XRP slid to around $1.38 on May 18, a 5% weekly decline that took the token to its lowest level since the start of the month. But beneath the price action, something unusual is happening: spot XRP exchange-traded funds have been pulling in money at a record clip. Cumulative net inflows now sit at nearly $1.4 billion since the products launched, and last week was the strongest for XRP ETFs since December. No outflows have been recorded since April 30.
ETF inflows keep piling up
Investors haven't pulled a dime from spot XRP ETFs in over three weeks. The past seven days alone marked the heaviest buying since December, a sign that institutional appetite for the token isn't cooling — even as the spot price drops. The disconnect between ETF demand and spot market weakness is the talk of crypto trading desks right now.
Exchange supply tightens
Meanwhile, the amount of XRP sitting on Binance — the world's largest exchange — fell to about 2.75 million tokens, a monthly low. That's a sharp drop from recent peaks. When supply on exchanges shrinks like this, it usually means holders are moving coins to cold storage or private wallets, often a signal they expect prices to rise and don't want to sell.
Analysts call for massive breakout
Several technical analysts are betting big on XRP. Analyst CoinForge described the current chart setup as 'insane,' pointing to a critical level that previously triggered a 700% rally. He sees a MACD deep golden cross forming and targets near $5 — a 240% jump from here. JAVON MARKS argues XRP is 'holding broken out' against Bitcoin and could outperform by nearly 800%, potentially exceeding $10. Celal Kucuker went further, predicting XRP could surpass $15 in a massive breakout.
Broader market under pressure
The broader crypto market has been taking hits too. Renewed US-Iran tensions and President Trump's threats against Iran have rattled risk assets across the board. Bitcoin and Ethereum both slipped, dragging altcoins down with them. For XRP, the timing isn't great — a price dip alongside geopolitical jitters — but the inflow and supply data suggest the selloff might not have much left in the tank.
What comes next depends partly on whether the Iran situation escalates or cools. If it does cool, the combination of relentless ETF demand and dwindling exchange supply could give XRP the fuel analysts are betting on. For now, the market is watching for a breakout that keeps getting talked about but hasn't arrived yet.
