XRP Ledger Sees Activity Slow, but Institutional Growth Remains Promising
Since the start of 2025, activity on the XRP Ledger—a decentralized blockchain optimized for fast, low-cost transfers of XRP, fiat currencies, and digital assets—has noticeably cooled off.
Payment transactions, which track the transfer of value between accounts, have dropped to 320,747, marking the lowest level since October 2024. This is a significant decline from the average of over 1 million transactions observed throughout March, April, and early May, according to XRPScan data.
Similarly, the number of active addresses fell below 10,000, also reaching a multi-month low last seen in October. XRP burned as transaction fees dropped to just 1,500 XRP, reflecting reduced account creation activity—since new accounts require a 1 XRP deposit refundable upon account deletion.
This slowdown follows a strong first quarter, during which payment transactions surged 36% quarter-over-quarter and active addresses grew by 142%, per Messari’s data.
Positive Outlook Despite Recent Dip
Messari’s report remains optimistic about the XRP Ledger’s future, highlighting growing institutional interest fueled by strategic partnerships and acquisitions.
In a notable development, Ripple partnered with Hidden Road in April, becoming the first crypto firm to operate a global, multi-asset prime brokerage. More recently, Ripple’s enterprise-grade stablecoin, RLUSD, secured regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), enabling its use within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Ripple is expected to announce further updates at the upcoming XRP Ledger Apex 2025 conference in Singapore from June 10–12, potentially fueling renewed momentum.
XRP Struggles to Match Bitcoin’s Rally
Bitcoin’s impressive rally to all-time highs above $110,000—a 40% gain since early April lows near $75,000—has lifted much of the crypto market. XRP saw a jump from $1.60 to $2.60, a 62% increase, but has since stalled, falling short of its $3.40 peak from January when Bitcoin hit $109,000.
This divergence suggests XRP is not riding Bitcoin’s recent highs as strongly as before, signaling waning demand. Traders should watch closely, as any significant Bitcoin pullback could weigh heavily on XRP’s price trajectory.
