XRP Holder Count Surpasses 7.7 Million for the First Time in Network History

A Historic Milestone: 7.7 Million XRP Holders

Analytics platform Santiment has reported that the number of non-empty wallets on the XRP Ledger has surpassed 7.7 million for the first time in the blockchain's 13-plus-year history. Simultaneously, active addresses on the network reached a five-week high of 46,767 on March 16.

"XRP Ledger now has more than 7.7M holders (non-empty wallets) for the first time in its 13+ year history, as its usage continues to grow. Additionally, Monday closed with a 5-week high of 46,767 active addresses as $XRP's price jumped +14% in 48-hour span, breaching $1.60." — Santiment (@santimentfeed), original post

Amid the surge in on-chain activity, XRP's price rallied 14% over two days, breaking above the $1.60 level. At the time of reporting, the altcoin was trading near $1.5.

XRP/USDT hourly chart on Binance. Source: TradingView

Why This Matters

The growth in XRP's holder base is more than an abstract metric. An expanding number of unique wallets signals broader network adoption, enhancing both ecosystem resilience and token liquidity. In parallel, XRP's 24-hour trading volume jumped more than 60% to $5.2 billion, while the token's market capitalization climbed to $92.2 billion — surpassing BNB at $90.9 billion.

Open interest on Binance tells a particularly revealing story: it has risen to 349 million XRP, compared to 222.79 million in October 2025 when the altcoin was priced at $2.39. That's a 59% increase, even though the current price is 37% lower. Traders are opening new positions on the recovery rather than closing existing ones — a sharp contrast to the deleveraging phase that dominated markets in January and February.

XRP's market cap has overtaken BNB. Source: CoinGecko

South Korean Retail Investors Drive the Surge

The primary catalyst behind XRP's rally has been retail investors in South Korea. According to DL News, a significant portion of buyers are individuals aged 40–50 who are rotating back into crypto following a recent equity market rebound, with XRP as their asset of choice. Tiger Research analyst Ryan Yoon highlighted this trend.

Trading data from local exchanges corroborates the narrative: XRP leads spot volume on both Upbit and Bithumb, accounting for nearly 19% of all transactions on both platforms. Combined daily trading volume for the altcoin across South Korea's five regulated exchanges exceeded $621 million.

Yoon noted that XRP carries a reputation as a volatile asset in Korea, but for middle-aged traders it remains the "most familiar" token, which creates "explosive trading activity." He explained that the XRP volume surge on Upbit and Bithumb reflects a massive flow of liquidity from both the Korean and U.S. stock markets back into crypto, as equities have entered a consolidation phase and sidelined investors are seeking fresh volatility.

Spot ETFs Add Fuel to the Rally

A sustained wave of capital flowing into spot XRP exchange-traded funds has provided an additional tailwind. Products from Canary, 21Shares, Grayscale, Bitwise, and Franklin Templeton launched on the U.S. market in mid-November. Over the past four months, cumulative inflows into these vehicles have reached $1.2 billion, with total assets under management standing at $1 billion — equivalent to 1.1% of XRP's total supply.

Inflows into spot XRP ETFs. Source: SoSoValue

In February, Ripple and XRP Ledger developers unveiled a roadmap for integrating new DeFi capabilities into the network. These upgrades aim to enhance the native token's utility as a bridging and settlement asset, potentially broadening the project's user base even further.