Despite underperforming its high-cap peers in the third quarter, Ripple's XRP is currently exhibiting strong underlying momentum, attracting significant smart money interest and demonstrating remarkable structural resilience. Recent price action suggests a potential shift in its trajectory as it gears up for the final quarter of the year, driven by strategic accumulation and robust technical indicators.
Whale Accumulation Fuels Recent Rally
A notable 7% price surge in XRP was recently triggered by "smart money" whales, a cohort holding between 100 million and 1 billion tokens, who collectively added over 300 million XRP to their holdings in October. This substantial accumulation, concentrated around the $2.80–$2.82 price band, has reinforced a critical support zone. On-chain data corroborates this, revealing nearly 2 billion XRP stacked within this tight range, establishing it as a dense supply cluster and a prime "dip-buy" opportunity. This strategic positioning by large investors indicates strong conviction and a deliberate effort to capitalize on XRP's current valuation, underpinning its recent upward movement.
Structural Resilience Points to Q4 Upside
While many cryptocurrencies faced turbulence and FUD in September, XRP showcased exceptional structural resilience. Unlike Ethereum, which broke key support levels multiple times, XRP's $2.80 level held firm, marking its third validation since mid-July. Historically, this robust support has served as a launchpad for significant breakout runs during favorable market conditions. With smart money actively aligning with this technical setup, and a supply squeeze already leading to a bounce from $2.80, the stage appears set for a potentially strong performance. Analysts suggest that with continued strategic accumulation, solid technical support, and unwavering HODLer conviction, XRP could be positioning itself for a substantial Q4 rally, potentially mirroring the 75% gains seen in previous strong periods, provided it breaks past key resistance levels around $3.50–$3.60.
