XRP Price Manipulation Claims Stir Concern Among Validators

XRP price controversy is intensifying as a validator on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has brought forward new data suggesting potential manipulation within the ecosystem. Operating under the handle “Grapedrop” or simply “Grape,” the validator shared what he claims to be concrete evidence of suspicious trading activity that could be skewing key market indicators.

According to Grape, who has been running a node on XRPL since July 12, 2025, extensive analysis of the blockchain reveals repetitive patterns of substantial transaction volumes. Utilizing a custom-built Python monitoring script aimed at flagging transactions above 10,000 XRP, he uncovered what he describes as a discernible pattern consistent with wash trading behavior across numerous exchange wallets.

Wash trading involves the rapid buying and selling of assets without real intent to change ownership, often used to distort market metrics such as trade volume and price movements. This kind of activity can be misleading, giving the appearance of substantial demand and potentially luring unsuspecting investors or automated bots into participating in trades based on inflated data.

His findings were posted publicly on the social platform X, where he shared screenshots from the XRPL Console. These included visible chains of transfers—large amounts of XRP such as 49,900, 67,655, and even up to 146,757 units—executed multiple times an hour. The target and origin addresses often pointed to major exchange wallets affiliated with platforms like Bitget and Binance.

In one striking example, Grape displayed records of transactions exceeding 3 million XRP flowing between two Binance-associated addresses. Other high-volume transactions—like 460,119 and 146,757 XRP—recur daily, suggesting an orchestrated effort rather than genuine market dynamics.

At the heart of Grape’s concern is the way XRP’s market value is derived. The price of XRP, like many cryptocurrencies, is often calculated using volume-weighted averages. High-frequency, high-volume movements between exchange wallets could artificially inflate volumes, thereby distorting price discovery and misleading both investors and algorithms monitoring these metrics.

In the crypto community, such revelations are bound to spark debate. Some users expressed support for Grape’s assertions in the comment sections of his X posts, seeing this as a long-awaited unveiling of what might be occurring behind the curtain of exchange operations. Influential accounts like “Crypto Bitlord” chimed in, highlighting the implications of what has already been discovered, and speculating on what more could surface with prolonged analysis.

In response to increasing interest, Grape stated that a more refined toolkit is already in development. This upgrade aims to provide clearer insights and more definitive signals on whether XRP price manipulation is occurring across the ledger.

While the evidence raises important questions, Grape and others have not formally proven that the XRP price is maliciously manipulated beyond doubt. Nevertheless, the patterns he uncovered appear to exceed ordinary trading behaviors and warrant scrutiny.

At the moment, XRP is trading at $3.27, marking a modest increase of 1.5% over the past 24 hours.

The implications for Ripple and the broader XRPL ecosystem could be significant. If manipulation allegations are validated with further study, it may lead to regulatory attention or platform-level changes aimed at maintaining transparency and fairness in on-chain trading behavior.

Related: XRP Price: $12M Max Pain for Bears

XRP, being central to Ripple’s global payments mission, relies heavily on both technological integrity and investor confidence. Long-term success will require mitigating activities that could harm market trust—whether through coordinated wash trading or opaque exchange practices.