XRP Whales Make Moves: Transfers Over $100,000 Reach Three-Month Peak

As the week began, XRP Ledger experienced a significant uptick in whale activity, according to on-chain data provider Santiment. They reported a notable increase in large-value transfers, resulting in the highest number of transactions over $100,000 in approximately three months. This increase is often accompanied by volatility in the market.

Key Takeaways

XRP whale transactions valued over $100,000 reached a three-month peak with significant activity reported.
On January 6, the number of such transactions hit 2,802, marking a notable increase from January 5's 2,170 transactions.
The surge in whale activity often indicates potential market volatility and can impact price movements.
XRP is also trending on social media, with discussions focusing on institutional interest and regulatory clarity.
At the time of reporting, XRP was trading at $2.127.

Surge in XRP Whale Transactions

Santiment highlighted the movement in XRP whale transactions—defined as transfers valued at $100,000 or more—in a post shared on Wednesday via X. They noted that there were 2,170 transactions on January 5, which led to a dramatic rise to 2,802 transactions on January 6—marking a three-month high. Santiment suggests that this pattern typically signals heightened market volatility.

XRP whale activity | Source: X @santimentfeed

The chart presented by Santiment, labeled “XRP $1M+ & $100K+ Whale Transactions Per Day,” clearly illustrates these numbers, emphasizing the recent spike of 2,802 transactions on January 6 as a local peak. This surge is the most robust measurement since the notable liquidation event on October 10.

In addition to the $100,000 transactions, the chart also shows activity for whale transfers over $1 million. This data indicates that larger holders began to engage more significantly across various transaction sizes during the early January movement, with $1 million transactions hitting a monthly high, the strongest performance since early December.

This spike in activity is particularly interesting because transfers over $1 million had been relatively low throughout December, especially when compared to the mid-October to November period, which saw a more consistent pattern of higher transaction counts.

Market participants often keep a close eye on large on-chain transfers, as they can be indicative of market sentiment rather than serving as precise directional signals. These spikes can signify various activities, including accumulation or distribution by large holders, transfers between exchanges, or preparatory moves ahead of significant liquidity events. Generally, when large amounts are moved by whales, it can lead to increased volatility in prices.

XRP Trending on Social Media

Coinciding with the surge in whale transactions, Santiment released another update indicating that XRP was among the assets experiencing a significant rise in discussions on social media platforms. In their analysis, Santiment classified XRP alongside cryptocurrencies like Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, MicroStrategy, and Litecoin as the top trending topics based on conversation volume for Wednesday.

Top trending coins from Wednesday | Source: X @santimentfeed

Specifically regarding XRP, Santiment noted that the tone of the discussions leaned significantly towards institutional interests. Topics covered included ETF inflows, “record-breaking net assets,” and discussions of XRP as a potentially high-beta investment into narratives surrounding 2025–2026. There were also mentions of perceived regulatory clarity following the resolution of the SEC case, as well as potential use cases such as bridging for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. It is important to note that these conversation themes were shared as circulating topics in social discussions rather than confirmed developments from verified sources.

As of the latest update, XRP was trading at $2.127.

XRP price chart | Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com