XRP Ledger sees 8.9% increase in daily transactions and NFT activity increases in Q3

XRP Ledger saw higher user activity in the third quarter, with the addition of 447,200 new addresses and a total of almost 6.9 million.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) saw a steady increase in network metrics during the third quarter of 2025, according to a new report from Messari.

The data shows that network usage and activity have strengthened across several metrics, amid growing user and developer engagement.

Transactions, wallets and NFTs on XRP Ledger

Average daily transactions on XRPL increased 8.9% quarter-over-quarter, from 1.6 million in Q2 to 1.8 million in Q3. Likewise, average daily active sender addresses increased 15.4%, from 21,900 to 25,300, while the total number of new addresses jumped 46.3% to 447,200. The total number of addresses on the network also increased 6.1% to 6.9 million.

Messari found that for the fifth consecutive quarter, active recipient addresses outnumbered active sender addresses. However, the average number of daily recipients decreased by 30.1% over the same period, from 72,000 to 50,300. The report explains that when recipient addresses exceed sender addresses, it often indicates distribution events such as airdrops, where many previously inactive wallets receive tokens from a smaller group of senders.

Airdrops were a notable factor this quarter. Midnight, a privacy-focused sidechain in the Cardano ecosystem, conducted a snapshot in June for its NIGHT token airdrop, which included XRPL users holding over $100 worth of XRP. The claim period was from August 5 to October 4.

The NFT business was another significant growth area. Average daily NFT transactions jumped 51.1% quarter-over-quarter, from 50,400 to 76,100. The increase was largely driven by a 70.8% increase in NFT Mint’s average daily transactions, which increased from 37,800 to 64,600. Other types of NFT transactions remained relatively stable during the quarter.

Debate over XRP’s true utility intensifies

XRP Ledger’s native token, XRP, ended the third quarter on a high note as it closed at an all-time high of $2.85, up 27.2% quarter-over-quarter. Its circulating market cap increased 29% to $170.3 billion, outperforming the combined 13.3% market cap gain seen by Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana during the same period.

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However, the token’s momentum slowed in October as overall market sentiment turned negative following hawkish signals from the US Federal Reserve. XRP has fallen 12% over the past month to around $2.50 amid heavy selling pressure.

The recent downturn has also reignited the debate about the real usefulness of XRP. Crypto analyst Scott Melker, known as “the wolf of all streets”, questioned the token’s current role, adding that major financial companies like SWIFT and Western Union are moving towards alternative payment networks. While some community members have defended XRP as a “neutral bridge currency” for cross-border transfers, others have criticized Melker’s position. Melker recognized its technical strengths but remained skeptical of its long-term value.