Institutions Accumulate XRP Amid Retail Fear as ETFs, Bank Access and Ripple Build-Out Rise
Analyst Nick Anderson (BullRunners) urges retail holders not to panic-sell XRP after the token fell from near $3.65 to below $2, arguing institutional accumulation is underway despite price weakness. Physically backed XRP ETFs from issuers such as Grayscale, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton and Canary Capital have reportedly pushed combined AUM above $1 billion, and these funds require actual XRP purchases to back shares. Anderson says institutions are buying millions of dollars of XRP daily while exchange-listed supply has tightened — over 1 billion XRP has been withdrawn from exchanges in the past two months. Regulatory developments also matter: the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reportedly cleared national banks to execute XRP trades as riskless-principal transactions, which could let banks offer XRP exposure via standard banking apps without placing XRP on their balance sheets. Anderson highlights Ripple’s strategic moves — a U.S. bank charter application, large acquisitions to expand institutional trading and payments, and the RLUSD stablecoin — as infrastructure that supports XRP’s role as a bridge asset for cross-border flows. He warns short-term volatility or sideways action may persist but views the current weakness as consistent with strategic, medium- to long-term institutional accumulation. This is informational and not financial advice.
Bullish
The news points to meaningful institutional demand for XRP that is likely to support medium- to long-term price appreciation. Physically backed XRP ETFs with >$1bn AUM require the actual purchase of XRP, creating persistent buy pressure as institutions accumulate. Large withdrawals (1B+ XRP) from exchanges tighten readily available trading supply, which amplifies the effect of ongoing buys. Regulatory confirmation that national banks can execute XRP trades as riskless-principal transactions could broaden distribution channels and onboarding for institutional and retail clients, increasing demand. Ripple’s push for a U.S. bank charter, strategic acquisitions and the RLUSD stablecoin further build infrastructure that makes XRP more useful for institutional cross-border flows. Taken together, these factors are constructive and suggest a bullish medium- to long-term outlook. Short-term risk remains: price can stay volatile or drift lower as liquidity and sentiment fluctuate, and ETF inflows or bank adoption may be gradual. Traders should expect potential short-term downside and choppy trading, but the structural indicators favor accumulation-driven upside over time.