Surge in XRP Transactions: 1.45 Million Daily Users Could Foreshadow Price Rally, Expert Suggests

Recent data reveals that XRP has surged to a six-month peak in daily transactions, signaling an important moment for the cryptocurrency as it enjoys heightened adoption in payment systems and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

Key Takeaways

XRP has reached a six-month peak in daily transactions, with 1.45 million recorded in January 2026.
A disparity persists between rising demand and stagnant prices, often indicating a potential price rally.
Market consolidation and profit-taking are currently limiting XRP’s price movement.
Historical data suggests that increasing transaction volumes may precede significant price movements in XRP, hinting at a possible upcoming breakout.

XRP

In January 2026 alone, the XRP Ledger processed 1.45 million daily transactions, building on a consistent increase in network activity that started in late 2025. This growth aligns with the launch of new payment corridors via Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity platform and the integration of stablecoins like RLUSD.

Market Demand vs. Price Trends

Market analyst Sam Daodu emphasized in a recent report for 24/7 Wall St. that historical patterns often show that when demand increases while prices remain stagnant, a significant price rally typically follows.

With exchange reserves at their lowest in eight years and noticeable institutional investments flowing into XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), current trends suggest that XRP may be on the verge of a breakout.

After a minor jump to $2.42 on January 6 — achieving a nearly two-month high — the cryptocurrency's value has slipped back to around $2.048 at the time of writing. This price drop occurred despite a surge in transactions, indicating that XRP has yet to leverage its heightened activity.

XRP The daily chart reveals XRP's price retracing toward the crucial $2 support level. Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com

Daodu pointed out that the current disconnect between XRP’s market price and its on-chain activities is not unprecedented. He notes that historical trends indicate such discrepancies typically precede notable price shifts and highlighted several factors delaying the price reaction.

A significant factor is market-wide consolidation, with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) experiencing sideways trading at the start of 2026, which has limited the momentum for altcoins like XRP. Additionally, profit-taking behavior has been observed following XRP's rally in July 2025, when the price peaked at $3.65. Many short-term investors have sold off, creating strong resistance around the $2.20 to $2.50 range. Daodu suggests that XRP might remain in this range until new catalysts arise.

Potential for Major Price Breakout

Looking ahead, Daodu believes that XRP historically tends to lag behind its on-chain developments before initiating significant price movements. This pattern was evident in both 2017 and 2020, where spikes in transaction volumes and wallet activities preceded substantial rallies in XRP’s price by a few weeks.

For instance, during the third quarter of 2020, XRP’s daily transactions increased by over 40% in just a two-month span, while prices remained stagnant at approximately $0.25, only to leap to over $0.70 within a matter of weeks in November.

A similar trend occurred in late 2017, where expanding usage metrics led to an increase in XRP’s price from $0.30 to $3.30 by early January 2018. This implies that the recent rise in on-chain transactions could serve as an early indicator of a forthcoming price breakout for XRP.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com