March 1, 2026

Is the Ripple ETF Hype Over? Inflows Disappoint as XRP Fights for $1.40

People are still watching XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) closely, but the money coming into these funds is much smaller than in the very early days. The spot XRP ETFs have ended a stretch of days with no inflows, but they are still far from the big sums they drew when they first started.

To help readers understand what this means, think of an ETF as a stock-like investment fund. An ETF holds a basket of assets and is bought and sold on stock markets. In this case, the XRP ETFs hold XRP assets to track how XRP is valued. In simple terms, people buy these ETFs to gain exposure to XRP without buying XRP directly. Exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund traded on stock exchanges, designed to track an index and provide easy trading throughout the day, like a single stock. XRP is the digital coin at the center of this story.

In recent weeks, the story has three parts: the inflows into XRP ETFs, XRP’s place in the overall crypto market by market cap, and a key price move that drew attention after a major global event. Each of these parts affects how investors think about XRP today.

Ripple ETF Inflows Still Missing

Crypto watchers have noted less activity in XRP ETFs for several weeks. In the week that ended February 13, the funds saw less than $8 million in net inflows. The following week brought even smaller numbers, with net inflows under $2 million. There were three days in that period when no money flowed into the funds at all, by February 23.

Then things picked up a bit for four days in a row. On Tuesday, inflows were about $3.04 million. On Wednesday, roughly $3.09 million entered the funds. On Thursday, around $1.22 million came in. And on Friday, about $2.21 million joined the ETFs. By the end of that week, the XRP ETFs posted a total inflow of about $9.55 million. In plain language, the pace was modest but positive after a quiet spell.

These numbers matter because they show how investor interest changes over time. The initial period after the first XRP-focused ETF started trading in mid-November drew a lot of money. Investors were eager to buy and fund not just one ETF but several of them, including four more products that followed the first.

During that early rush, the combined net inflows into these XRP ETFs reached the $1 billion mark within a month. That is a big mountain of money for a new product, and it helped to create the sense that XRP ETFs could be a major vehicle for crypto investors.

Since that peak surge, the trend has cooled. Today, the total net inflows into XRP ETFs amount to about $1.24 billion. That means only about $240 million has entered the funds in more than two months. In simple terms, the early excitement has faded, and money has begun to come in more slowly and less aggressively than in the first weeks after launch.

XRP Fights BNB

While inflows dried up a bit, XRP found itself in a different kind of daily drama on the market. The crypto world sometimes moves on big headlines or geopolitical events. Earlier in the day, there was news related to strikes against Iran and the subsequent retaliation. These kinds of events can influence many assets, including XRP.

On one trading day, XRP fell from about $1.43 to around $1.27. It quickly recovered back toward its starting point after reports that important political events occurred. Some market watchers noted that XRP closed with a specific price pattern called a dragonfly doji, a type of candlestick pattern that can signal potential reversals after declines when the overall trend remains upward. Doji is a term for a candlestick pattern that shows market indecision. A dragonfly doji has a long lower wick and can suggest buyers are pushing the price back up.

As of the latest reports, XRP was trading just above or just below key levels, but it had achieved a notable win: regaining the fourth spot in the cryptocurrency market cap ranking. It had briefly lost that position to Binance Coin (BNB) after a quick move on Saturday, but XRP is back in fourth place. For readers new to this idea, market cap ranking is a way to measure which crypto projects are most valuable, based on their total market value. Market capitalization is the total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated by multiplying its price by the number of coins in circulation.

One market analyst, CryptoWZRD, noted XRP’s dragonfly doji and the way it respected a daily support level around $1.30. They suggested that XRP could move higher if it could close a week above $1.3820 on the weekly chart. At the time of writing, XRP was very close to that level, hovering near the barrier that could push it upward if the breakout proves stable. Dragonfly doji is a special type of doji pattern, and understanding it helps readers read chart signals more clearly.

So, the price action around $1.30 and the resistance at roughly $1.38 means traders are watching two things at once: how XRP behaves around the current price and whether it can break through the resistance line to push higher. A resistance level is a price where selling pressure tends to appear, making it harder for the price to rise further. If XRP can break above that level and stay there for a few days, it may attract more buyers and push the price up.

What These Movements Mean for Investors

The numbers tell a simple story. Inflows into XRP ETFs have slowed a lot since the first rush. While a few million dollars here and there can look like a small amount, when you consider a broad market and many investors, those numbers still add up. The early months after the launch showed how powerful excitement can be for new financial products. But markets often cool down as buyers spread their money to other assets or as concerns about broader market conditions rise.

At the same time, XRP’s position in market capitalization shows the coin’s power is still meaningful, even if inflow momentum has slowed. The fight with BNB for a higher ranking is a reminder that the crypto space is large and competitive. Market cap can shift quickly when the price moves, or when the supply of a coin changes through new coins entering circulation or coins being burned or taken out of circulation.

What the Experts Say

Analysts watch XRP for both price movement and fund flows. The XRP ETFs exist to give investors an easy way to gain broad exposure to XRP without having to buy the coin itself. They can trade like ordinary stocks, and they are designed to track the performance of XRP over time. For readers who want a quick explanation of ETFs, ETFs are investment funds traded on stock exchanges that hold a diversified mix of assets and aim to track an index. They provide intraday liquidity and diversification.

In recent weeks, investors have focused more on how much new money is entering the XRP ETF space versus how the XRP price itself is moving. The smaller inflows suggest that some investors who bought early may be holding on, while others have moved their money to other ideas. The ongoing price action around $1.30 to $1.40 also matters, because traders often look at both fundamental factors (like ETF inflows) and technical factors (like price patterns and resistance levels) when making decisions.

Looking Ahead

What happens next depends on several factors. First, inflows into XRP ETFs could pick up again if more investors see value in this exposure or if market conditions improve. Second, XRP could move higher or lower based on its price dynamics, trader sentiment, and how it interacts with resistance levels around key price points. If XRP can sustain a move above the $1.38 area for a few days, some traders expect more upside. If it cannot, it might consolidate or test lower levels again.

Beyond the money in ETFs and the price action, the broader crypto market will influence XRP. Changes in regulation, security concerns, or shifts in the prices of other major coins can affect how investors view XRP. For readers new to the topic, it is helpful to think of XRP as one player in a very large and quickly changing market where many factors can push prices up or down at short notice.

Bottom Line

In short, XRP ETFs have stopped their zero-inflow days, but they are still far from their most active days. The funds have collected about $9.55 million in the most recent week, and the total inflows since the launch remain around $1.24 billion — a fraction of what happened at the very start. At the same time, XRP remains locked in a tough battle with Binance Coin (BNB) for a high spot in the market cap ranking, currently sitting close to the important resistance level around $1.38. A weekly close above this level could open the door to further gains, while a failure to break through might keep prices hovering around the same range for a time.

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