Ripple Confirms Swell 2026 in New York: XRP Holders Eye Major Ecosystem Shift

Ripple has confirmed the return of its flagship conference, and this time, it’s scaling up. While XRP’s price has been under pressure for months, dropping more than 40% since July, long-term holders now have a major milestone to look toward as Ripple expands its annual showcase into something larger and more strategically positioned.

A Super-Charged Swell + Apex, Together in New York

Ripple announced that Swell 2026 will run from October 27–29 in New York City, marking the first time the company is hosting back-to-back editions in the same location. The bigger news is the merger of Swell and Apex into one unified mega-event. This consolidation brings together developers, enterprises, policymakers, and the broader XRP community for a more cohesive vision of Ripple’s ecosystem.

Historically, Swell has moved across major global tech and financial hubs, Toronto, Singapore, Dubai, Miami, so anchoring the next edition again in New York highlights Ripple’s desire to stay close to Wall Street, regulators, and institutional partners as the digital asset landscape evolves.

High-Profile Swell 2025 Set the Tone — But Not the Price

Swell 2025 in New York generated some of the biggest headlines in Ripple’s history. Former speakers included major figures from traditional finance and government, including Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman. The event also delivered a landmark announcement: Ripple closed a $500 million strategic investment round, backed by Citadel Securities, Fortress Investment Group, Galaxy Digital, and Pantera Capital.

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Despite the institutional spotlight and ecosystem-expanding announcements, XRP’s price did not witness a long-term breakout, a pattern that has repeated across past Swell events. This disconnect is why many holders are watching 2026 more critically, looking for progress that goes beyond hype and translates into sustained market impact.

Wrapped XRP Expands Cross-Chain Utility

In parallel, analyst Bill Morgan highlighted a major expansion for XRP’s multichain presence. Hex Trust has launched Wrapped XRP (wXRP) using LayerZero’s OFT standard, initially on Solana, backed 1:1 with native XRP. With $100 million in TVL at launch, wXRP significantly increases XRP’s liquidity and unlocks new DeFi use cases across multiple blockchains.

Whale Activity Signals Caution

Meanwhile, On-chain analyst Ali Martinez reported that whales have sold 280 million XRP in the past week, a substantial distribution phase that may pressure price action in the short term. XRP dipped 2.4% in the last 24 hours but remains above the crucial $2 level following the latest Federal Reserve rate decision.

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