XRP held above $1 during Bitcoin's drop below $60,000 as record ETF inflows and whale accumulation absorbed selling pressure that would have broken the floor in prior cycles.
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XRP bounces 6.5% from $1.09 as ETF inflows counter Bitcoin's drag
XRP held above $1 during Bitcoin's drop below $60,000 as record ETF inflows and whale accumulation absorbed selling pressure that would have broken the floor in prior cycles.
XRP rose 6.5% to $1.15 after touching a 15-week low of $1.09 on June 5, as spot ETF inflows of $131.94 million in May helped decouple the token from Bitcoin's slide.
"The decoupling protects XRP at small Bitcoin drawdowns, but it doesn't hold up if Bitcoin tests $50,000," according to CoinGecko and Coinglass data, with the new 0.87 ratio between XRP and BTC moves replacing the historical 1.3-to-1.6 times multiplier that defined the 2026 downturn.
Spot XRP ETFs pulled in a record $131.94 million in May while Bitcoin ETFs lost $2.43 billion over the same period, per CoinShares data. Whale wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP climbed to a record 332,230 addresses, and the largest holders now control 45.83 billion tokens, or 68.5% of circulating supply — the highest concentration since May 2018, according to Santiment.
The $1 floor faces its next test from the May CPI release on June 10 and the Federal Reserve's rate decision on June 16-17, which will determine whether Bitcoin can reclaim $60,000. The CLARITY Act floor vote before the August recess remains the structural catalyst that could push XRP toward Standard Chartered's $2.80 target or, if it stalls, toward $0.53 support.
What Changed This Time
Over the 30 days through June 5, Bitcoin fell 26.8% while XRP dropped only 23.3% — a ratio of 0.87 times, well below the 1.3-to-1.6 times that defined the rest of the downturn. The coin bottomed at $1.08 during Bitcoin's plunge to $59,100 on June 5 and has since rallied to $1.15, outpacing Bitcoin's 3.2% recovery.
The shift traces to institutional demand. While Bitcoin ETFs suffered their worst month of 2026 with $2.43 billion in outflows and Ethereum ETFs lost $540 million, spot XRP ETFs drew $131.94 million without a single outflow day in May. In the first days of June, the funds added another $4.13 million even as the price kept falling, per CoinShares data. More than 25 million XRP moved off exchanges, and long-term holders added 22% to their positions between May 31 and June 2, according to Santiment.
The decoupling has limits. If Bitcoin drops to $55,000, the new 0.87 ratio puts XRP at $1.05, just above $1. But the historical 1.5 ratio would put XRP at $0.98, below it. If Bitcoin falls to $50,000, even the 0.87 ratio yields $0.97, with $0.95, the $0.75-to-$0.85 accumulation zone, and $0.53 as the next support levels, per CoinGecko data.
XRP ETFs recorded their first net outflow since April 30 on June 3 at $5.34 million, breaking a five-week inflow streak. Short positions outweigh longs by nine to one on Binance, a setup that could amplify a squeeze if Bitcoin rebounds or accelerate selling if it keeps falling. Ripple's June 1 escrow unlock added 200 million to 400 million XRP in net new supply.
The CLARITY Act, placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on June 1, has 75% passage odds in 2026 per Galaxy Research. The floor vote before the August recess is the key catalyst that could decide whether XRP defends $1 or breaks below it for the first time since January 2024.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
[1] XRP Price Rebounds From $1.09 Low, but Downtrend Remains Intact as Buyers Defend Key Support[2] Will XRP Drop to $1 if Bitcoin Plunges Below $60K?[3] XRP To $30? Market Veteran Says The Best Entry May Be Here[4] XRP Price Prediction: Will XRP Drop Below $1?[5] XRP Plunges to 2024 Lows With Risk of a 23% Drop: Will Ripple’s Ex-CTO Roadmap H...
