XRP Whales Drop $700M as South Korea Goes Wild – What’s Next?

Hey, crypto fam! It’s your boy from BitGalactic, back with a mind-blowing update. Imagine this: XRP whales just dumped over $700 million into the market, and South Korea’s going absolutely wild for it. Is this the calm before a massive storm? With Trump’s crypto summit around the corner and ETF rumors heating up, I’ve got 10 years of crypto wisdom to break this down for you. Stick around – you won’t believe what’s coming next!

Alright, let’s dive in. According to Santiment, XRP whales have been stacking coins like there’s no tomorrow – over $700 million this week alone. And guess who’s leading the charge? South Korea. Upbit, one of their top exchanges, smashed $724 million in XRP trading volume in just 24 hours. That’s outpacing Binance at $657M and Coinbase at $395M, per CoinGecko data. CryptoQuant’s Kate Young-ju even pointed out Upbit’s holding twice as much XRP as Binance. Insane, right?

Now, I’ve been in this game for a decade, and this smells like FOMO with a twist. South Korea’s ‘big four’ exchanges – Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit – are driving over 25% of global XRP volume since Trump started hyping a national crypto reserve. Speaking of Trump, his summit this Friday could be the spark. XRP hit $3.38 on his inauguration day, but it’s pulled back to around $2 now, mirroring the broader market dip.

Here’s my take: this whale action isn’t random. With XRP ETF applications piling up at the SEC – five filings under review, decision due by mid-October – and JPMorgan predicting $8 billion in inflows, big players are positioning. Zerocap’s Jonathan de Wet called Trump’s reserve nod a ‘significant endorsement.’ I agree – it could smooth out XRP’s regulatory baggage and keep it above that $2 floor.

Let’s rewind a bit. Back in 2017, XRP spiked to $3.84 during the altcoin mania, fueled by Ripple hype. Sound familiar? Today’s different, though. We’ve got institutional muscle and Trump’s wild card, not just retail frenzy. But here’s the catch – after that 2017 peak, XRP crashed hard when the SEC lawsuit hit in 2020. This time, with ETF buzz and regulatory tailwinds, the setup feels more stable. Still, crypto’s crypto – expect volatility.

So, what’s next? If the SEC greenlights an XRP ETF, we could see that $8 billion flood in, pushing prices past $3 again. But if Trump’s summit disappoints, or Polymarket bettors are right about a dip to $1.9 by March, we might test that $2 support hard. My gut? XRP’s got legs above $2 short-term, but watch volume trends on Upbit – that’s the pulse. What do you think, fam? Will XRP moon or swoon by spring? Drop your predictions below – I’m reading every one!

That’s it for today, galactic crew! If you loved this deep dive, smash that like button and hit subscribe – we’re decoding crypto chaos every week. Ring the bell so you don’t miss my next take on where XRP’s headed. Let’s keep building this community together – see you in the comments, and stay stellar!