XRP Ledger activity jumped after XRP briefly traded above $1.54 for the first time in two months. Data shared by Santiment on May 16 showed active addresses rising to 48,453, the highest level since March 30, while new addresses reached 3,317, the strongest reading since March 19.
Santiment said part of the move appeared to come from price-driven FOMO. The firm also noted that higher transaction counts can support growth over the medium and long term if the activity reflects real adoption rather than a short burst of speculation.
Weekly spot ETF demand posts strongest reading since late December
Fund flows strengthened at the same time. According to SOSOValue, spot XRP ETFs recorded $60.50 million in net inflows for the week, their best weekly result since the week ending Dec. 26, 2025. Total inflows for May climbed to nearly $95 million, already above the full amount seen in April.
Demand had started improving even before the latest weekly figures were published. Earlier data showed U.S. spot XRP ETFs bringing in $25.8 million in daily net inflows on May 11, the strongest single-day total since Jan. 5.
Price rally stalls near a familiar resistance zone
XRP attempted to extend its advance as ETF demand improved and the CLARITY Act moved forward in Washington. Earlier reporting cited Standard Chartered, which said XRP ETFs could attract an additional $4 billion to $8 billion if the CLARITY Act passed through the Senate Banking Committee before May 21.
The breakout did not last. XRP moved into a resistance area that traders had already been watching, then retreated. Data from crypto.news showed XRP trading around $1.42, with a market capitalization near $87 billion, placing it behind BNB among major crypto assets.
April had already marked a sharp reversal in flows
The latest ETF streak followed a strong April. Previous figures showed XRP ETF products taking in $81.63 million during the month, their best monthly inflow of 2026. That reversed March, when the products recorded a $31.16 million monthly outflow.
Current data points to stronger network participation and a clear pickup in ETF buying, but XRP has not yet managed to hold above resistance, leaving the move in spot demand and the price breakout out of sync for now.