XRP Price Returns Above $1.5 — On-Chain Data Says Whales Are Behind It

The XRP price was on the verge of losing the $1 level merely two days ago, as the entire crypto market succumbed to an almost unprecedented level of volatility and bearish pressure. The altcoin fell to as low as $1.16, its lowest level since November 2024.

While the general cryptocurrency market appears to be showing some signs of recovery, the XRP price activity has been particularly impressive since bottoming out at around the $1.15 mark. According to a prominent crypto analytics firm, below are the reasons behind the altcoin’s latest resurgence.

On Friday, February 6, popular blockchain firm Santiment took to the social media platform X to discuss the recent correction and the subsequent recovery experienced by the XRP price going into this weekend. With the strong volatility witnessed in the market, XRP seemed to be bound for $1 in that downward movement. 

Santiment said on X:

Panic sellers should have stopped to notice the massive activity on the XRP Ledger as speculators were discussing whether the coin would fall below $1.00.

However, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization briefly reclaimed the $1.5 level on Friday, signaling the return of fresh buying momentum to the market. According to Santiment, this XRP price jump might have been triggered by the group of large investors known as the whales.

The latest on-chain data shows that an “obvious” whale accumulation took place while the XRP price headed for the bottom. Santiment data shows that about 1,389 $100,000 whale transactions occurred during the dip, the highest volume seen over the past four months.

Meanwhile, activity on the XRP Ledger has been on the rise since the altcoin’s price fell to its lowest level in over a year. According to Santiment’s post on X, the amount of unique addresses on the blockchain saw a notable surge to 78,727 in just one 8-hour candle, its highest level in approximately six months.

The crypto analytics noted that these occurrences are both significant to the potential price resurgence of any asset. With an uptick in whale demand and network activity, the XRP price could build the foundation required to return to a bullish structure.

However, investors might want to approach the market with extreme caution, as a relief rally is not the strangest phenomenon in a bear market.

As of this writing, the price of XRP stands at around $1.46, reflecting an almost 25% jump in the past 24 hours. However, this single-day action is not enough to erase the past week’s losses, which still sit roughly over 16%.