XRP News Today: Whale Moves Signal Battle for XRP’s Future Amid Stagnant Ecosystem

A massive $706.5 million transaction involving 257.1 million XRP tokens stunned the XRP community on September 2, 2025, signaling significant on-chain activity amid ongoing price weakness for the token. The transaction, noted by crypto analyst Xaif, sparked speculation about whether it was driven by whale behavior or institutional positioning. Whale activity has long been a focal point for XRP traders, with large movements often influencing market sentiment and liquidity. The scale of this transfer suggests continued interest in XRP at higher price levels, even as the token has lost crucial support levels and remains volatile.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) currently lags behind major competitors in key metrics, with a total value locked (TVL) of just $87.85 million according to DeFiLlama, compared to Ethereum’s $96.9 billion and Solana’s $11.27 billion. Daily decentralized exchange volume on XRPL also remains below $70,000, underscoring the platform’s limited traction in decentralized finance (DeFi) relative to its peers. Derivatives market data further highlights the gap, as XRP’s futures open interest remains a fraction of Ethereum’s or Solana’s, signaling weaker institutional engagement and limited network effects.

Despite these challenges, Ripple has continued to implement upgrades to the XRP Ledger, including the launch of Automated Market Makers (AMMs) with new liquidity pools, the introduction of RLUSD and Circle’s USDC on XRPL, and the development of an EVM sidechain to enhance Ethereum compatibility. These initiatives aim to drive ecosystem growth and attract developers and enterprises. Adam Kagy, co-founder of an NFT marketplace, emphasized that enterprises are unlikely to build on networks with low retail participation or on-chain activity, highlighting the importance of continued innovation and adoption.

On the price front, XRP remains trapped in a narrow trading range, hovering around $2.80. Whale activity has intensified in recent weeks, with large holders accumulating over 340 million XRP tokens in the past two weeks, pushing their total holdings to approximately 7.84 billion XRP. Analysts suggest that such accumulation by whales often precedes significant price movements, though the token faces immediate resistance at $3. If bulls can defend this level, XRP could attempt another push toward $3.20–$3.40. Conversely, a breakdown below $2.8 support could trigger further declines toward $2.60–$2.70 before stabilizing.

The expanded partnership between Ripple and Thunes underscores XRP’s role in cross-border payments. Thunes, a global payment infrastructure provider, has integrated Ripple’s blockchain-powered solutions to enhance its Direct Global Network, improving the speed and accessibility of cross-border transactions. Ripple Payments, which facilitates near-real-time settlements, has processed over $70 billion in transaction volume to date, with coverage spanning 90+ payout markets. This collaboration aligns with Ripple’s broader strategy to position XRP as a key player in global financial infrastructure, despite ongoing legal and regulatory challenges.

Source: [1] Now That XRP is Dead, What's Next? Swift Executive Calls ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/now-xrp-dead-next-swift-105438346.html) [2] XRP Price Prediction: Is Triple-Digit Target Incoming? (https://coinpedia.org/news/xrp-price-prediction-is-triple-digit-target-incoming/) [3] Thunes and Ripple Expand Global Partnership to ... (https://www.thunes.com/news/thunes-and-ripple-expand-global-partnership-to-transform-cross-border-payments/) [4] XRP Price Prediction Explodes: Whales Scoop Up 340M ... (https://thetradable.com/crypto/xrp-price-prediction-explodes-whales-scoop-up-340m-tokens-fueling-massive-rally-potential-ig--v) [5] Is XRP A Meme Coin? Analyst Reveals How Whales Are ... (https://www.mitrade.com/insights/news/live-news/article-3-1089173-20250902) [6] $706.5 Million XRP Moved In Single Transaction Stuns ... (https://timestabloid.com/706-5-million-xrp-moved-in-single-transaction-stuns-xrp-army/) [7] Top Crypto Picks This Season: BlockDAG's 3M X1 App ... (https://www.coinfi.com/news/1708092/top-crypto-picks-this-season-blockdags-3m-x1-app-users-beats-pol-forecasts-and-xrp-predictions) [8] Ethereum Price Prediction: Why Not To Worry About This ... (https://www.mitrade.com/au/insights/news/live-news/article-3-1083257-20250901)