XRP in 2025: The Ongoing Power Struggle Between Whales and Long-Term Holders
- The Battle Lines Are Drawn
- Whales Are Loading Up
- Long-Term Holders Are Taking Profits
- Key Levels to Watch
- What Could Break the Deadlock?
- The Bottom Line
- XRP Market Dynamics: Your Questions Answered
As we enter September 2025, XRP finds itself caught in a classic market tug-of-war. On one side, deep-pocketed investors are accumulating during price dips, while on the other, long-term holders are taking profits, creating a stalemate that's kept prices below the psychological $3 barrier. This article examines the key forces shaping XRP's price action and what traders should watch for in the coming weeks.
The Battle Lines Are Drawn
XRP's price action tells a story of conflicting interests. While well-capitalized buyers see current levels as accumulation zones, veteran holders view them as profit-taking opportunities. This push-and-pull has created a compression pattern that could precede a significant MOVE - but in which direction?
Source: Santiment (XRP whale holdings data)
Whales Are Loading Up
Recent on-chain data reveals an interesting trend: wealthy addresses have scooped up over 400 million XRP (worth approximately $1 billion at current prices) in just three days. This aggressive accumulation suggests institutional players see value at these levels.
What makes this noteworthy? First, the purchases appear distributed across multiple large wallets rather than concentrated in a few hands - a healthier sign for sustainable price support. Second, we're seeing consistent buying across multiple sessions rather than one-off spikes. In my experience tracking crypto markets, this pattern often precedes meaningful upside when combined with other positive factors.
Long-Term Holders Are Taking Profits
On the flip side, blockchain analytics show increased movement from dormant wallets - a classic sign of long-term investors cashing out. Historically, these distribution waves tend to cap rallies until they subside.
The million-dollar question (sometimes literally) is whether this selling pressure will persist. If veteran holders continue lightening their positions at these levels, it could delay any sustained breakout attempt. However, a noticeable slowdown in these outflows might signal that the selling pressure is exhausting itself.
Key Levels to Watch
As of September 8, 2025, XRP trades around $2.81, sandwiched between clear support at $2.73 and resistance at $2.85. The $3 level remains the big psychological barrier that could trigger algorithmic buying if convincingly breached.
Source: TradingView (XRP/USD chart)
Here's what I'm watching for:
- Bullish scenario: A daily close above $2.85 with strong volume could open the path to $2.95, then $3. Breaking $3 with conviction might trigger a short squeeze as algorithmic traders jump in.
- Bearish scenario: Losing $2.73 with weak buying interest could see XRP test lower liquidity zones around $2.50.
What Could Break the Deadlock?
Three factors will likely determine XRP's next meaningful move:
- Sustained whale buying: The current accumulation needs to continue beyond just a few days to establish a new support base.
- Reduced selling from long-term holders: We need to see fewer old coins moving to exchanges.
- Price reaction at key levels: How XRP behaves at $2.85 and $3 will reveal whether this is just range-bound action or the start of a new trend.
Interestingly, Ripple's Q1 2025 report showed XRP outperforming both Bitcoin and ethereum despite market volatility - a fact that's gotten surprisingly little attention. This relative strength suggests underlying fundamentals might be better than the price action indicates.
The Bottom Line
XRP remains a battleground between two formidable forces. While whales see value at current prices, long-term holders remain skeptical about pushing significantly higher. Until one side blinks, we're likely stuck in this range. But when the dam breaks - and it eventually will - the move could be substantial.
For traders, this means playing the range until we get a clear breakout. For investors, it's about patience and watching those on-chain metrics for clues about which way the wind is blowing.
This article does not constitute investment advice.
XRP Market Dynamics: Your Questions Answered
Why is XRP stuck below $3?
XRP faces strong selling pressure from long-term holders whenever it approaches $3, creating a psychological and technical barrier that's proven difficult to break.
How significant is the recent whale accumulation?
The 400 million XRP purchase represents about 0.4% of total supply - not massive but noteworthy when concentrated in a short period. The distributed nature of buying across multiple wallets is more important than the absolute size.
What would trigger a sustained breakout above $3?
We'd need to see: 1) Continued whale buying, 2) Reduced selling from long-term holders, and 3) Strong volume on the breakout itself to confirm it's not just a fakeout.
How does XRP's performance compare to other major cryptos?
According to Ripple's Q1 2025 report, XRP showed relative strength against both BTC and ETH, suggesting its fundamentals may be stronger than price action indicates.
What's the most important metric to watch right now?
On-chain movement from dormant wallets - if these outflows decrease while whale accumulation continues, it could signal an impending breakout.
