XRP Rally Faces Test as Ripple CEO Signals Stablecoins May Lead Payments

XRP is at a crossroads on September 26, 2026, as sustained institutional inflows and whale accumulation push its price close to a critical resistance zone near $1.60, yet selling pressure and strategic signals from Ripple’s CEO temper expectations for a decisive breakout.

Institutional Demand Fuels XRP’s Rally

This week, XRP spot ETFs in the US recorded a combined net inflow of approximately $38 million over two trading sessions, led by the Bitwise XRP ETF with $18.39 million and Franklin Templeton’s XRP ETF adding $4.26 million on September 26 alone. According to Finbold, these inflows mark the 11th consecutive week of positive cash flows into XRP ETFs, totaling nearly $53 million this week. This steady institutional interest reflects growing confidence in XRP as a liquid, tradable asset amid broader crypto market volatility.

Complementing ETF demand, XRP whales—addresses holding between 1 million and 10 million tokens—have accumulated roughly 470 million XRP in the past five days, valued at over $724 million. This large-scale buying suggests that major holders anticipate further upside or are positioning ahead of upcoming network upgrades.

Resistance Near $1.60 Caps Gains

Despite these inflows, XRP’s price remains capped near the $1.60–$1.65 range, a historically significant resistance zone. After briefly touching $1.66 on September 23, XRP retreated to around $1.55 by September 26. This pattern indicates that while fresh buying pressure exists, it is met by selling from holders seeking to realize profits or break even on earlier positions.

The 24-hour trading volume of approximately $6.25 billion, representing about 6.4% of XRP’s $97.7 billion market cap, underscores that daily exchange activity continues to absorb much of the inflows, preventing a clean breakout.

Ripple CEO’s Stablecoin Comments Cloud XRP’s Role

Adding complexity, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated on September 24 that he is not an “XRP maximalist” and suggested that stablecoins might better serve certain payment use cases. Ripple’s own stablecoin, RLUSD, already facilitates significant daily transaction volume, highlighting a strategic shift toward diversified payment solutions beyond XRP.

This nuanced stance raises questions about XRP’s future demand drivers. While institutional investors and whales accumulate XRP as a tradable asset, Ripple’s corporate strategy appears to emphasize stablecoins for direct payment utility, potentially decoupling XRP’s price action from Ripple’s broader business success.

Upcoming XRPL Upgrade and Market Risks

The XRPL Batch V1.1 upgrade, scheduled for September 29, promises to enhance network efficiency by allowing applications to bundle multiple trades into a single atomic transaction. This technical improvement could boost XRP’s utility and attract developer interest, potentially supporting price momentum if adoption accelerates.

However, recent market shocks add caution. The Bitget exchange hack on September 24 resulted in $351.6 million stolen, including a significant amount of XRP. Remarkably, XRP’s price rallied despite this negative news, signaling resilient underlying demand but also highlighting ongoing security risks in the crypto ecosystem.

What Investors Should Watch

XRP’s ability to decisively break above the $1.60 resistance in the coming days will be critical. Sustained ETF inflows and whale accumulation provide a foundation, but overcoming selling pressure and clarifying XRP’s role relative to Ripple’s stablecoin strategy remain key challenges.

The XRPL upgrade rollout and any further developments from Ripple’s leadership on token utility will also shape investor sentiment. Meanwhile, monitoring exchange security and trading volumes will help gauge whether inflows translate into lasting price gains or remain absorbed by overhead supply.

For traders and holders, understanding these dynamics is essential before committing fresh capital or adjusting positions. XRP’s near-term trajectory hinges on balancing institutional demand against strategic uncertainty and market resistance.

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XRP Key Metrics Snapshot

XRP’s story today is one of competing forces: robust institutional and whale buying versus entrenched overhead supply and a shifting corporate narrative that favors stablecoins. Whether XRP can break free from this tug-of-war will depend on how these factors evolve in the coming weeks.

Sources

• XRP Spot ETFs Record $22.65 Million Net Inflow in a Single Day | KuCoin
• XRP ETF inflows hit $38M—can price break the $1.60 barrier? - AMBCrypto
• XRP Faces Potential 'Shane Ellis Moment' as Nine Institutional Catalysts Converge
• XRP ETF Inflows Clash With a $1.60 Wall of Overhead Supply | Investing.com
• Ripple's CEO Questions XRP's Central Role: What Does This Mean for Demand?

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