At a Glance
- Long-term holders scooped up 720 million XRP between January 9 and January 11, 2026
- The single-day record of 242.7 million coins arrived on January 11 after three months of steady selling
- Price holds: XRP trades at $2.06, clinging to the $2.04 support while resistance looms at $2.10
- Why it matters: The sudden whale appetite, absent any headline catalyst, has traders watching for a potential breakout above $2.10
Long-term holders have flipped the script on XRP, snapping up 720 million coins in a 72-hour window as the token hovers in a tight range above the $2.04 support.
The accumulation spree, tracked on-chain from January 9 to January 11, 2026, marks a sharp reversal from three straight months of outflows. Analyst Steph Is Crypto flagged the activity on January 13:
> 💥BREAKING: LONG-TERM $XRP HOLDERS JUST BOUGHT 720M XRP IN 3 DAYS. WHAT DO THEY KNOW?
Whale Buying Erupts After Quiet Stretch
January 11 alone saw 242.7 million tokens flow into wallets tied to long-term holders. The buying wave arrived without any major news, yet the sheer size caught market watchers off guard.
Data reported earlier by News Of Losangeles had already shown a surge in large XRP transfers during the first week of January. That momentum has since cooled, but the whale appetite has not.
Price Stays Locked in Narrow Band
XRP has traded between $2.03 and $2.28 over the past seven days. At press time, the token sits at $2.06 with $3 billion in 24-hour volume, per CoinGecko. The weekly loss stands at 13%, yet the whale buying has kept the asset above the key $2.04 level.
Chart Pattern Mirrors 2017 Setup
Analyst ChartNerdTA notes that XRP’s current structure echoes the reaccumulation phase seen in 2016 and 2017. Back then, a sideways grind gave way to a brief dip below support, followed by a breakout that sent prices soaring. The Stochastic RSI has reset in the same fashion, and the token is holding its 13-month support base.
> “Invalidation consists of losing our 13-month support base,” ChartNerdTA said.
The 21-month exponential moving average, which acted as a launchpad during the 2018 rally, lies just overhead. A daily close above $2.10 could open the door to the next leg higher.
ETF Demand Provides Backdrop
Spot XRP ETFs have seen steady inflows since late December, helping to drain exchange supply. The combination of institutional buying and the recent whale surge has kept downside pressure in check, though liquidity remains light ahead of the weekend.
Key Takeaways
- 720 million XRP accumulation in three days ends three-month selling streak
- Price holds above $2.04 support; $2.10 resistance is the next hurdle
- Chart pattern and Stochastic RSI reset mirror conditions that preceded the 2017 rally
- ETF inflows continue to absorb supply, but a catalyst is needed for a breakout
