XRP outpaces Bitcoin and Ethereum as U.S. spot ETFs top $1b in assets, XRPL DEX liquidity surges, exchange balances sink, and futures open interest hits multi-month highs.

XRP (XRP) has outperformed the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization in early 2026, surpassing Bitcoin and Ethereum in percentage gains, according to market data.

XRP leads crypto currency gains as ETF inflows reach $1b milestone

The digital asset has risen to its highest level since November 2025 since the start of the year, while Bitcoin and Ethereum have registered smaller gains over the same period, the data showed.

Spot XRP exchange-traded funds in the United States have recorded continuous inflows since launching in mid-November, with the trend extending into the first two trading days of 2026, according to market data. Cumulative inflows into spot XRP ETFs have surpassed $1 billion, data from XPmarket showed.

The funds are registering significant daily trading volumes, suggesting institutional investors are actively building positions, according to the data provider.

XRP investment products attracted modest capital throughout 2024, with 2025 figures increasing approximately fivefold, market data indicated. The pace of inflows has accelerated in early 2026, the data showed.

The amount of XRP held on centralized exchanges has dropped to multi-year lows, according to on-chain data. Declining exchange balances typically indicate investors are moving assets into cold storage or custody solutions rather than keeping them available for immediate sale, market analysts noted.

XRPL decentralized exchange liquidity has surged to multi-year highs, according to data from CryptoQuant. The liquidity injection suggests market makers and large-scale liquidity providers are positioning for sustained price movement or increased volatility, the data provider reported.

The rally was characterized by a breakout from a falling wedge pattern, a technical formation often associated with bullish reversals, according to technical analysts. The move was accelerated by short liquidations, which forced traders betting against the asset to buy back positions to cover losses, market data showed.

The Taker Buy Ratio, a metric measuring whether buyers or sellers are initiating trades, has crossed the threshold indicating buyers are aggressively hitting the ask price, according to trading data. Transaction count on the XRPL decentralized exchange has climbed substantially, indicating increased market depth is meeting organic demand, on-chain data showed.

Open interest in XRP futures has climbed to its highest level since November, with derivatives volume rising to levels not seen in the same period, according to derivatives market data.

Ripple has completed strategic acquisitions including custody and treasury firms, as well as a global prime broker rebranded as Ripple Prime, according to company announcements. The firm has assembled infrastructure resembling traditional market-structure platforms for enterprises to test on-chain settlement, the company stated.

Market participants are increasingly assessing XRP as a potential utility component within regulated payments architecture rather than solely as a speculative asset, according to industry observers.