XRP Ledger Sees 8.9% Increase in Daily Transactions and NFT Activity Increases in Q3

XRP Ledger saw increased user activity in the third quarter as it added 447,200 new addresses and reached almost 6.9 million in total.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) recorded 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 strengthened across several indicators, amid growing user and developer participation.

Transactions, wallets and NFTs on XRP Ledger

Average daily transactions on XRPL increased 8.9% quarter over quarter, rising from 1.6 million in Q2 to 1.8 million in Q3. Similarly, average daily active sender addresses increased 15.4% from 21,900 to 25,300, while total new addresses increased 46.3% to 447,200. The total number of addresses on the network also grew by 6.1% to reach 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% during the same period, from 72,000 to 50,300. The report explained that when receiver addresses exceed sender addresses, it often points to distribution events like 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, held a snapshot in June for its NIGHT token airdrop, which included XRPL users holding over $100 worth of XRP. The claim period spanned from August 5 to October 4.

NFT activity was another major growth area. Average daily NFT transactions increased 51.1% quarter over quarter, rising from 50,400 to 76,100. The increase was largely due to a 70.8% increase in average daily NFT mint transactions, which rose from 37,800 to 64,600. Other types of NFT transactions remained relatively stable during the quarter.

Debate over the real usefulness of XRP intensifies

The XRP Ledger’s native token, Its circulating market capitalization increased 29% to $170.3 billion, outpacing the combined 13.3% increase in market capitalization recorded by Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana during the same period.

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

The recent recession also reignited the debate over XRP’s real-world utility. Crypto analyst Scott Melker, known as “The Wolf of Every Street,” questioned the token’s current role, adding that major financial firms such as SWIFT and Western Union are turning to alternative payment networks. While some community members defended XRP as a “neutral bridge currency” for cross-border transfers, others criticized Melker’s stance. Melker acknowledged its technical strengths but was skeptical about its long-term value.