TLDR
- XRP advanced 11% across the previous seven days, reaching $1.53 and overtaking BNB to secure fourth position by market capitalization at $93.4 billion.
- Binance futures open interest increased 59% from October 2025, reaching 353 million XRP and indicating fresh leverage entering the market.
- Long-term holders added more than 351 million XRP on March 1 alone, marking the most significant single-day inflow in recent months.
- XRP ETFs experienced $28 million in outflows during the previous week, signaling reduced institutional participation while retail activity expands.
- The price faces a critical test at the $1.55 resistance area, where a bearish rejection pattern suggests potential consolidation ahead.
XRP delivered impressive performance throughout the week, advancing 11% to settle around $1.53 as of March 17, 2026. The upward movement enabled the token to surpass BNB, recapturing the fourth position by market capitalization with a valuation of $93.4 billion.
Trading activity surged 125% to reach $3.22 billion as the price penetrated resistance around $1.40. This level had acted as a barrier for several weeks, making the breakthrough particularly noteworthy for market participants.
The upward price action unfolds against a backdrop of macroeconomic tension. Brent crude oil continues trading near $100 per barrel following persistent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz connected to the Iran conflict, which has now entered its third week.
Long-Term Investors Increase Positions During Economic Uncertainty
While the oil market faces disruption and concerns about global economic expansion persist, XRP’s long-term holders have demonstrated increased buying activity.
Glassnode metrics reveal a substantial increase of more than 351 million XRP accumulated by long-term holders on March 1, occurring one day following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. This represented the largest single-day accumulation recorded in several months.
The overall pattern has maintained positive momentum since that date, with consistent net purchasing driving the indicator to its highest monthly reading since May 2025. Such on-chain activity typically emerges during market recovery periods.
Retail participation shows signs of revival. XRP futures open interest rose to $2.66 billion on Monday, increasing from $2.56 billion recorded the previous day. The Fear & Greed Index similarly advanced to 23 from 8 in the prior week, though readings remain within extreme fear boundaries.
Institutional Activity and Corporate Strategy Concerns
Institutional capital has shown signs of retreat. XRP investment vehicles recorded $76 million in outflows during the past week, with exchange-traded funds representing $28 million of that total. Month-to-date withdrawals have reached $133 million, reducing assets under management to $2.4 billion.
Ripple has encountered criticism regarding its token distribution approach. Market observers have raised concerns that the company distributes premined XRP to retail participants while allocating proceeds toward acquisitions, products separate from XRP, and stock repurchases benefiting private shareholders.
Ripple CTO David Schwartz has reportedly addressed these concerns, though critics maintain the arrangement favors Ripple Labs equity stakeholders over XRP token holders.
From a technical perspective, XRP encountered resistance near its 50-day EMA at $1.55. The token continues trading below both its 50-day and 200-day EMAs. A definitive close above $1.60 would signal a potential trend reversal.
Binance open interest registered at 353.49 million XRP on March 17, nearing the pre-crash maximum of 400 million observed in September 2025, though remaining below that threshold.
