The XRP Ledger has recorded a sharp increase in active addresses even as XRP's price slipped below the $1 mark. According to data from on-chain analytics platform Santiment, the network reached approximately 49,929 active addresses on August 17, the highest level in about two months.
Over a 24-hour period, active addresses climbed from 27,665 to 34,318, a notable 24.1% daily increase. This expansion in network participation has continued despite XRP trading in the $0.99–$1.00 range over the past week, with bearish sentiment dominating retail traders.
Santiment noted that retail sentiment has "inevitably worsened" with XRP falling below $1, but stressed that the combination of elevated on-chain activity and negative sentiment could represent a "contrarian bullish signal" that bulls have been waiting for. Historically, such divergences between price and network usage have sometimes preceded price recoveries, because they suggest underlying demand and engagement rather than purely speculative interest.
The XRP Ledger is a layer-one blockchain built for fast and low-cost transactions, and remains central to Ripple's payment solutions. The latest rise in active addresses suggests that users and developers continue to transact and build on the network despite price volatility. While the data does not guarantee an immediate price reversal, analysts are watching whether the high network activity can help attract demand and shift the current pessimism into a "buy the dip" narrative in the near term.
