This week’s cryptocurrency market presents a mixed picture for XRP: institutional investors and whales are growing more confident in the coin, while its price is declining due to a broad sell-off wave that hit the market.
## My price pullback amid escalating institutional turmoil
The XRP price fell by nearly 8% after a corrective wave swept across most of the major cryptocurrencies, yet this drop did not deter big investors’ interest in the asset. Data revealed that whales moved last week to accumulate more than 1.54 billion XRP units within just 96 hours—an action that began immediately after the U.S. Senate failed to pass the "CLARITY" bill related to cryptocurrency regulation, which many interpreted as a buying opportunity at lower prices.
## XRP exchange-traded funds continue to record gains
Interest was not limited to whales only; XRP spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded ten consecutive green weeks of inflows, bringing total cumulative net inflows to about $1.75 billion. Among the standout firms that launched these funds so far are Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Canary Capital, 21Shares, and Grayscale, while other companies are still awaiting regulatory approval.
In a notable development, T. Rowe Price updated its filing for a multi-cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund, in which XRP would make up 9.15%. In addition, Exchange Listed Funds Trust submitted an application to launch a fund that combines the S&P 500 index with XRP at a 75 to 25 ratio, which could open the door to a new category of investors seeking exposure to Ripple’s token.
## Ripple strengthens its global institutional presence
On the institutional front, Reese Merrick, Managing Director for MENA at Ripple, participated in the MESA forum alongside representatives from major players in the financial sector such as BlackRock and HSBC, to discuss the future of stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and digital money market funds. Merrick explained that Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin was designed to serve as a means of transferring value between financial institutions continuously, without replacing traditional banking money, but rather to facilitate its movement.
It was also noted that the UAE is witnessing increasing investment activity and is opening its doors to Ripple projects, which aligns with the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s recognition of RLUSD as an approved digital asset within the Dubai International Financial Centre since summer 2025.
It is noted that RLUSD was officially launched in December 2024, and its market value has grown to reach approximately $2.37 billion, making it the ninth largest stablecoin globally by size, and the 43rd digital asset by total market value.
## Where is the XRP price headed?
Earlier this week, XRP reached roughly $1.65, its highest price since the beginning of 2026. However, the recent market correction pushed it down to around $1.47, according to CoinGecko data.
Some analysts believe the coin is currently trying to regain the support level at $1.50 as a first step toward resuming the uptrend, pointing out that breaking the resistance level at $1.61 could pave the way for a broader rise toward a range of $1.70 to $2.
---
In short, it appears that XRP is going through a period of repositioning, as the market balances short-term selling pressures with growing institutional momentum that could form the basis for a later upswing if the pace of adoption and institutional investment continues as it is.