Entering 2026, the power dynamics in the crypto market are quietly shifting. XRP, which has long been in the spotlight due to legal disputes, is regaining market influence through substantial capital inflows and price performance. As its market cap surpasses BNB, XRP officially secures its position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency globally. This change is seen as a significant signal for this bull market.
The core factor driving XRP’s “decoupling” from the broader market is the continuous increase in institutional funds into XRP ETFs. According to SoSoValue data, Ripple (XRP) spot ETF recorded approximately $13.6 million in net inflows within 24 hours, pushing the total net inflow to $1.18 billion, with total net assets reaching about $1.37 billion. This performance highlights strong institutional demand for compliant investment channels for XRP.
From an industry-wide perspective, the return of institutional capital is not exclusive to XRP. On the same trading day, Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows of about $471 million, and Ethereum ETFs attracted $174 million. However, compared to these, XRP’s growth is more structurally significant. It is opening up new institutional allocation options outside of BTC and ETH, reshaping the flow of funds in the altcoin market.
Price and technical indicators also confirm this trend. Over the past 24 hours, XRP’s price has increased by approximately 3.84%, approaching $2.07. The RSI remains in a healthy bullish zone, not yet entering overbought territory; the MACD shows a clear bullish crossover, indicating ongoing upward momentum. In contrast, BNB declined over 1% during the same period, showing clear pressure.
More notably, on-chain structural changes are worth paying attention to. Glassnode data shows that XRP balances on centralized exchanges have fallen to about 1.6 billion tokens, a new low since 2018, down approximately 57% from the peak at the end of 2025. The supply continues to tighten, resonating with ETF demand and providing medium- to long-term support for the price.
Overall, with XRP ETF capital inflows, declining exchange reserves, and the expansion of Ripple’s payment ecosystem, XRP may be at one of the most critical turning points in nearly a decade. If institutional demand persists, this market cycle could go far beyond a short-term rebound.
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