$XRP XRP has been falling on the charts for weeks, and it appears that many holders are selling their stash right now.
Whales, however, have remained active. They’ve been making large trades, but it’s unclear which side they’re on.
$XRP futures and spot traders are aligned, and selling
CryptoQuant’s Futures Taker CVD has been dominated by selling since late August. That trend has yet to change, making it two and a half months in a row.
The only time this year futures traders leaned toward buying was at the beginning of 2026. Since then, $XRP has fallen from $1.55 in late September to $1.05 now.
Spot traders used to take a neutral stance, but that’s no longer the case. For most of this year, their CVD was neutral, with some buying-heavy periods in January, February and May.
That changed in October. Spot Taker CVD is now also dominated by selling, the first time that’s happened this year.
That matters more than it might seem. Futures selling could simply reflect traders betting on lower prices. When spot traders sell too, it could mean people holding actual $XRP are getting out.
$XRP volume is running hot!
Usually, heavy trading in a coin comes as its price rises. But that hasn’t been the case with $XRP.
The futures volume bubble map turned red in late August. For most of September and early October, it was marked as “overheating.”. Activity has eased somewhat since then, but it remains elevated.
Spot followed.
It shifted into “heating” in early September, reached “overheating” midway through the month, and has remained hot ever since.
Now compare that with when spot volume was “cooling” at $1.40.
Both markets are busy right now, but because this is happening during a dip, it may point to selling.
Whales are making large moves, and their actions could shape what happens next.
Finally, CryptoQuant’s Average Order Size has indicated “big whale orders” in both futures and spot markets since early October.
This has happened before. Whale-sized orders were common through June, July and most of August, while $XRP traded between $1 and $1.25.
Toward the end of August, the price returned to $1.50 on the charts.
Like many other metrics, this one shows only the size of orders, not their direction. Whales could be buying the dip or walking away.
Either way, they’re moving the most money right now. What they decide at $1 will probably influence where $XRP goes next.
Final Summary
- $XRP Spot traders went sell-dominant for the first time this year!
- Big whale orders have been active on both markets, despite $XRP’s fall towards $1.
