XRP adoption rises as ETF inflows absorb supply – Signals to watch into 2026

Ripple’s XRP adoption intensified as institutional flows steadily absorbed tokens, even while price action remained compressed.On the 31st of December 2025, XRP traded near $1.87. Despite muted movement, multiple on-chain and derivatives signals strengthened together.ETF inflows remained consistent, exchange balances declined, and XRPL infrastructure activity expanded. These signals diverged sharply from stagnant spot price behavior.So, was XRP consolidating quietly as supply tightened, or simply tracking broader market hesitation?XRPL’s RWA momentum continued building quietlyOn-chain data showed the XRP Ledger ranking as the second fastest-growing real-world asset network over the past 30 days. Growth reached nearly 18%, trailing only Canton.XRPL outpaced Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche in relative RWA expansion during the same period. The data pointed toward rising infrastructure adoption.Source: XThis growth highlighted increasing relevance in tokenized finance and compliance-focused use cases. Price, however, remained unresponsive.Infrastructure-led adoption often preceded repricing, but timing depended on broader liquidity conditions.ETF inflows quietly reduced exchange supplyAt the same time, XRP supply on exchanges fell to a seven-year low, with balances dropping to roughly 1.6 B tokens from 3.76 B in October.Source: GlassnodeThe decline coincided with sustained U.S. spot XRP ETF inflows. ETFs recorded $15 million in daily inflows, extending a multi-week streak.As ETFs accumulated XRP, fewer tokens remained available on centralized exchanges. These new whales reduced immediate sell-side availability through steady absorption.Institutional demand continued to absorb supply, even as prices failed to break higher.Overhead liquidity capped upside pressureDerivatives data from Binance showed heavy unclaimed liquidity, clustered above the $2.50–$3.20 price region. These zones reflected concentrated liquidation interest from leveraged positions.Source: Steph Is CryptoOverhead liquidity remained densest around prior consolidation highs, where repeated failed advances had built exposure. Price continued to trade beneath these bands.Such liquidity clusters often acted as resistance during range-bound conditions, keeping XRP compressed below areas of concentrated positioning.XRP traded between $1.73 support and $2.32 resistance, a range established around mid-November. Momentum indicators reflected indecision.Source: TradingViewRSI hovered near neutral levels, while MACD signals remained mixed, suggesting neither side controlled direction.What to watch nextMarkets watched for whether ETF-driven absorption and infrastructure growth could eventually influence price discovery.A range breakout would likely require expanding volume and broader market participation.Final ThoughtsETF inflows appeared to play a key role in reducing exchange supply despite stagnant price action.XRP’s divergence between adoption and price suggested patience dominated current market positioning.