulation on the back of a fast rise in fear is a sign of bullish times ahead as whales buy the “discounted” asset before the FOMO takes over. With XRP facing a rejection at the $1.5 level, the latest whale move spotted by CryptoQuant naturally starts to carry more weight.

As shown in the chart below, whales have pulled 231 million XRP from Binance to another address in one transaction, which constitutes the largest withdrawal in six months.

And yet, the bears have managed to drive the price down 7%, creating a discrepancy that fuels the speculation around the move’s intent – Accumulation or manipulation.

On its own, this discrepancy could suggest the latter.

Can XRP ETF inflows support a recovery?

But taken in conjunction with the latest ETF flows, it could suggest the opposite interpretation.

According to SoSoValue, XRP ETFs attracted over $28 million in net inflows on the 26th of August, which is the highest daily inflow since early Q1 of 2026.

In other words, whale outflows and rising institutional investment indicate that buying pressure is mounting around XRP despite its recent bearish slide.

In this regard, the 231 million XRP withdrawal could be a part of a wider accumulation scheme. Still, the scenario in which this setup unfolds could become a critical inflection point for XRP’s $1.50 breakout, with the current setup remaining more on the bullish side.

Final Summary

• XRP’s 231 million whale outflow from Binance and $28 million ETF inflows suggest buying pressure is building despite the 7% pullback.
• If accumulation continues, XRP could regain $1.50 and trigger the next bullish leg.