- The share of XRP supply held for at least one year increased from 50.99% on January 1, 2026, to 55.91% by October 16, 2026.
- Short-term holdings saw substantial declines, with the 1m–3m and 3m–6m cohorts plunging from a combined 22% down to under 10% of total circulating supply.
- The 6m–12m holder band surged to 27.683%, positioning a significant portion of XRP supply to transition into long-term holder status in the coming months.
XRP Long-Term Supply Reaches 56% Despite Ongoing Price Declines
On-chain metrics demonstrate a distinct structural shift in the distribution of XRP tokens throughout 2026. According to Glassnode’s HODL Waves indicator, which segments the circulating supply based on the amount of time coins sit unmoved in wallets, long-term investor accumulation has solidified despite persistent downward price pressure. When XRP traded at $1.88 on January 1, 2026, long-term holders controlled 50.99% of the network’s tokens. By October 16, 2026—when the token’s market price settled at $1.31—the proportion of XRP held untouched for at least twelve months expanded to 55.91%, marking a near five percentage point rise.
While an increase in long-term holdings is frequently interpreted as fresh buying behavior, tokens often shift into older age groups simply because market participants decline to move or liquidate their existing stashes. Over months of volatile trading conditions, a growing fraction of active supply aged past the one-year mark, showing that market participants chose to keep assets static across multiple market dips.
Breakdown of Glassnode HODL Waves: 1-to-2-Year Bands Surge
A closer look at the specific maturity bands monitored by Glassnode illustrates where the primary supply shifts took place. The 1y–2y bracket served as the primary growth engine among older bands, climbing sharply from 11.698% on January 1 to 16.742% on October 16. Ultra-aged tokens also grew in presence, with the 7y–10y cohort rising from 3.894% to 5.411%, reflecting sustained inertia among long-held legacy wallets.
Conversely, several intermediate cohorts registered moderate contractions. The 3y–5y band, which started the year as the largest long-term group at 18.432%, dropped to 17.801%. Similarly, the 2y–3y tier declined from 5.621% to 5.073%, the 5y–7y band slipped from 4.597% to 4.324%, and wallets holding XRP for more than a decade contracted from 6.747% to 6.555%. These moderate decreases suggest selective profit-taking or reallocation by market participants who initially acquired their balances between 2019 and 2023.
Short-Term Liquid Supply Evaporates as Mid-Term Bands Swell
The most drastic reallocations occurred on the shorter end of the aging spectrum. The 1m–3m maturity group shrank dramatically from 12.286% in January to 3.518% by mid-October. At the same time, the 3m–6m bracket fell from 10.588% to 6.142%. Combined, these two short-term categories controlled upwards of 22% of all circulating XRP at the start of 2026, but dropped to below 10% by October 16, indicating reduced retail turnover and speculative flipping.
Taking their place was the 6m–12m group, which exhibited the largest overall expansion of any cohort on the ledger. This segment climbed from 19.351% to 27.683%, overtaking the 3y–5y band to become the single largest supply band across the entire network. Tokens inside this group were predominantly acquired between October 2025 and April 2026, aligning with XRP’s correction from previous cycle peaks.
Why This Matters
The concentration of circulating XRP within intermediate and long-term wallets has direct implications for liquidity dynamics. As the dominant 6m–12m cohort matures without being traded, it will steadily age into the 1-year-plus category. Combined with falling exchange reserves documented throughout the year, this sustained aging of tokens constricts the pool of liquid XRP readily accessible to order books. If commercial demand or broader institutional interest picks up, a restricted liquid float can create supply-side friction, although historical metrics by themselves do not guarantee an immediate price recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Glassnode HODL Waves indicator track?
The HODL Waves indicator monitors on-chain movement to determine how long tokens have remained inactive in wallet addresses. By dividing the active supply into specified age cohorts, the metric highlights macro shifts between short-term speculative trading and long-term holding.
How much of the total XRP supply is held by long-term investors?
As of October 16, 2026, 55.91% of the circulating XRP supply had remained stationary for at least one year, an increase from 50.99% recorded at the start of January 2026.
Why did the 6m–12m holder band expand so rapidly?
The 6m–12m band grew to 27.683% because tokens acquired during the market decline between October 2025 and April 2026 were held without moving, advancing into this older bracket and positioning them to become classified as long-term holdings in the months ahead.
