In order to understand Ripple’s recent actions, we must first of all pay attention to the ‘whales’ reverse accumulation’ shown by on-chain data. Over the past six months, large wallets holding more than 1 million This was a strategic choice made during a severe bear market where prices fell from the $3 range to the low $1 range, proving that large investors used the decline as an opportunity to buy at low prices rather than as a reason to sell. Major analysis firms, including Santiment, point out that the time when investment sentiment was frozen to its lowest level since the end of 2025 actually served as a stepping stone for a strong rebound, and they analyze that the classic market pattern of large-scale inflow of funds when market pessimism reaches its peak is being reproduced.

A key point commonly discussed among experts is that Ripple’s competitiveness is not simply in the blockchain technology itself. Ashish Burla, CEO of financial company Evernos, emphasized that technology accounts for only 25% of the total, and more than half comes from a solid network with existing financial institutions and regulatory response capabilities. Over the past few years, Ripple has built an infrastructure that connects regulatory authorities and financial institutions in each country, directly overcoming criticism of being a so-called 'financial coin'. In the past, this institutional-friendly strategy was an undervalued factor compared to innovation-oriented ecosystems such as Ethereum, but now, at a time when the incorporation of institutional finance has become important, it is acting as an unrivaled entry barrier and a strong differentiating factor.

Another point that is drawing investors' attention is the possibility of listing of the U.S. spot XRP ETF and the resulting qualitative change in fund inflow. As ETF net inflows exceeding those of Bitcoin or Ethereum have been confirmed for the past five weeks in a row, the analysis that institutional investors have begun to recognize Ripple as a key tool for payment innovation rather than a mere speculative asset is gaining strength. In addition, in terms of technical analysis, the support level around $1.20 has been successfully defended, and open interest is increasing explosively along with attempts to break through the short-term resistance level. This suggests that a large amount of new capital is flowing into the derivatives market, and if legislation to ensure regulatory clarity is passed or ETF approval becomes a reality, a strong upward momentum accompanied by a short squeeze is likely to be formed.

Of course, there is not only a rosy outlook, and the market still faces many variables that require a cautious attitude. There is also a pessimistic outlook that the possibility of a further decline that could continue until the second half of 2026 cannot be ruled out, and compared to past bear market patterns, analysts' warnings that the final bottom has not yet been confirmed should be heeded. In particular, technical indicators that remain below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages show that mid- to long-term downward pressure has not been completely resolved. Therefore, before discussing the long-term goal of $1,000, it is necessary to keep a cool eye on whether the current rebound is due to a temporary supply and demand imbalance, or whether the actual Ripple Ledger-based tokenization service will lead to actual growth that is widely adopted in the real economy.