From RLUSD to whales – Here’s how Ripple is building XRP’s long-term case

No doubt, stablecoins are key to bridging DeFi and TradFi.

In this context, having a layer-1-specific native stablecoin gives a network an advantage when forming partnerships with banks and other financial players. The trade-off, however, comes at the expense of quick gains.

Ripple is a good example of this trend. In a recent strategic move, Ripple partnered with LMAX to integrate its native stablecoin, RLUSD, into LMAX’s system. This was yet another move aimed at boosting adoption.

However, this move has also stirred up some discussion among XRP holders.

Looking at XRP’s technicals, the concerns start to make sense. Despite consecutive strategic moves aimed at driving institutional adoption, along with solid XRP ETF flows, the price hasn’t mirrored the same momentum.

In fact, so far in 2026, Ripple [XRP] continues to trail Solana [SOL]. That said, zooming out could give us a different picture – XRP’s 2025 cycle limited losses to just 12%, compared to SOL’s 35%.

Hence, the question – In this context, are Ripple’s recent moves truly laying the groundwork for a long-term strategy?

Are XRP holders seeing the value in Ripple’s strategy?

Looking back at 2025, XRP clearly outperformed many other assets.

Notably, Ripple made some solid strategic moves during that period, from GTreasury’s $1 billion acquisition to partnering with BDACS to expand institutional-level custody services in South Korea. 

With moves like these, XRP’s outperformance doesn’t feel random. Fast forward to today, and a similar pattern may be emerging.

In fact, CryptoQuant data revealed that whale inflows to Binance have hit their lowest level since 2021. 

In other words, XRP whales aren’t offloading their holdings yet. 

This aligns closely with AMBCrypto’s thesis. While XRP continues to lag other large-cap assets on shorter timeframes, the broader setup looks different. The key driver? “Conviction” in Ripple’s long-term roadmap.

Put simply, a blend of Ripple’s strategic moves and steady on-chain activity are indicative of accumulation rather than distribution. Thanks to this setup, XRP’s longer-term outlook into 2026 could be increasingly well supported.

Final Thoughts

• Ripple is prioritizing long-term infrastructure growth through RLUSD adoption, institutional partnerships, and steady on-chain activity.
• Whale behavior supports this strategy, with low exchange inflows signaling conviction.