Meet the Top 101 in Crypto
Ripple (XRP)
3 min read

BlackRock XRP ETF Rumors Cause Price Spike and Market Manipulation Concerns

Published 14 November 2023

Key Takeaways

  • BlackRock denied to have submitted an application to introduce an exchange-traded product for XRP.
  • The SEC has not yet approved any spot crypto ETFs.
  • A well-known wallet moved 24 million XRP to Bitstamp after this fake news.
  • The Dubai Financial Services Authority granted recognition to XRP as a crypto token.
  • A U.S. district judge ruled that XRP is not a security.

On Monday, November 13, 2023, speculations arose suggesting that BlackRock, the largest asset manager globally, had submitted paperwork for the launch of an XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), subsequent to its registration of a spot Ether ETF.

Swiftly debunking the rumor, BlackRock issued a denial, affirming that it has not filed for the launch of an XRP exchange-traded product. Despite its denial, the price of the coin notably rose on the news, fueling concerns about market manipulation.

BlackRock Has Not Filed For An XRP ETF

Amidst growing interest in cryptocurrency Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), social media buzz suggested that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, had submitted paperwork for a spot XRP ETF named “iShares XRP Trust.”

However, the rumor was swiftly dispelled by various individuals, including Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas. Posting on the social media platform X, Balchunas refuted the news, asserting it’s falsily based on confirmation from BlackRock. He noted that the misinformation likely originated from someone incorporating false details using the names of BlackRock executives.

The erroneous news briefly drove the price of XRP up by 7%, only to see it retract and lose all gains.

XRP jumps on fake news
Credit: TradingView

Whale Transfers 24 Million XRP To CEX

As per Whale Alert’s data, an unidentified wallet with the address r4wf7enWPx…5XgwHh4Rzn moved 24 million XRP to Bitstamp, a digital asset exchange based in Luxembourg City. The value of the transferred tokens stood at $15.61 million at the time of reporting. The transfer to the exchange (CEX) suggests a potential sell-off, as the circulating amount of tokens experiences a notable increase.

This particular wallet has previously attracted attention from crypto enthusiasts due to its substantial shuffling of XRP in previous transactions.

Interestingly, following the whale’s transfer of coins to Bitstamp, the price saw a 15% spike.

Optimism for XRP Despite False Speculation

At present, the XRP price has experienced a slight increase of 1.23% in the last twenty-four hours, reaching $0.67. However, over the past week, market charts indicate a decline of 3.99%. Notably, the trading volume has surged by a significant 221.99% at the time of writing.

Although the news about BlackRock proved false, XRP has recently received positive developments. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) granted recognition to XRP as a crypto token, and in July, District Judge Analisa Torres ruled in the Ripple case that ‘as a matter of law, XRP is not a security.’

While BlackRock has already submitted filings for a spot Bitcoin ETF, namely the iShares Bitcoin Trust, recent developments reveal that the world’s largest asset manager has also applied for a spot Ether ETF, known as the iShares Ethereum Trust.

Despite the approval of some ETFs based on crypto futures, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not yet sanctioned any spot crypto ETFs. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has indicated the consideration of eight to 10 spot Bitcoin ETF applications, with expectations that the SEC may approve multiple spot Bitcoin ETFs simultaneously, as suggested by analysts at JPMorgan.

Teuta Franjkovic

Teuta is a seasoned writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. She has expertise in covering macroeconomics and technology as well as the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. She has worked for several publications as a journalist and editor, including Forbes, Bloomberg, CoinTelegraph, Coin Rivet, CoinSpeaker, VRWorld and Arcane Bear.

Teuta began her professional career in 2005, working as a lifestyle writer at Cosmopolitan in Croatia. From there, she branched out to several other publications, covering mainly business and the economy. She then turned her attention to the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain, believing that crypto is among the most important inventions in the history of humanity. Her involvement in fintech began in 2014 and she has since lent her expertise in writing, editing and gathering information about the world of crypto, blockchain, NFTs and Web3.

An all-round news hound, mentor, editor, and writer, Teuta enjoys teamwork and good communication. She holds a WSET2 diploma and has a thing for chablis, punkrock music and shoes. She also holds a double MA in Political science and Entrepreneurship.

Survey Icon
Help us improve
1 of 4
Is this your first time here?
What brought you here today?
What are you most interested in?
Would you be interested in:
Thank you icon
Thank you for your feedback!
DMCA.com Protection Status