XRP has had a wild few weeks. After months of steady decline, the token staged a sharp 70% rally in August, climbing from around $1 to as high as $1.70 in just a few days. But the momentum did not last. This week, XRP suffered the biggest drop among major crypto after the CLARITY Act stalled in the US Senate, erasing a large part of its recent gains. ChatGPT AI Predicts that XRP’s next move may depend less on headlines and more on what its largest holders do next.
Beneath the price swings, the picture is more complex. On-chain data shows whale activity picking up ahead of the rally, while Ripple continues to expand its payments, tokenization and AI offerings. At the same time, the regulatory setback in Washington and a cautious crypto market are keeping traders on edge.
XRP is currently trading near $1.31, sitting right on top of a key support zone.
JUST IN: Franklin ETF clients buy $3.5 million worth of $XRP. pic.twitter.com/M7irpApRzk
— Whale Insider (@WhaleInsider) September 17, 2026
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Did XRP Whales See the August Rally Coming?
XRP Number of 1M+ Wallets Sentiment
According to on-chain analytics firm Santiment, 85 new wallets holding at least 1 million XRP appeared just two days before the token’s August 17–21 surge.
This matters because large holders can absorb selling pressure, support buy orders and move liquidity much faster than retail traders. Changes in the number of these wallets have often shown up ahead of XRP’s sharpest price moves.
Ripple has also been busy building. The company backed an RLUSD credit fund for fintech and payments lending on the XRP Ledger, while its ZILO and Licuido investments added tokenization, transfer-agency and collateral tools to its offering. Last week, Ripple also expanded GSmart, its AI tool for enterprise finance teams, to cover forecasting, liquidity, risk, reconciliation and reporting.
For the rest of the year, Santiment sees the setup as constructive. Whale numbers remain high, RLUSD adds real settlement utility, and institutional tokenization gives XRP a story beyond retail hype.
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Can XRP Recover From the CLARITY Act Setback? ChatGPT AI Predicts XRP’s Key Zones
XRPUSDT Chart 1D TradingView
The positive on-chain picture was not enough to protect XRP this week. After the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act, XRP fell more than 8% in a day, the steepest decline among major coins, as the whole crypto market turned red.
The failure is a major blow for an industry that has spent years pushing for clear US rules. XRP is especially sensitive to regulatory news, which explains why it was hit harder than its peers.
On the daily chart, XRP spent most of the spring ranging between $1.26 and $1.54, before breaking down in June and sliding to around $1 in August. The whale-driven rally then pushed the price as high as $1.70, before sellers stepped in.
Now, ChatGPT AI Predicts that the $1.26–$1.27 zone will decide XRP’s direction. This area combines former range support with the 200-day moving average, which has started to flatten after months of decline.
- If XRP holds above $1.26: the recovery stays intact, and a return to $1.54 is likely in the coming weeks. A breakout above that level could open the way back toward $1.70 by year-end.
- If XRP closes below $1.26: the August rally risks being fully erased, with $1.00 back in focus.
For now, the whales are the signal to watch. If their numbers stay high, XRP has a solid chance of defending support despite the regulatory setback.
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I am a crypto journalist focused on technical analysis and uncovering emerging opportunities within the market. I spend my time analyzing charts, exploring on-chain data, and researching projects with strong potential. I believe valuable insights are often found where few are looking, and I specialize in identifying under-the-radar opportunities.