XRP traded near $1.40 as March 2026 became the first net outflow month for XRP spot ETFs since their late-2025 launch, snapping a streak that had drawn hundreds of millions in institutional capital. At the same time, whale wallets quietly accumulated roughly 40 million XRP over the past week, setting up a tug-of-war between retreating ETF investors and large on-chain buyers.
XRP Stalls at $1.40 as ETF Outflow Data Snaps the Inflow Streak
XRP changed hands at approximately $1.42 at press time, hovering just above the psychologically significant $1.40 level. The token is down 5.53% over the past seven days and sits roughly 60% below its all-time high of $3.65, reached in July 2025.
XRP Price (as reported)
$1.40
The price stall coincides with a shift in institutional positioning. Seven US-listed XRP spot ETFs, which hold a combined 769.8 million XRP worth roughly $1 billion, recorded net outflows of $30.12 million in March. That marks the first month of net selling since the products launched.
Before March, the ETF complex had logged 35 consecutive trading days without a single session of net outflows. The largest single-day exit came on March 6, when $16.62 million left the funds, led by 21Shares ($10.60 million), Bitwise ($3.65 million), and Grayscale ($2.37 million).
XRP ETF Flow Trend
Net Outflows
The drop-off is stark compared with earlier months. November 2025, the launch month, attracted $666 million in net inflows. December followed with $499 million, and even after a quieter January ($15 million) and February ($58 million), flows had remained positive. March’s $30.12 million in net outflows represents a clear sentiment reversal among ETF participants.
Only four trading days in March posted net inflows, with the most recent being a modest $1.98 million on March 20. The broader crypto market’s Fear & Greed Index sits at 14, deep in “Extreme Fear” territory, suggesting the ETF retreat is part of a wider risk-off move rather than an XRP-specific event.
Whale Wallets Accumulate While ETF Investors Exit
While institutional ETF holders have been trimming exposure, large on-chain wallets have moved in the opposite direction. Whale wallets accumulated approximately 40 million XRP over the past week, according to crypto.news reporting. The accumulation occurred during the same window that ETF outflows accelerated, creating a visible divergence between two classes of market participants.
XRP’s 24-hour trading volume stood at $2.37 billion, indicating active turnover despite the consolidation. With a market capitalization of roughly $87.65 billion and a circulating supply of 61.34 billion tokens, XRP remains the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
The ETF-versus-whale split suggests different time horizons at work. ETF products cater to investors who may be rotating out of risk assets amid broader macro uncertainty, a pattern also visible across institutional blockchain products in regulated markets. Whale wallets, by contrast, tend to reflect longer-duration conviction, though on-chain accumulation alone does not guarantee a price recovery. The whale accumulation figure, while widely cited, has not been independently confirmed through a named on-chain analytics provider.
Key Levels and Catalysts Traders Are Watching
The $1.40 level has become a near-term line in the sand. Analyst Casi, cited in the primary reporting, argued that “after over a month of rejection at resistance, it’s far more likely XRP needs lower support ($1.09 / $0.87) before any real trend shift happens.” Those two levels represent potential downside targets if $1.40 fails to hold.
On the upside, a reclaim of $1.50 would need to occur before bulls can argue the consolidation phase has ended. The gap between the current price and the $3.65 all-time high leaves significant room for recovery, but the near-term trend favors caution given the ETF flow reversal and macro sentiment.
One fundamental catalyst working in the background is Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin trade pilot in Singapore, conducted through the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s BLOOM sandbox in partnership with supply chain finance firm Unloq. The pilot advances Ripple’s cross-border payments push in Asia-Pacific markets at a time when the token’s price action has stalled.
ETF flow data over the final days of March will signal whether the outflow trend is stabilizing or deepening. The next scheduled data point to watch is the end-of-month net flow total, which will determine whether March’s $30.12 million in outflows grows further. Meanwhile, broader market developments, including movement in Bitcoin and shifting risk appetite, will continue to influence XRP’s ability to hold the $1.40 floor.
The tension between retreating ETF capital and accumulating whale wallets leaves XRP at a decision point. For traders monitoring evolving institutional product flows and on-chain positioning, the resolution of that divergence at $1.40 is the signal worth tracking.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
