Why Cryptocurrency Whales Are Backing Shiba Inu, Ripple XRP, and Early-Stage Presale Projects in 2026

Source: Coindoo Original Title: Best Cryptos to Buy Now in 2026: Why Whales Are Backing Shiba Inu (SHIB), Ripple (XRP), and Pepeto Original Link:

Cryptocurrency Whales Show Increased Accumulation in Early 2026

Cryptocurrency whales have shown signs of increased accumulation across select cryptocurrencies as the year 2026 starts. Three projects have caught the eye of the big cats: Shiba Inu continues to lead the meme coin pack, Ripple’s XRP enjoys regulatory clarity and institutional adoption, and a project called Pepeto ($PEPETO), an early stage presale with both the appeal of a meme and the functionality of a utility. Understanding why so much capital is invested in these tokens is important for understanding market dynamics and potential opportunities.

Shiba Inu Proves It Has Staying Power

Shiba Inu is currently trading at $0.0000089 with a market cap of more than $5.26B dollars at the 24th rank among the largest crypto coins. The token appeared in 2020 as an Ethereum-based competitor of Dogecoin. The project has now extended to include Shibarium, which is a Layer 2 blockchain aimed at decreasing costs.

ShibaSwap offers decentralized exchange functionality. On-chain data suggests Ethereum whale wallets have big SHIB positions. Whale accumulation seems to be motivated through established brand recognition, utility development via Shibarium and technical patterns that could accrue gains.

Ripple XRP Benefits from Regulatory Clarity

XRP is trading for about $2.24 and has a market cap of around $136B dollars, making it the fourth-largest cryptocurrency. The token is the native asset of the XRP Ledger that is intended for cross-border transfer of value. Ripple has established partnerships with financial institutions all around the world.

Recent court decisions have brought regulatory clarity where there was uncertainty before. The XRP Ledger processes transactions in 3 to 5 seconds at fees of around $0.0002. Whale accumulation is a sign of regulatory clarity eliminating uncertainty, institutional adoption, and exchange balance hitting multi-year lows as holders move tokens to private wallets.

Pepeto Merges Meme Culture and Ecosystem

While SHIB and XRP are established cryptocurrencies with mature market capitalizations, Pepeto is squarely focused on early-stage investors through its presale phase before exchange listings. Built on Ethereum, Pepeto is currently available at a presale price of $0.000000175 per $PEPETO, a level that historically offers the greatest upside potential. The project has already raised more than $7.14M and built a community exceeding 100K members, signaling strong conviction well before public trading begins.

Pepeto is increasingly being watched by whales known for identifying major crypto opportunities early, as the project combines early timing with real infrastructure and well-planned tokenomics. Many analysts already frame Pepeto as a potential 100× story for 2026, driven by innovative features the meme coin market has been missing and expectations of a Tier-1 launch from day one during a strong market cycle. Investors benefit even before launch, as stage-based presale pricing increases with each phase, while staking rewards of up to 216% APY allow participants to earn during the accumulation period.

The ecosystem consists of the following:

• PepetoSwap: a zero-fee trading platform designed to maximize efficiency and attract volume • Pepeto Bridge: enabling seamless cross-chain asset movement • Pepeto Exchange: dedicated meme coin infrastructure, with more than 850 projects already applying for listings, and all trading volume routed through $PEPETO tokens

This structure positions Pepeto as a long-term contender to become the “BNB of meme coins,” with the token powering the entire ecosystem and capturing value from usage. Ambitions to aggregate a significant share of meme coin trading volume by 2030, combined with security audits by SolidProof and Coinsult, further reinforce credibility and execution readiness. Experienced leadership, whale attention, audited security, early-stage pricing, and real utility position Pepeto as a compelling early-stage opportunity in the current market.

Following Whale Activity as Intelligence

Cryptocurrency whales accumulate assets based on timing and asymmetric return potential. While they continue to hold established tokens like Shiba Inu and XRP for liquidity and long-term positioning, they do not rely on them for rapid portfolio growth, as their mature valuations cap upside.

Instead, whales consistently allocate capital to early-stage opportunities where exponential gains are still possible. Early-stage presale opportunities sit before listings and full price discovery, offering realistic upside scenarios. For investors tracking whale movements, this highlights a clear pattern: established tokens preserve capital, early-stage projects create it.

FAQs

Q1: Why are cryptocurrency whales accumulating Shiba Inu, XRP, and Pepeto in 2026?

A: Whales are positioning across different risk profiles. Shiba Inu offers brand strength and liquidity, XRP benefits from regulatory clarity and institutional adoption, while early-stage presale opportunities represent asymmetric upside potential. This mix allows whales to preserve capital in mature assets while targeting exponential growth in presales.

Q2: Is Shiba Inu still a good investment for high returns?

A: Shiba Inu has proven long-term staying power, but with a $5.5B+ market cap, its upside is now limited to incremental gains. While it can still perform in bullish markets, 100× returns are no longer realistic, as they were during its early phase.

Q3: How do whales use presales differently from XRP or SHIB?

A: Whales typically hold XRP and SHIB for liquidity and long-term positioning, not rapid growth. Early-stage presales are used for portfolio expansion, where even a small allocation can generate outsized returns. This return profile is not achievable with mature assets.

Summary

As 2026 begins, cryptocurrency whales are strategically accumulating across established tokens and early-stage opportunities, each serving a distinct role in the market. Established cryptocurrencies provide liquidity, stability, and institutional exposure, but their mature valuations cap upside. Early-stage presale projects stand apart by combining innovation with real utility and strong pre-launch demand. With whales positioning early and analysts pointing to significant upside potential, these early opportunities are increasingly viewed as compelling crypto opportunities before mainstream discovery.