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XRP Sees Surge in $100K+ Transactions: What Does it Mean for Ripple’s Price?

XRP’s on-chain activity took a sudden turn early this week as large-value transfers on the XRP Ledger jumped to a three-month high, according to new data from Santiment. The rise in $100,000-plus transactions points to growing involvement from large holders at a time when the Ripple token’s price is pulling back, setting the stage for wider price movement in the days ahead. Whale Activity Jumps as Exchange Balances Keep Falling Santiment said on January 8 that whale-sized XRP transfers climbed from 2,170 on Monday to 2,802 the following day, the highest daily count since October. The analytics firm warned that price movement is likely to be more erratic than usual when large holders become this active. That behavior stands out because it contrasts with what is happening on exchanges. Separate data shared by CryptoQuant contributor CryptoOnchain showed XRP reserves on Binance falling to about 2.6 billion tokens, the lowest level since January 2024. Since late 2025, balances on the exchange have dropped from roughly 3.25 billion XRP, a shift often linked to holders moving coins into self-custody rather than preparing to sell. Meanwhile, Arab Chain added another layer to the picture, with the platform’s analysts pointing out that whale flows to Binance have been trending lower since mid-December 2025, after peaking above 70% of total inflows in November and early December. Whales now make up about 60% of XRP deposits to the exchange, while retail participation has stayed fairly steady. Historically, according to the analysts, fewer whale deposits suggest less immediate selling interest from large players. The data has come at a time when XRP is becoming a major talking point in broader markets. On January 6, CNBC’s Power Lunch called it the “hottest crypto trade” of 2026, pointing to heavy interest from investors seeking bigger percentage moves than Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) after strong ETF inflows late last year. Price Action Cools, But Larger Trend Still Intact At the markets, XRP was trading around $2.13 at the time of this writing, after a 6% drop in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data. The token briefly touched the upper end of its weekly range around $2.40 earlier this week before sellers pushed it lower, in line with a softer session across the wider crypto market. Zooming out, XRP is still up about 16% in the last seven days and nearly 14% over the past two weeks. Monthly gains sit just above 3%, while the yearly figure remains slightly negative. Analysts are watching key support near $2.27, with a sustained hold above that level viewed as critical for maintaining bullish momentum. Some chartists point to a bullish setup on the XRP/BTC pairing not seen since 2018, suggesting a potential shift in relative strength. For now, rising whale transfers paired with falling exchange balances suggest positioning rather than panic, even as short-term price swings remain likely. The post XRP Sees Surge in $100K+ Transactions: What Does it Mean for Ripple’s Price? appeared first on CryptoPotato . Cryptopolitan

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BlackRock’s 3-Day Bitcoin and Ether Buying Spree Sparks Rally, Then Cooldown

BlackRock’s steady accumulation of Bitcoin and Ether over three consecutive days coincided with a clear price push across both markets. However, after reaching short term highs, BTC and ETH both pulled back as the rally cooled and traders locked in gains. BlackRock Adds BTC and ETH for Three Straight Days BlackRock has accumulated Bitcoin and Ether for three consecutive days, according to onchain tracker Lookonchain. The account said the firm added a combined 9,619 BTC worth about $878 million and 46,851 ETH worth about $149 million over that period. BlackRock ETF Onchain Accumulation. Source: Arkham Intelligence Onchain labels and transfer logs also show fresh movements from Coinbase Prime linked wallets into BlackRock ETF related addresses. The records include multiple Bitcoin transfers into BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF tagged destination, alongside several Ether transfers into BlackRock’s ETHA Ethereum ETF tagged destination. The transfers appeared in batches within hours of each other, with repeated deposits of roughly 300 BTC at a time and several ETH moves that include 10,000 ETH sized transfers. While onchain data does not prove who initiated each transaction, the labels point to Coinbase Prime as the source and BlackRock ETF custody addresses as the destination in the latest series of movements. BTC and ETH Prices Move Higher, Then Pull Back During BlackRock Buying Bitcoin and Ether both posted gains during the three day period when onchain data showed BlackRock accumulating BTC and ETH through ETF linked wallets. At the start of the window, Bitcoin traded near the high $87,000 to $88,000 range, before pushing steadily higher over the following sessions. Price climbed above $90,000 and later tested the $93,000 to $94,000 area, marking the strongest levels of the week. As the buying period progressed, Bitcoin momentum slowed. After setting a short term high near $94,000, price began to roll over and moved lower into Jan. 7. By the end of the period, Bitcoin traded near $90,300, giving back part of the earlier advance but still holding above the levels seen before the accumulation phase began. The structure shows a higher high followed by a controlled pullback rather than a sharp reversal. Bitcoin Price Action, Three Day View. Source: CoinCodex Ether followed a similar path over the same days. ETH started near the $2,950 to $3,000 zone and advanced steadily as the sessions unfolded. Price broke above $3,100, then extended toward the $3,250 to $3,300 area, where it briefly stalled. This marked the strongest ETH levels during the three day stretch tied to BlackRock inflows. Ethereum Price Action, Three Day View. Source: CoinCodex Toward the end of the window, Ether also pulled back alongside Bitcoin. ETH slipped from the local highs and settled near $3,120, trimming gains but remaining above its early period base. The price action reflects a rise during sustained ETF related inflows, followed by profit taking as the broader market cooled, while both assets kept higher levels compared with where the move began. Cryptopolitan