Ripple (XRP) Price Climbs 11% Weekly as Long-Term Investors Build Positions

Key Highlights

• XRP posted an 11% gain over the past seven days, reaching $1.53 and surpassing BNB to retake the fourth position by market capitalization at $93.4 billion.
• Binance futures open interest increased 59% since October 2025, reaching 353 million XRP as traders add leveraged positions during the uptrend.
• Veteran holders added more than 351 million XRP on March 1 alone, marking the most significant daily accumulation in recent months.
• XRP exchange-traded funds experienced $28 million in net withdrawals during the previous week as institutional participation declined while retail activity strengthens.
• The $1.55 price level continues to serve as significant resistance, with recent bearish price action suggesting potential for short-term correction.

XRP experienced notable upward momentum throughout the past week, advancing 11% to settle near $1.53 as of March 17, 2026. This price action enabled the digital asset to leapfrog BNB, reclaiming the fourth position among cryptocurrencies by total market value at $93.4 billion.

Daily transaction volume surged by 125% to reach $3.22 billion as the token breached a critical resistance threshold around $1.40. This price point had capped upward movement for several weeks, making the breakthrough particularly noteworthy for market participants.

This upward movement unfolds against a backdrop of significant macroeconomic stress. Brent crude oil continues trading near $100 per barrel following persistent supply chain complications in the Strait of Hormuz related to the Iran situation, which has now extended into its third week.

Long-Term Investors Increase Positions Despite Global Uncertainty

Contrary to typical risk-off behavior during periods of macroeconomic stress, XRP’s established holders have intensified their accumulation activities.

Data from Glassnode reveals that long-term holders accumulated more than 351 million XRP on March 1, occurring just one day following the escalation of the Iran conflict. This represents the most substantial single-day accumulation recorded in several months.

This accumulation pattern has persisted throughout the subsequent period, with consistent net purchasing driving the indicator to its strongest monthly reading since May 2025. Such on-chain behavior typically emerges during market recovery cycles.

Retail participation is showing renewed strength as well. XRP futures open interest expanded to $2.66 billion on Monday, climbing from $2.56 billion recorded the previous day. The Fear & Greed Index improved to 23 from 8 the week prior, although it continues to reflect extreme fear conditions.

Institutional Flows and Token Distribution Controversy

Institutional capital has shifted away from XRP products recently. Investment vehicles tracking XRP registered $76 million in net outflows last week, with exchange-traded funds representing $28 million of that total. Monthly outflows have accumulated to $133 million, reducing total assets under management to $2.4 billion.

Ripple Labs is simultaneously confronting scrutiny regarding its token distribution practices. Industry observers have questioned whether the company’s sale of premined XRP to retail participants, followed by deployment of those funds toward acquisitions, non-XRP initiatives, and equity buybacks, creates an imbalanced value proposition.

Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has addressed these concerns, though detractors maintain the current structure disproportionately advantages Ripple Labs shareholders over XRP token holders.

From a chart perspective, XRP encountered rejection near its 50-day exponential moving average at $1.55. The digital asset continues trading beneath both its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages. A definitive close above $1.60 would be required to signal a meaningful trend reversal.

Binance open interest registered 353.49 million XRP on March 17, nearing but remaining below the pre-correction high of 400 million observed in September 2025.

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