Rumors are swirling in the crypto community that BlackRock, one of the world’s largest asset managers, might be quietly buying $XRP through Coinbase’s custody service. While the idea of a financial giant getting into XRP is exciting, it's important to look at the facts and separate them from speculation.
The On-Chain Movement: What We Know
The speculation began after a viral video from Crypto X AiMan pointed to some significant movements on the blockchain. Data shows that Coinbase's visible XRP reserves dropped sharply, from about 780 million tokens in June to less than 200 million by August 2025. That's a reduction of nearly 69%.
But this wasn’t a sell-off. Instead, it seems to be a technical restructuring. Coinbase reduced the number of wallets holding XRP and consolidated the assets into fewer, larger wallets. This kind of uniform distribution suggests the tokens were moved for internal reasons, not sold on the open market.
The BlackRock Connection
So, why are people linking this to BlackRock? The connection comes from the partnership between Coinbase Prime and BlackRock's Aladdin platform. This integration allows major institutions like BlackRock to buy and hold digital assets securely through Coinbase’s custody service.
Many analysts believe that the drop in Coinbase’s public XRP wallets simply means the tokens were moved to private, segregated custody accounts for institutional clients. This would explain why the XRP disappeared from public view but wasn't sold.
The Bottom Line: What's Confirmed and What Isn't
Here’s what we can verify:
* Coinbase's visible XRP holdings have significantly decreased.
* Coinbase and BlackRock have a clear and active custody partnership.
Here’s what remains unconfirmed:
* There is no official disclosure from BlackRock or Coinbase stating that BlackRock is buying XRP.
* No regulatory filings support this claim.
For now, the idea that BlackRock is buying XRP is a rumor. While the on-chain data points to a likely institutional shift, attributing it directly to BlackRock is pure speculation.
For XRP holders, this isn't a sign of a sell-off. Instead, it may indicate growing institutional interest in XRP, which could be a positive sign for the token's long-term future. However, until there's an official announcement, it's best to treat the rumor with caution.
