XRP ’Millionaire’ Wallets Surge Even as Price Takes a Minor Hit: Santiment Data Reveals
While XRP's price chart shows a modest dip, a more telling metric is quietly exploding. The number of wallets holding over a million XRP tokens is climbing—a classic sign of accumulation hiding behind short-term volatility.
The Smart Money's Move
Forget the daily price noise. Santiment's on-chain data cuts through the chatter, revealing a buildup in high-conviction wallets. These aren't day traders; they're entities positioning for a larger play, buying the perceived dip while retail sentiment wavers.
Decoding the Disconnect
A rising 'millionaire' count against a flat or falling price often signals a divergence. It suggests informed capital is flowing in, anticipating a future move that the broader market hasn't priced in yet. It's the financial equivalent of watching the whales while everyone else is staring at the waves.
This pattern bypasses emotional trading, focusing instead on cold, hard blockchain evidence. It’s a reminder that in crypto, the real action sometimes happens off the main stage—and the so-called 'smart money' has a notorious habit of showing up early to the party everyone else thinks is over. After all, in traditional finance, they call it 'accumulation'; in crypto, we just call it getting positioned before the next narrative hits.
XRP Whale Wallets Return After Sharp Q4 Exodus, Santiment Data Shows
Large-holder behavior is closely watched by traders, who often view accumulation by wealthy wallets as a signal of longer-term conviction.
Santiment noted that 42 additional wallets holding more than 1 million XRP have “returned to the ledger” since Jan. 1.
The previous quarter saw a sharp reversal, with 784 millionaire wallets disappearing between October and December, underscoring how notable the recent rebound has been.
At current prices, the threshold for joining the XRP millionaire club remains high.
With XRP trading around $1.87 at the time of publication, holdings of 1 million tokens are worth roughly $1.87 million, based on data from CoinMarketCap.
XRP's price is down a modest -4% since the start of 2026, but its amount of 'millionaire' wallets are rising for the first time since September. A net of +42 wallets with at least 1M $XRP have returned to the ledger, an encouraging sign for the long-term. pic.twitter.com/nmB4hCxtZO
Santiment described the renewed accumulation as “an encouraging sign for the long term,” particularly given the broader market’s cautious tone.
Other on-chain metrics appear to support that view. Data from Nansen shows that XRP accumulation by “smart money” traders, wallets associated with the industry’s most consistently profitable participants, has risen 11.55% over the past 30 days.
Still, analysts remain divided on XRP’s near-term outlook.
Crypto trader CW said in a post on X that XRP appears close to breaking through a major selling wall, arguing that sustained net buying could push the price toward $2.30 if resistance gives way.
XRP is up about 1.3% over the past month, according to CoinMarketCap.
XRP Breakout Case Builds as Analysts Warn of Regulatory Risks
More broadly, asset manager 21Shares recently pointed to XRP’s history of long consolidation phases followed by sharp breakouts, saying improved regulatory clarity and institutional interest could leave the network well positioned for further gains.
Others urge caution. Swyftx lead analyst Pav Hundal warned that XRP’s upside risks becoming overly dependent on narrative, adding that any surprises around the US CLARITY Act voting process could pressure prices in the NEAR term.
Beyond XRP, market indicators suggest a challenging environment for altcoins. The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index shows a bitcoin score of 31 out of 100, signaling that Bitcoin has outperformed most major altcoins over the past 90 days.
Meanwhile, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered a “Fear” reading of 26 on Thursday, highlighting investors’ continued caution across the digital asset market.
