Giants Unwind XRP Positions as Smart Money Cashes In Across Crypto

The largest cryptocurrency holders are executing a notable exit strategy from XRP, with whale-sized distributions marking a critical inflection point for the altcoin. Chain analytics reveal that major stakeholders have offloaded approximately 470 million XRP tokens over the past ten days, signaling an aggressive distribution phase that’s putting considerable downward pressure on the token’s price trajectory.

Currently trading at $1.86, XRP has retreated roughly 17% over the past month, sliding below the psychologically important $3 threshold. The token’s market capitalization stands at $112.48 billion with a 24-hour trading volume of $82.55 million. This pullback has breached critical moving average support levels, with the price now positioned below the 20-day EMA around $3.09 and the 50-day EMA in the $2.93 region, leaving the token exposed to further weakness.

Institutional Access Uncertainty Impacts Market Confidence

A key sentiment dampener remains the regulatory timeline. The Securities and Exchange Commission has extended its review period for the Coinshares XRP ETF, pushing the decision deadline from August 24 to October 23. Such a product approval would represent a watershed moment for XRP’s adoption trajectory, enabling institutional investors to gain regulated commodity-based exposure through established markets. The delayed decision has contributed to near-term bearish positioning among both retail and smart money participants.

Profit Distribution Accelerates Across Major Assets

The profit-taking narrative extends well beyond XRP. On-chain metrics from Glassnode indicate that longer-term XRP holders—those maintaining positions for over 30 days—realized approximately $375 million in profits on July 24, marking the most substantial single-day exit since December 2024’s rally peak.

This distribution pattern mirrors activity across the sector’s largest assets:

• Bitcoin saw its biggest whales extract over $1.5 billion in realized profits on July 18, with BTC trading near $87.76K
• Ethereum experienced a $575 million profit realization on August 16, its cycle-high distribution event, with ETH currently priced at $2.94K
• Solana holders distributed $105 million in profits on August 17, representing the largest exit since early 2025, as SOL trades around $122.51
• TRON recorded its all-time largest profit-taking moment with a $230 million withdrawal on August 6, with TRX at $0.28

These synchronized withdrawals by sophisticated participants suggest a coordinated reduction in risk exposure during a period of sideways market consolidation.

Technical Formation Suggests Volatility Expansion

On the daily timeframe, XRP is trading within a symmetrical triangle pattern, with descending resistance originating from the $3.60 zone and gradually ascending support since April. The latest price rejection from the upper Bollinger Band band reinforces that selling pressure remains dominant.

Critical support levels include $2.78 (lower Bollinger Band) for immediate support, with a secondary support zone at $2.50 if bearish intensity increases. Resistance targets sit at $3.09 (20-day EMA) and $3.37 (upper Bollinger Band), with a sustained breakout above this range potentially reigniting bullish interest.

The Relative Strength Index at 42.9 indicates neither oversold nor deeply bearish conditions, while the Choppiness Index reading of 58 suggests that directional volatility could soon accelerate significantly in either direction, making this a crucial observation point for market participants monitoring the biggest whales’ next moves.