XRP Whale Count Rises 1.05% to 2,018 Wallets as Token Sags Below Key SMAs

The number of XRP addresses holding at least 1 million tokens climbed to 2,018 as of July 8, 2026, up from 1,997 on January 18, according to balance distribution data from XRP Rich List. That is a net addition of 21 millionaire-status wallets over roughly six months, a gain of about 1.05%, even as the token’s dollar price sat well below its longer-term moving averages.

Mid-tier whales, not mega-holders, drove the gain

The distribution breakdown shows the increase was concentrated in mid-sized whale brackets rather than at the top of the holder pyramid. Wallets holding between 20 million and 100 million XRP rose from 234 to 247 accounts over the period, while the largest single bracket by wallet count — 1 million to 5 million XRP — expanded from 1,333 to 1,347 addresses.

Upper-tier categories were flat to negative over the same window. Wallets holding more than 1 billion XRP stayed unchanged at six, the 500 million-to-1 billion bracket slipped from 19 to 18 accounts, and the 100 million-to-500 million tier fell from 63 to 62. Net accumulation therefore came entirely from mid-sized holders offsetting a modest thinning at the very top of the rich list.

Capital cost likely capped new wallet creation

XRP traded mostly between $1.50 and $2 for much of the first half of 2026, a materially lower range than its 2025 rally. At those levels, assembling a 1-million-XRP position required a capital outlay of roughly $1.5 million to $2 million, a threshold that likely slowed the pace of new millionaire-wallet formation compared with periods of lower prices.

A large share of XRP supply also remains locked in institutional, exchange and Ripple-linked accounts, while XRP-linked investment funds may be absorbing demand that would otherwise show up as fresh on-chain whale wallets. The net effect, per the data, points to steady accumulation rather than speculative inflows during the period.

Price structure stays bearish below both SMAs

XRP was changing hands at $1.08 at press time, down more than 4% over 24 hours and struggling to defend the $1 support level. The token remains below its 50-day simple moving average of $1.19 and its 200-day SMA of $1.48, a configuration consistent with weak short-term momentum layered on top of a broader long-term downtrend.

The 14-day relative strength index reads 52.34, placing the asset in neutral territory — neither overbought nor oversold — and suggesting selling pressure has eased without yet flipping into a clear reversal signal. For traders, the combination of rising whale wallet counts and a price stuck under both major moving averages points to accumulation happening independently of, rather than in response to, near-term price action.

Read more: ADA Slides Below $0.175 as Whales Offload 190M Tokens in Four-Day Skid