As a researcher following developments in the fintech space, I recently discovered that an organization closely connected to Ripple – the company behind XRP – was nominated for multiple awards at a highly regarded hedge fund event. It’s notable recognition within the industry.
XRP’s price has increased over the last week. Large investors (whales) are behaving positively, and institutions are showing renewed interest, suggesting the price could continue to rise in the near future.
The Prestigious Nominations
The Hedgeweek US Awards, which celebrate outstanding hedge funds and service companies in America, will be held in New York City on October 8th.
The companies competing for this year’s awards have been named, and Ripple Prime is a contender in four categories: Client Service, Technology, Specialist Markets, and Start-up & Emerging Managers – all within the ‘Prime Broker of the Year’ award. They will be up against established firms like Mirae Asset Securities and Interactive Brokers.
Ripple Prime CEO Mike Higgins expressed gratitude to clients and partners for their ongoing support of the platform and its services. He also announced that voting for the award winners is now open.
Whales Are Back
Recent activity shows large XRP investors, often called ‘whales’ and ‘sharks’, are buying more XRP. Over the last five weeks, these investors—those holding between 100,000 and 100 million tokens—have increased their holdings by nearly 3%. Interestingly, this buying trend coincides with smaller XRP holders (those with less than 0.01 XRP) decreasing their investments.
According to analytics firm Santiment, XRP’s price usually rises when large holders accumulate it, and falls when smaller investors sell, so the recent distribution pattern suggests a potential price increase.
The ETF Front
Large investors are increasingly interested in XRP again. Data from SoSoValue indicates that XRP spot ETFs have recently drawn in millions of dollars, with the last day of negative trading occurring on July 8th. Last week saw approximately $7 million flow into these ETFs overall. However, it’s worth noting that trading activity was quiet for most of the week, with no significant changes reported on four out of five days.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding the release of these new products. The first one, which fully tracks the asset’s value, became available in November 2025, issued by Canary Capital. Soon after, well-known firms like Franklin Templeton, 21Shares, Grayscale, and Bitwise launched similar products. Together, these investment options have attracted nearly $1.5 billion in net inflows since their launch.
XRP Price Outlook
The asset is currently valued at approximately $1.14, which is a 3% increase from last week. Increased activity from large investors (‘whales’) and growing interest in spot ETFs suggest that many analysts believe XRP is likely to see further gains soon.
Earlier this week, Ali Martinez highlighted $1.13 as a key price point for XRP. He predicted that if the price rose above this level, it could potentially climb even higher, up to $1.30. While he confirmed that XRP had broken through a resistance barrier, its price was still fluctuating around $1.13 at the time of reporting.
Cryptollica recently shared their analysis, suggesting that now is an excellent time to consider XRP. They believe the price has fallen to a historic low, making it potentially undervalued.
2026-07-22 18:13