XRP News Today: XRP Ledger Shows Signs of Institutional Accumulation Amid BlackRock Speculation

BlackRock’s potential involvement in the XRP Ledger has become a topic of heated discussion following a series of on-chain movements and institutional developments, according to Pumpius, a prominent figure in the XRP community. He argues that large institutional players, potentially including BlackRock, have been quietly accumulating XRP through RippleNet-linked custody hubs for months, rather than focusing on the widely anticipated XRP ETF filing [1].

Pumpius highlights patterns in whale wallet activity involving hundreds of millions of XRP being transferred through corridors connected to major banks like Citibank, BNY Mellon, and Standard Chartered—entities previously linked to BlackRock. He suggests these movements align with BlackRock’s historical strategy of accumulating assets over-the-counter while retail investors remain unaware, before eventually filing for an ETF to drive demand and boost asset value [1].

While the on-chain data shows a notable surge in large-scale transactions on the XRP Ledger since late 2024, the identities of the parties involved in these movements remain unconfirmed. The blockchain activity itself does not directly confirm BlackRock’s involvement but does indicate significant institutional interest in the asset [1].

A key development in the XRP ecosystem is the integration of institutional-grade custody solutions. Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, launched in December 2024 with BNY Mellon serving as its reserve custodian. This move underscores the growing acceptance of XRP-linked assets within traditional finance and provides a regulatory-compliant infrastructure for large asset managers [1].

Despite these developments, BlackRock has publicly stated it has “no plans at this time” to launch an XRP ETF, according to its recent communications. While Pumpius’s observations mirror BlackRock’s past strategies with assets like gold and Bitcoin, there is currently no public evidence linking the firm to specific XRPL wallets or off-exchange trades [1]. Until regulatory filings or custody disclosures provide clarity, the connection remains speculative.

The XRP Ledger itself is gaining strategic relevance due to its native ISO 20022 compliance, aligning it with global banking standards expected to be fully adopted by the end of 2025. Projects such as DNA Protocol are also expanding the ledger’s utility beyond cross-border payments into tokenized real-world assets, including real estate and government treasuries, further enhancing its institutional appeal [1].

Pumpius’s analysis combines verified events—large whale transfers, custody partnerships, and XRP Ledger infrastructure—with speculative conclusions about BlackRock’s role. While the plumbing for large-scale XRP integration is clearly in place, the claim that BlackRock is actively accumulating remains unproven [1].

The most prudent approach is to monitor three key indicators: an official SEC filing for an iShares XRP ETF, regulatory disclosures linking BlackRock to XRP holdings, and on-chain analytics confirming institutional wallet activity. Until such evidence emerges, the narrative remains an intriguing hypothesis rather than a confirmed institutional strategy [1].

Source: [1] [BlackRock Is Already in XRP Ledger: Expert Shares What’s Happening](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/68989c79d3f2f1289a15306a/)