Spot XRP ETFs Draw $5.8 Million in Inflows as Token Tests $1 Level

US spot XRP exchange-traded funds recorded $5.81 million in net daily inflows on August 18, 2026, marking a notable increase in institutional demand as the underlying digital token repeatedly tested the critical $1 price threshold, as reported by Yahoo Finance.

Data from analytics provider SoSoValue shows that Bitwise led the session's capital movement, drawing approximately $2.24 million in net funds. Grayscale followed with $1.94 million in inflows, while Franklin added roughly $1.63 million. Other tracked spot XRP funds registered no net additions for the trading session, bringing total net assets across the ETF sector to approximately $941 million.

The single-day intake represented a substantial uptick compared to the previous week, which saw total net inflows of just $2.25 million across all seven trading days. However, cumulative net inflows since the funds' inception stand at approximately $1.518 billion—considerably higher than current total assets. This divergence reflects the token's significant price drop this year, which has erased underlying asset value without necessarily triggering equivalent fund share redemptions.

The uptick in fund purchases occurred as XRP faced technical pressure, falling below the $1 benchmark during intraday sessions on August 17, 18, and 19. While the asset had reached prices above $1.14 in late July, a year-to-date decline of roughly 46% has eroded its total valuation to around $67 billion. As a result, the August 18 inflow of $5.81 million represented less than 0.01% of the asset's total market capitalization, highlighting the limited immediate influence daily ETF creation activity exerts on overall market pricing.

The modest ETF activity coincides with broader headwinds across the digital asset sector during the second quarter. Coinbase Global (NASDAQ: COIN), the primary custodian for numerous crypto ETFs, reported second-quarter revenue of $1.22 billion, reflecting an 18% to 19% year-over-year decrease alongside a GAAP net loss of $1.36 per share. During that quarter, total cryptocurrency spot trading volume plunged 25% sequentially, while global digital asset market capitalization shrank 11%.

Coinbase's total platform assets dropped from $294 billion at the close of the first quarter to $246 billion by the end of June. The exchange noted that the majority of asset contractions stemmed from institutional ETF movement, whereas non-ETF native asset balances on its platform expanded over the same timeframe. Speaking on the company's July 30 earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong pointed out that trading leadership among digital assets routinely rotates, observing that "at any given time in trading, there's always something that's up and something that's down."

Market analysts emphasize that while ETF products provide an additional channel for capital allocation, daily inflows remain modest compared to overall volume across global spot and derivatives venues. For XRP to establish firm support above $1, fund products will likely need to demonstrate sustained, multi-day capital accumulation capable of counteracting broader spot market sell-offs and macroeconomic crypto trends.