XRP Bullish Momentum Builds as Capital Inflows and Whale Buying Fuel Recovery to $1.20

 

By Giuseppe Ciccomascolo // July 23, 2026 @ 07:21 AM Make AlphaWire Logo preferred on Google News
XRP Bullish Momentum Builds as Capital Inflows and Whale Buying Fuel Recovery Toward $1.20

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Point of Focus

  • XRP is showing renewed bullish momentum, supported by rising trading volume.
  • Institutional demand remains positive, with XRP spot ETFs attracting $5.66 million.
  • A breakout above $1.18 could pave the way toward $1.20 and $1.24.

XRP (XRP) is regaining momentum after weathering a brief pullback, with rising trading activity, fresh institutional inflows, and renewed whale accumulation helping the token stabilize above $1.13 and revive hopes of a move toward the key $1.20 resistance level.

Although the cryptocurrency remains below several major technical barriers, market sentiment has improved noticeably over the past week.

Trading volumes have climbed, perpetual futures activity is expanding again, and spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continue attracting new capital despite broader geopolitical uncertainty weighing on digital assets.

The recovery comes as developers also highlight growing adoption of the XRP Ledger for agentic AI payments, adding another fundamental narrative alongside improving technical conditions.

 

Capital inflows and derivatives activity improve sentiment

One of the strongest signals supporting XRP’s recovery is the return of market participation.

Daily trading volume climbed to approximately $2.40 billion from $2.12 billion a day earlier, indicating that buyers have returned after the recent correction. At the same time, perpetual futures open interest increased to around 2.23 billion XRP, recovering from 2.17 billion while remaining only modestly below Monday’s recent peak.

 

XRP volume
XRP volume. Source: CoinGlass

 

The combination of rising spot volume and expanding derivatives positioning is generally viewed as a constructive signal because it suggests traders are adding exposure rather than simply reacting to short-term volatility.

Institutional demand is also contributing to the improving backdrop.

According to SoSoValue, US-listed spot XRP ETFs attracted roughly $5.66 million in net inflows during the latest trading session, lifting cumulative inflows to nearly $1.5 billion. Franklin Templeton’s XRPZ accounted for the entire daily inflow, while total assets across US XRP ETFs now exceed $1 billion.

Although one day of ETF inflows does not establish a long-term trend, the continued willingness of investors to allocate capital through regulated investment vehicles provides additional support for XRP’s medium-term outlook.

 

Whale accumulation and AI payments strengthen the bullish narrative

Large investors also continue increasing their exposure.

Santiment data shows wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million XRP expanded their combined balances by approximately 2.8% over the past five weeks. During the same period, the smallest retail wallets reduced their holdings, suggesting larger market participants have been accumulating while weaker hands exited positions.

 

 

Historically, sustained whale accumulation has often coincided with improving market confidence, although it should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future price appreciation.

Fundamental developments on the XRP Ledger are also drawing attention.

RippleX engineering head J. Ayo Akinyele confirmed that the XRP Ledger has processed more than 1 million agentic AI transactions, highlighting growing experimentation with autonomous payment systems capable of settling transactions without direct human intervention.

These payments could eventually support applications involving AI agents paying for computing resources, APIs, and digital services. While commercial adoption remains in its early stages, the milestone reinforces Ripple’s broader strategy of positioning XRP Ledger as infrastructure for machine-to-machine payments.

 

Can XRP reclaim $1.20?

Technically, XRP continues to recover despite facing significant overhead resistance.

The token recently broke above a symmetrical triangle pattern and climbed to roughly $1.16 before encountering renewed selling pressure. Even after the rejection, XRP continues to hold above its recent breakout level, suggesting buyers are defending the new support zone.

Momentum indicators remain cautiously constructive.

The moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) continues to flash a buy signal, while the relative strength index (RSI) remains above the neutral 50 level despite easing from recent highs. Together, the indicators suggest the current consolidation resembles a pause within a recovery rather than the beginning of a fresh downtrend.

 

XRP/USDT daily chart
XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

 

The next major hurdle remains the cluster of resistance between $1.15 and $1.18, followed by the psychological $1.20 level. A sustained breakout above those barriers would improve the technical outlook considerably and could expose the 100-day EMA near $1.24.

On the downside, initial support lies around $1.12, while stronger buying interest is expected near $1.05, where the previous breakout originated.

For now, XRP appears to be building a stronger foundation. Rising trading activity, ETF inflows, expanding futures positioning, and continued whale accumulation suggest confidence is gradually returning. If those trends continue while broader crypto sentiment remains supportive, the path toward $1.20 may become increasingly achievable over the coming sessions.

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Giuseppe Ciccomascolo

After graduating with a Master’s in Advanced Journalism at the London School of Journalism Giuseppe worked as an analyst and Senior Reporter. In 2017, he transitioned to covering cryptocurrency-related news, producing documentaries and articles on Bitcoin and other emerging digital currencies and played a pivotal role in establishing the academy for a cryptocurrency exchange website.

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