SEC posts 21Shares XRP ETF filing as XRP funds reach $1.17B

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission posted 21Shares' XRP ETF filing on Aug. 26, detailing a benchmark licensing agreement — a regulatory step toward a spot XRP product in the U.S. market.

The filing follows a quarter in which Goldman Sachs disclosed $86.5 million in XRP ETF positions across five products, according to its Q2 2026 Form 13F filed with the SEC. The bank's exposure spans Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Canary, and 21Shares ETFs.

Spot XRP ETFs now hold $1.17 billion in combined assets under management, with cumulative inflows surpassing $1.53 billion, according to SoSoValue data. XRP spot ETFs recorded $13.24 million in net inflows on Aug. 20, led by Bitwise's $9.9 million and Franklin's $3.34 million.

If approved, the 21Shares XRP ETF could unlock additional institutional capital into XRP, which has gained more than 40 percent over the past week to trade near $1.40. The filing may also accelerate competing ETF applications from other asset managers.

The SEC's posting of the 21Shares filing follows a broader wave of institutional interest in XRP-linked products. JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America each disclosed XRP ETF positions in their Q2 2026 regulatory filings, according to Blockonomi. This coordinated movement suggests growing acceptance of XRP investment vehicles among established financial institutions.

XRP itself has rallied sharply, climbing from below $1.00 to approach $1.40 within five days, according to Coin Bureau analysis. The token's surge was driven in part by the XRP Ledger's v3.3.0 upgrade, which introduced Confidential MPT — a zero-knowledge proof-based token standard — and batch amendments enabling complex trustless workflows such as delivery-versus-payment settlements.

The regulatory filing also comes as Ripple, Clearpool, and Cicada Partners announced a joint effort to build institutional credit infrastructure on the XRP Ledger, targeting the private credit market valued at over $10 billion. Loans will run through Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD.

Derivatives data shows the rally has been accompanied by significant short liquidation pressure. Short positions lost a combined $3.787 billion over four days, with $941 million in short positions force-liquidated within four hours on Aug. 19, according to Coinglass data. Open interest in XRP futures contracts surged more than 17 percent to reach $3.44 billion.

XRP is currently trading in the range of $1.31 to $1.38, representing approximately 22 percent gains for the day and 39-40 percent growth over the week, as of 08:30 UTC on Aug. 22. The 200-day moving average sits at $1.28, with support established in the $1.26-$1.28 zone. A sustained move above $1.40 could open a path toward $1.60, while a failure to hold momentum risks a pullback toward $1.20.

The SEC's acceptance of the 21Shares filing represents a procedural step in the ETF approval process. The filing's benchmark licensing agreement details how the fund will track XRP's price, a standard component of spot crypto ETF applications. If the SEC approves the product, it would join the existing lineup of XRP spot ETFs from Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Canary, and 21Shares' existing products.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.