XRP's Price Stuck Amid Growing Divergence Between Retail and Institutional Investors

XRP's price action has been stuck at $1.08 for some time now, but despite this calm exterior, there are signs that a chasm is growing between retail and institutional investors. According to Santiment's weighted sentiment indicator, retail sentiment towards XRP recently hit its lowest reading since October 2025, which often precedes a market bottom. At the same time, large wallet holders have been quietly building their positions, increasing their holdings by 2.8% over five weeks.

The institutional pipeline also tells a story of accumulation. Spot XRP ETFs in the US have recorded nine consecutive weeks of net inflows, with cumulative net inflows reaching $1.49 billion since inception. Franklin Templeton's XRPZ fund is leading the pack with roughly $254 million in assets under management and over 540,000 XRP absorbed.

However, the legislative calendar remains a headwind for XRP. The US Senate has postponed consideration of the Clarity Act, which aims to delineate SEC and CFTC jurisdiction over cryptocurrencies. JPMorgan warns that the ongoing delay could weigh on the entire crypto market, putting the odds of passage by year-end at just 37%. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered has slashed its current-year price target for XRP by 65% but maintains an ambitious $28 target for 2030.

Ripple is pushing forward on multiple fronts, including a partnership with compliance provider Notabene to streamline RLUSD payments for banks. The company also launched 'Mint', a platform allowing institutions to mint, redeem, and manage the stablecoin via web console or API.