XRP Ledger Activity Scrutinized as Bot Wallets Dominate RLUSD Payments
An investigation by Bitquery reveals that a small cluster of bot wallets generated nearly all recent RLUSD stablecoin payments on the XRP Ledger.
XRP Ledger Activity Scrutinized as Bot Wallets Dominate RLUSD Payments
An investigation by Bitquery reveals that a small cluster of bot wallets generated nearly all recent RLUSD stablecoin payments on the XRP Ledger.
Bot Wallets Drive Surge in RLUSD Payments
A recent blockchain investigation has revealed that a cluster of just 110 bot wallets generated 99.6% of RLUSD payments on the XRP Ledger over a 30-day period. According to findings published by blockchain analytics firm Bitquery, these wallets executed approximately 7.79 million transactions between September 19 and October 18, transferring a modest total of $7,722 in Ripple's dollar-backed stablecoin.
Each individual payment averaged roughly $0.001, with funds repeatedly routed into three specific collector addresses. This automated activity accounted for nearly all of the 7.82 million RLUSD payments recorded during the timeframe, complicating broader efforts to measure genuine user adoption as Ripple expands its stablecoin infrastructure into traditional finance.
High-Value Activity and Network Impact
Despite the heavy concentration of micro-transactions driven by automated scripts, Bitquery also identified substantial high-value activity beneath the surface. Approximately 14,600 payments worth at least $1 moved a combined $7.33 billion during the same period, with just 10 wallets accounting for $6.05 billion, or 82% of that total volume. Furthermore, institutional settlement showed high concentration, where 828 payments of at least $1 million accounted for $6.98 billion.
The automated operations were funded through addresses labeled as belonging to Binance, while collected funds were routed back through exchange-like deposit accounts. Bitquery noted that the operation was relatively inexpensive, with the bots spending approximately 495 XRP, valued at $648, on transaction fees across 8.6 million total transactions.
Sudden Decline Coincides With Bank Integration
Unusual transaction activity began to decline sharply on October 14, just before Cross River Bank announced its integration of RLUSD into core banking infrastructure. Payments to the largest collector dropped from about 8,200 per hour to 1,200 before stopping early on October 15, while another collector fell to roughly 11 hourly payments by October 16.
The integration by Cross River allows eligible fintech companies to access stablecoin payments and round-the-clock settlement through a single API. However, Bitquery reported finding no network fee increase, protocol change, or direct blockchain evidence linking the automated cluster's abrupt shutdown to the bank's public announcement. By October 17, daily RLUSD payments had fallen to approximately 2,000, returning to levels far below September's peak.
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