XRP News Today: XRP Resilient Amid $175M and $148M Co-Founder Token Sales

Ripple’s XRP has shown resilience despite large-scale token sales by its co-founders, according to recent analysis by crypto market observer Dark Defender. The discussion resurfaced following reports that Chris Larsen, another Ripple co-founder, sold $175 million worth of XRP in 2025, echoing a significant transaction by Jed McCaleb in December 2020. McCaleb’s move involved transferring 266,305,309 XRP—valued at approximately $148 million at the time—from a settlement account to his personal wallet. Whale Alert, a blockchain tracking service, flagged the transfer as a potential bearish signal due to its size. However, Dark Defender noted that XRP’s price structure and performance remained unaffected in the long term [1].

The analyst highlighted that if McCaleb had retained the XRP instead of selling it, the holding would be worth roughly $940 million today, based on current market valuations. This contrast underscores XRP’s ability to absorb large sell-offs without structural instability. Dark Defender argued that fears surrounding whale activity—particularly from Ripple-affiliated figures—are overstated, pointing to the 2020 event as evidence of XRP’s market maturity [1].

Community reactions to the transaction varied. Some users disputed whether McCaleb’s 2020 activity constituted a direct sale, noting that Whale Alert described the movement as a transfer. Dark Defender, however, maintained that historical patterns in McCaleb’s account activity during that period align with a subsequent sale. Others, like user BeethovenEcho, framed the event as a demonstration of XRP’s resilience, emphasizing that no major price disruptions followed the large-scale transfer. This reinforced the idea that isolated sales by major holders do not dictate broader market trends [1].

The debate centers on the narrative of “selling pressure” from early stakeholders. Critics often cite such movements as red flags, but Dark Defender’s analysis suggests XRP’s liquidity and structural strength have evolved to mitigate risks from large individual transactions. The analyst emphasized that broader economic factors and institutional adoption play a more decisive role in XRP’s trajectory than isolated sales by early adopters [1].

The discussion also intersects with ongoing debates about regulatory clarity for XRP. Ripple’s legal battles with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have historically influenced the token’s performance, but Dark Defender’s focus remained on transactional data rather than regulatory outcomes. By drawing parallels between McCaleb’s 2020 activity and Larsen’s 2025 sale, the analyst aimed to normalize large token movements as part of the ecosystem’s growth rather than signs of distress [1].

Despite disagreements over the classification of McCaleb’s transaction, the core takeaway—that XRP’s market fundamentals outpace concerns over whale sales—remains unchallenged. This perspective aligns with broader trends in the cryptocurrency sector, where early holders increasingly act as market participants rather than centralizing influences. As the XRP ecosystem matures, such analyses reinforce the importance of distinguishing between transactional activity and systemic market behavior [1].

Sources:

[1] [XRP Didn't Care About Jed McCaleb and Chris Larsen's Massive Dumps](https://timestabloid.com/xrp-didnt-care-about-jed-mccaleb-and-chris-larsens-massive-dumps/)