Where Could XRP Go in 2026, Pundit Shares Insights from Bitwise CIO and Inversion CEO

Where could XRP and the broader crypto market go in 2026? Brad Kimes from Digital Perspectives presents suggestions from Bitwise CIO and Inversion CEO.

Notably, the crypto market faced a difficult year in 2025 despite a strong start. Specifically, heavy losses in the final quarter erased earlier gains and dragged down overall performance.

Crypto Underperformed in 2025

The market reached a high of $4.27 trillion in early October 2025 but ended the year at $2.93 trillion, marking a $1.34 trillion decline from its peak. Over the full year, the market lost $250 billion. This represented a 7.85% drop overall. Expectedly, XRP followed the broader market trend, declining 11.51% in 2025

However, as 2026 begins, sentiment has started to improve. Several analysts and industry leaders now believe the market could recover, with XRP in a proper position to take part in the expected rebound.

Bitwise CIO Says 4-Year Cycle Over, Expects Bullish 2026

Kimes first presented a clip of Hougan, who claimed that the traditional four-year crypto cycle may be over. This aligns with views shared by Strategy’s Michael Saylor and CryptoQuant’s Ki Young Ju. Hougan said the market has entered a longer phase that resembles a 10-year upward trend. According to him, new forces now influence crypto more than past cycles.

Hougan called attention to several major developments responsible for this change. Specifically, he highlighted the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, followed by regulatory progress in January 2025

He also mentioned the growing role of stablecoins and tokenization, which he described as strong and lasting growth drivers. According to Hougan, these factors now overshadow the forces that once defined the four-year cycle.

Although Hougan said the four-year cycle still influences investor thinking, he clarified that it no longer controls market direction. To him, the belief in the cycle helped hold prices down in 2025. However, Hougan expects the crypto market to rise in 2026, but with steady gains rather than sharp rallies, lower volatility, and normal price swings.

Hougan also discussed institutional adoption. He explained that large financial firms move much more slowly than retail investors. He noted that Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, and UBS only recently approved Bitcoin investment products, even though ETFs launched nearly a year earlier.

From Bitwise’s experience, institutional clients usually commit funds after eight meetings, often held quarterly. Many firms that began talks when ETFs launched are only now reaching that stage. Hougan said this slow institutional pace, alongside fast retail trading, explains much of the market’s uneven movement.

Inversion CEO More Bullish on XRP Than Ethereum

After presenting Hougan’s comments, Kimes shared remarks from a recent Empire podcast episode. He pointed out that the show’s hosts and guests have long supported Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin, while criticizing Ripple and XRP. Kimes said that attitude has begun to change.

Specifically, during the Empire podcast episode, Inversion CEO Santiago Roel Santos said XRP has a stronger chance than most top-10 crypto networks to return to its all-time high, even if the broader market weakens.

He contrasted this view with his bearish stance on Ethereum, saying he sees little chance of ETH reaching its previous peak. Santos criticized Ethereum’s product approach and argued that centralized product decisions work better than fully decentralized strategies.

He also questioned Ethereum’s valuation, saying the market value of around $350 billion lacks strong support. By comparison, he highlighted XRP’s lower valuation and compared its scale to Visa. Santos said Ripple has more room to use its currency to acquire businesses, grow distribution, and strengthen its products.