XRP has just witnessed a strong surge in activity, rising to the number 2 position on Coinbase with a 24-hour trading volume reaching 413 million USD.
Notably, over 167 million XRP — equivalent to nearly 500 million USD — have quietly been transferred between anonymous wallets, revealing strategic moves from the 'whales'.
While retail investors hustle to catch the wave on the exchange, large funds are quietly moving off the exchange. This clear divergence raises the question: Is this a silent accumulation phase for a long-term strategy, or preparation for discreet breakthrough trades?
The contrast between the market's excitement and the caution from big players makes XRP's short-term trend more unpredictable than ever.
Is XRP speculation quietly increasing?
The open interest (OI) of XRP has surged over 11%, bringing the total value to 2.921 billion USD — a sign that leverage positions are being established strongly in both long and short directions.
While this figure does not directly reveal whether the price trend will go up or down, the impressive increase reflects traders' clear expectations of an imminent large volatility — possibly triggered by new developments and the market's boiling sentiment.
When placed in the context of the recent strong activity from whales, the increase in open contracts further reinforces the hypothesis that speculators are looking to 'anticipate' strategic moves from big players.
Will the bears be caught off guard by the price surge?
The liquidation of short positions in XRP has soared to 8.13 million USD — nearly double the liquidation of long positions at 3.74 million USD.
Liquidations mainly occurred on Bybit, OKX, and Binance, indicating that the bearish trading group has been forced to close positions in an unfavorable situation.
Notably, the 'sweep' of these short orders occurred simultaneously with a strong price increase of XRP on Coinbase, raising suspicions of sudden buying inflows or a price wave triggered by market demand.
Such developments often create a chain reaction, as buy orders are continuously piled in, contributing to pushing prices higher and reinforcing the belief that bullish pressure is still dominating.
Is this a confirmation signal of ongoing bullish confidence?
On July 14, data showed that up to 64.34% of accounts on Binance are holding long positions on XRP, pushing the Long/Short ratio to 1.80. This figure indicates that the majority of traders are betting on a bullish trend.
Although it has not yet reached the 'frenzy' threshold, this ratio still clearly reflects strong bullish sentiment in the derivatives market.
At the same time, the amount of XRP reserves on exchanges also recorded an increase, further reinforcing confidence in the potential for short-term price growth.
However, it is important to note: if whales continue to move assets off the exchanges while retail investors remain 'visible' on the trading platform, the market may face the risk of an unexpected reversal — especially if a large-scale sell-off occurs.
Behavioral divergence: A sign of volatility or silent accumulation?
The divergence between two groups of investors — the active trading of retail investors on the exchange and the quiet off-exchange trades of whales — is leaning towards a more strategic accumulation scenario rather than a sign of an imminent large volatility.
Whales seem to be quietly accumulating, skillfully repositioning their portfolios without causing significant disruption in the market, while retail traders are still keenly chasing the upward price trend on the exchange.
Although the possibility of short-term volatility due to liquidation waves or a spike in open contracts cannot be ruled out, the movements behind the scenes are showing a dominant accumulation push.
This silent strategy further strengthens confidence in long-term growth trends, rather than an unexpected breakout or collapse.