XRP Whale vs Retail Spread Hits 2024 Low Amid Price Manipulation Debate

The cryptocurrency market has been abuzz with discussions about XRP's whale vs. retail spread, which has dropped to its lowest level since 2024. According to data from CryptoQuant, the spread stands at 89.3%, indicating a significant increase in retail activity.

This development comes as Ripple's CTO Emeritus, David Schwartz, dismissed theories of price manipulation within the ecosystem. In an effort to clarify the company's stance on token prices, he explained that there is no hidden mechanism to push XRP prices higher.

Despite this revelation, whales still hold significant influence over exchange outflows, with 94.6% of Binance XRP activity attributed to large holders. Meanwhile, retail-sized transfers account for only 5.4%. The debate surrounding the impact of whale behavior on price movements continues unabated.