web3: As XRP falls back near $1, addresses holding millions continue to increase

After XRP retreated to near $1, the number of large on-chain addresses continues to increase. According to data cited by Santiment, over the past three months, the number of addresses holding at least 1 million XRP rose from about 2,006 to 2,038. During the same period, XRP’s market capitalization fell by approximately 29%, indicating that price trends and address distribution have not changed in sync.

1 Million XRP Addresses Rise to 2,038

At the current price of around $1, holding 1 million XRP equates to an account value of about $1 million. These addresses, therefore, represent high-balance accounts within the XRP network. However, an increase in address count does not necessarily mean there are 32 new large holders entering the market.

A single investor can control multiple addresses, and exchanges, custodians, and institutional investors may manage multiple groups of addresses as well. Address growth may also result from position consolidation, internal transfers, or structural adjustments in custody arrangements, rather than new buying activity.

Price Has Dropped Over 70% from Its Peak

In July 2025, XRP once climbed to about $3.66. By August 2026, the price had retreated more than 70% from its peak. On August 11, XRP briefly dipped below $1, reaching a low of approximately $0.99 before rebounding slightly.

Despite ongoing price pressure, the number of 1 million XRP addresses has not declined notably, suggesting that large holders have not exited the market en masse. However, this does not directly indicate that the price has bottomed, nor does it prove that these addresses are currently in profit.

XRP Ledger Activity Continues to Rise

Apart from address distribution, on-chain activity on XRP Ledger has also continued to increase. According to reports, on August 5 the network processed over 2.8 million transactions, up about 86% from the previous week and more than 81% higher than the 30-day average; the number of active accounts also grew by more than 5% compared to the previous month.

This indicates that token price does not always move in tandem with underlying network usage. Even if the price of XRP weakens, on-chain transactions and account activity can continue to rise. Such data is more suitable as an auxiliary indicator for observing network usage and capital distribution.

Ripple Advances Institutional Strategy

On the ecosystem front, Ripple is also advancing institutional infrastructure for XRP Ledger. Reports say that in early August 2026, Ripple announced strategic investments in Zillow and Liquidnet, aiming to bring regulated fund infrastructure, tokenized assets, issuance, and collateralization capabilities to XRP Ledger.

At the same time, Ripple is expanding tools related to RLUSD. The company is rolling out Ripple Mint, providing institutions with an interface and API to mint, redeem, and manage RLUSD. Reports believe that in the future, stablecoins, tokenized assets, payments, settlement, and liquidity may all operate on the same infrastructure, and XRP could play a role in settlement and liquidity processes.