XRP News Today: Whales Steer Cardano and XRP Amid Altcoin Downturn

Altcoin markets have experienced a recent sell-off, driven by Bitcoin’s decline to $114,600 during early Asian trading on Monday. However, Cardano (ADA) and XRP have shown resilience, with large investors continuing to accumulate despite the broader downturn. According to on-chain data from Santiment, whale activity for both cryptocurrencies reached a five-month high in August, as transactions exceeding $100,000 surged. This trend highlights the growing institutional interest in these assets, despite the current bearish sentiment across the altcoin space.

XRP, in particular, has drawn attention due to the resolution of the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit and the regulatory clarity it has since provided. The token has posted a year-to-date return of approximately 15%, outperforming many other altcoins in the correction. Whale accumulation has further reinforced its bullish potential; as of August 18, XRP wallets holding 1 million to 10 million tokens added 300 million to their portfolio, bringing total holdings to 6.72 billion. This marks a significant inflow of $900 million into the asset at current prices. John Murillo, Chief Business Officer at B2BROKER, noted that XRP’s performance is being shaped by both regulatory clarity and the recent release of 1 billion tokens from escrow, which has raised concerns about supply dynamics [1].

Cardano’s year-to-date performance remains negative at -24%, but recent developments have signaled potential turnaround. Grayscale’s filing for a Cardano Trust ETF on August 12 has reignited investor interest, while the relative performance of ADA against Bitcoin hit a four-month high last week. This suggests a shift in capital from Bitcoin and Ethereum into altcoins, a sign of potential altcoin season. Whale accumulation has also been notable, with ADA holders adding 30 million tokens to their portfolios, pushing total holdings to 5.55 billion. At current prices, this represents an inflow of $27.3 million into the network [1].

Regulatory developments continue to influence the market outlook for XRP. The SEC has extended its review period for several XRP ETF applications, including those from Coinshares, Bitwise, and Canary. The latest decision deadline for the Coinshares XRP ETF has been pushed to October 23, 2025, from an initial August 24 cutoff. If approved, the ETF would be structured under Nasdaq’s Commodity-Based Trust Shares framework, providing investors with regulated exposure to Ripple’s token [2]. The delay reflects the SEC’s cautious approach to new crypto products, as it seeks to evaluate proposed rule changes and incorporate public feedback.

Market structure indicators also suggest a potential bottoming process for XRP. The net taker volume, which measures the difference between buy and sell aggression, has declined over the past four days, signaling that selling pressure is easing. Meanwhile, price action has created a lower low, a classic bullish divergence pattern observed by analysts. Maarten Regterschot, a Contributing Analyst at CryptoQuant, highlighted that a similar signal in July and August led to a double-digit rally for the token. This suggests that despite the recent dip, XRP could be entering a phase of stabilization and gradual recovery [1].

The broader crypto market is also anticipating key regulatory decisions in October. The SEC has pushed back rulings on several high-profile ETF applications, including Truth Social’s Bitcoin-Ethereum ETF and Solana products from 21Shares and Bitwise. These delays are not unusual, as the agency typically takes the full review period to assess new products. The October timeline has become a focal point for the industry, with analysts closely watching for potential approvals that could catalyze renewed institutional interest in crypto assets. With major players like BlackRock already dominating the Bitcoin ETF space, the approval of XRP, Solana, and other altcoin ETFs could further diversify the landscape and attract new capital into the sector [3].

Source:

[1] Cardano and XRP Whale Activity Hits Multi-Month High (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cardano-xrp-whale-activity-hits-160753452.html)

[2] Breaking Update on Several Spot Ripple (XRP) ETF Filings (https://cryptopotato.com/breaking-update-on-several-spot-ripple-xrp-etf-filings/)

[3] SEC delays rulings on Truth Social, Solana and XRP ETFs (https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-pushes-back-decisions-truth-social-solana-xrp-crypto-etfs)