XRP enters the final week of October under pressure. CoinDesk reported that XRP fell about 3% to $1.28 on Monday morning, October 26, 2026, as the wider market cut risk before the Federal Reserve decision. Over the weekend, crypto.news data showed XRP trading between $1.26 and $1.31, with daily volume near $1.33 billion. The token was still about 17% lower over the past month.
Price is only part of the picture. On-chain data, ETF flows and an XRP Ledger upgrade delay are all worth understanding before the busy week ahead.
Whales are moving XRP to exchanges
Analyst Ali Charts shared data on October 25 showing that the number of wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million XRP fell from 351 to 339 over several weeks. Citing Santiment, the analyst also noted that balances on exchange-linked addresses rose from about 11.003 billion XRP to about 11.05 billion XRP, an increase of roughly 47 million tokens, or about $61 million at $1.30.
Tokens moving to exchanges are often read as supply being prepared for sale. However, this is not always the case. Exchange balance changes can also reflect custody transfers, collateral movements or internal wallet management, so it is better to treat this data as a warning sign than as proof of selling.
ETF demand has slowed
US spot XRP ETFs are still taking in money, but at a much slower pace than earlier in the autumn. According to SoSoValue data cited by crypto.news:
- The funds recorded about $1.84 million in net outflows in the week of October 12-16, ending 13 consecutive weeks of positive flows.
- Inflows resumed with about $708,500 on October 21 and about $3.55 million on October 22, mostly into Franklin Templeton's XRPZ.
- October 23 saw no net flows at all.
- Cumulative net inflows since launch stand at roughly $1.8 billion.
Slow ETF flows mean there is less steady buying to absorb any extra supply from large holders.
The XRP Ledger cleanup amendment was delayed
A separate development affects the network itself. The fixCleanup3_4_0 amendment, a package of fixes covering token permissions, automated market maker (AMM) functions, lending, escrow handling and vault accounting, lost its validator majority on October 21. According to CryptoRank, support dropped to 26 of 35 trusted validators, below the 29 needed to keep the required 80% threshold.
Support returned to 29 validators later that day, but the drop restarted the mandatory two-week approval period. As a result, the earliest activation date is now November 4, 2026, provided support stays above 80%. Reports say the package includes a fix for a permission-delegation flaw that could allow extra token creation under specific conditions.
For regular users, this delay does not change how XRP transfers work today. It simply means the fixes arrive later than first expected.
Key events for XRP this week
- October 27-29: Ripple's Swell conference in New York. Swell has often been a venue for partnership news, although no announcements have been confirmed for this year's event.
- October 28: The Federal Reserve rate decision and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference. Markets expect a hold, with attention on hints about a December hike.
- October 28: The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is set to launch its tokenization service, according to Coinpedia.
- October 29: US GDP and PCE inflation data.
- November 4: Earliest possible activation of fixCleanup3_4_0 on the XRP Ledger.
Levels analysts are watching
Analysts quoted by crypto.news identified $1.26 as key support, the area where XRP bounced several times recently. Below that, they flagged $1.11 and $0.98 as possible bearish targets. On the upside, the $1.30 level has acted as a pivot in recent sessions. These are reference points from market commentary, not forecasts.
Three scenarios for the week
- Support holds: XRP stays above $1.26 through the Fed meeting, and Swell headlines or the DTCC launch bring some positive attention.
- Breakdown: A hawkish Fed tone combines with continued whale selling, and XRP falls below $1.26 toward the lower levels analysts mentioned.
- Range: XRP keeps trading between about $1.26 and $1.31 while the market waits for clear direction.
What this means for XRP holders
During weeks with several scheduled events, it helps to plan instead of reacting to each headline. Decide in advance whether you want to hold, reduce exposure or move part of your position into a stablecoin, and set clear price levels for that decision. If you swap XRP, compare the final amount you receive after fees and check the destination network and tag. AviorSwap runs an XRP improved-rate promotion, so it is worth checking the current terms before you swap.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto prices are volatile, and you should only trade what you can afford to lose.