The first full trading week of 2026 saw XRP and SOL ETFs log net inflows, while bitcoin and ether funds struggled in comparison.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Spot bitcoin and ether ETFs reported net outflows as well, with one analyst pointing to profit-taking after the recent market rally.
Analysts said traders expect XRP to see wider adoption in the coming year and seek to expand their crypto exposure beyond bitcoin and ether.
Bitcoin-specific inflows retreated 35% to $26.9 billion, while Ethereum, XRP, and Solana products absorbed over $20 billion combined.
Bullish forecasts for ETF-led demand growth clash with warnings that many products may struggle to attract lasting assets.
U.S. spot crypto ETF flows, stablecoin supply, prediction markets, perp DEX activity, and the DAT craze were among the data trends of 2025.
Despite a mixed performance throughout 2025, XRP has emerged as one of the standout performers in the cryptocurrency market. Currently trading slightly below $1.90, the fifth-largest cryptocurrency has retraced nearly 50% from its all-time highs achieved in July. Nevertheless, Standard Chartered is optimistic about XRP’s future, forecasting a significant upward trend driven by anticipated inflows into spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and increased regulatory clarity. Spot XRP ETFs Could Drive $4-$8 Billion In Inflows The bank predicts that the launch of spot XRP ETFs could bring in between $4 billion and $8 billion into XRP throughout 2026. Should these inflows materialize, the resulting demand—coupled with XRP’s relatively limited supply—could catalyze a sharp increase in the coin’s price. Related Reading: US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: Key Catalyst For Potential Surge Toward $150,000 Next Year Analyst Geoffrey Kendrick has laid out an ambitious roadmap for XRP’s future, anticipating prices of $8.00 in 2026, and potentially reaching $12.50 by 2028. To put this into perspective, XRP’s current circulating supply is approximately 57 billion coins. Even modest inflows of a few billion dollars could create a meaningful supply shock in the market. So far, XRP ETFs have gathered around $1.25 billion. To reach the $8 target, it would require annual flows to hit the range of $5 billion to $10 billion, similar to the initial enthusiasm surrounding Bitcoin ETFs. Regulatory Resolution As Key Catalyst A parallel factor influencing XRP’s potential rise is the resolution of regulatory uncertainty surrounding the cryptocurrency. The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) long-standing lawsuit against Ripple Labs has significantly impacted XRP’s narrative. Yet, in August 2025, the SEC withdrew its appeal, resulting in Ripple agreeing to a $125 million settlement and affirming that XRP sales on secondary markets are not classified as securities transactions. Related Reading: Bitcoin And Ethereum Influx: Strategy Grabs 1,200 BTC, Bitmine Immersion Ups ETH by 44,000 This resolution eliminates a substantial legal burden and is seen by Standard Chartered as a catalyst for increased adoption. With legal uncertainties removed, capital that had been sidelined could finally enter the market. However, for XRP to achieve a price of $8 by 2026, favorable economic conditions, including low interest rates and a risk-on attitude among investors, would be critical. Should macroeconomic challenges escalate, investors may shy away from altcoins. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
US spot bitcoin ETFs posted $188.6 million in net outflows on Tuesday, marking their fourth straight day of negative flows.
XRP, currently the fifth largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has recently fallen below the crucial $2 mark amid a broader market correction that has dampened investor sentiment since October. However, market analyst Sam Daodu has identified five critical catalysts that could drive the altcoin to new all-time highs of $5 by 2026. Potential Bullish Catalysts For XRP In a detailed report, Daodu emphasized that for XRP to reach $5, multiple specific factors need to work in unison. Each of these catalysts aims to address various barriers that have kept XRP’s price stagnant. At the forefront of Daodu’s analysis is the potential for a BlackRock-backed XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). Since mid-November 2025, spot XRP ETFs have attracted over $1 billion in cumulative inflows. Should BlackRock move forward with its ETF, estimates suggest that inflows could exceed $2 billion. Related Reading: XRP Price Forecasts For 2026 Unveiled By AI Simulation: Should Investors Remain Bullish? Daodu’s analysis points that such capital influx would not only reshape market demand but would also solidify XRP’s position as the sole cryptocurrency tied to a fully regulated token in the United States, significantly enhancing its case for reaching $5. Next on the list is the evolving significance of Japan within the XRP narrative. Ripple, in collaboration with SBI Holdings, is set to launch RLUSD—Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin—in Japan by the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval. The use of RLUSD on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) can create substantial demand for XRP as a bridge currency, supporting the case for it to reach $5, even if this impact unfolds gradually over time. From Tokenization To ETFs The third catalyst that Daodu identified is the tokenization of assets. Ripple’s expanded partnership with Archax aims to bring in “hundreds of millions of dollars” in tokenized equity, debt, and funds onto the XRP Ledger by mid-2026. Should the XRP Ledger capture even a modest 5-10% of the tokenized asset settlement market, the demand for XRP would increase significantly, further supporting its goal of reaching $5. In fourth place, macroeconomic policy plays a crucial role in shaping XRP’s upside potential. Anticipated rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) would likely decrease returns on cash and short-term bonds, traditionally driving capital toward riskier assets that offer growth and liquidity. Related Reading: New Crypto Tax Proposal: Bipartisan House Duo Pushes For Stablecoin Safe Harbor Lastly, recent on-chain data points to a noteworthy change in supply dynamics. Exchange-held XRP has decreased, with 1.35 billion XRP removed from exchanges in less than two months. Balances plummeted from approximately 3.95 billion tokens to about 2.6 billion, with more than a billion leaving in just a short span of three weeks. Such withdrawals are indicative of a behavioral shift among holders, as many are opting to move XRP into long-term storage solutions. Daodu posits that reaching the $5 mark will not stem from a singular headline or moment of exuberance. It will necessitate a convergence of multiple factors, including strong ETF inflows, institutional adoption, and favorable macroeconomic conditions. As of this writing, the altcoin was trading at $1.88, dropping by almost 50% from all-time high levels reached back in July of this year. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
The $31 billion in combined flows to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs during 2025 demonstrates substantial institutional demand.
Global crypto products recorded their first outflows in four weeks as Washington pushed key policy discussions to next year, per CoinShares.
Expectations around XRP exchange-traded funds were seen as a turning point that could unlock new institutional demand and change XRP’s price structure in favor of buyers. However, recent on-chain data suggests the price response has diverged immensely from that narrative. Metrics tracked by the on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant point to a very different dynamic unfolding beneath the surface, one that explains why the altcoin continues to struggle for traction despite headline optimism and inflows into Spot XRP ETFs. Related Reading: Banks Could Favor A Higher XRP Price, Finance Expert Says Whale Exchange Inflows Expose Supply Pressure Data from on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant reveals an interesting trend among XRP whale addresses and their activity on crypto exchange Binance. A closer look at the Binance Inflow-Value Band chart shows that recent XRP deposits to exchanges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the 100,000 to 1 million XRP range and transactions exceeding 1 million coins. These are not retail-sized movements. They reflect activity from large holders moving significant balances onto exchanges, and this behavior aligns with distribution or preparation for selling. The chart showing the exchange inflow into Binance makes this pattern clear, with repeated inflow spikes driven almost entirely by these higher-value bands, while smaller transaction sizes are comparatively lower. The chart image below shows inflows in chunks between 100,000 XRP and 1 million XRP in purple and inflows of chunks more than 1 million XRP in light blue. Most of the inflows into Binance in the past few days have been characterized by these two cohorts, with a few instances of inflows in chunks between 10,000 XRP and 100,000 XRP. XRP Ledger: Exchange Inflow Value Bands – Binance. Source: CryptoQuant This imbalance means that supply is being added to the market by whales at a pace that smaller buyers cannot absorb, and this is why inflows into Spot XRP ETFs have failed to have a positive effect on the altcoin’s price action. Lower Highs, Lower Lows Confirm Supply Overpowering Demand As shown in the price action overlaid in the chart above, the coin printed repeatedly lower highs and lower lows after major exchange deposits. This happens because of the relatively low numbers of new spot buyers on Binance, and even moderate selling pressure has been enough to cap rallies. As it stands, the crypto is facing selling pressure every time it approaches $1.95. Based on the intensity of exchange inflows and the market’s reaction, the first meaningful support zone is between $1.82 and $1.87. However, if large inflows persist, the data suggests the XRP price could continue declining to the $1.50 to $1.66 range. Related Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders Warn The interpretation is that the ETF trend did not translate into sustained spot demand for XRP. Instead, whales who accumulated XRP ahead of ETF approval expectations appear to have used the resulting attention as an opportunity to dump their holdings. That said, inflows into Spot XRP ETFs may have helped limit deeper downside, as data from SoSoValue shows these funds recorded $82.04 million in inflows over the recent week. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Crypto index fund manager Bitwise is seeking to launch an exchange-traded fund tracking the SUI token.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
US spot XRP ETFs' cumulative inflows reached $1 billion on Monday since the first such ETF began trading on Nov. 13.
It marks the third consecutive week of inflows, reflecting a cautious yet optimistic investor base, Head of Research James Butterfill said.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
A new XRP exchange-traded fund is on the block — 21Shares debuted its fund on the CBOE exchange with the ticker symbol TOXR.
It marks the second consecutive week of inflows alongside outflows from short ETPs, hinting at easing negative sentiment, CoinShares said.
The first exchange-traded fund tracking the value of Chainlink has begun trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Vanguard's platform services more than "50 million brokerage customers" who manage "over $11 trillion," Bloomberg said.
The first exchange-traded fund tracking Chainlink is set to begin trading on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
The inflows marked a rebound following a four-week negative streak totaling $5.7 billion, but came ahead of the latest market slump on Monday.
Spot ether ETFs saw $1.42 billion exit the funds last month, marking their largest monthly outflow to date.
The withdrawals come ahead of CoinShares' planned U.S. public listing via a $1.2 billion SPAC merger with Vine Hill Capital.
Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas predicts over 100 new crypto ETFs will launch in the next six months.
Grayscale is looking to expand its lineup of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds, this time with a product tracking Zcash.
Spot XRP Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) started the week surpassing most crypto-based investment products after the record debut performance of Grayscale and Franklin Templeton’s funds. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s November Crash To Continue If This Level Isn’t Reclaimed, Analyst Warns GXRP, XRPZ See Record Debut This week, the second batch of spot XRP ETFs went live, debuting with a record-breaking performance. Notably, Grayscale and Franklin Templeton launched their XRP-based investment products, recording over $60 million in net inflows each during their first day. On Monday, Franklin Templeton debuted the new XRPZ ETF on NYSE Arca, highlighting that “its established utility in facilitating cross-currency settlement has made XRP a central component of the growing digital payments ecosystem.” Moreover, Grayscale followed the same path as with its other existing crypto-based private trusts, converting its XRP fund into the publicly traded GXRP ETF. In a significant achievement, both funds broke Canary Capital’s XRPC record as the biggest ETF debut of 2025. As reported by NewsBTC, Canary Capital launched the first single-token XRP spot ETF on November 13, smashing the initial expectations of multiple experts. After clearing the last regulatory hurdles, XRPC debuted on Nasdaq with a total volume of $58 million. Ahead of its launch, senior ETF analysts predicted that the fund could surpass Bitwise’s BSOL, which previously held this achievement. After the first 30 minutes, XRPC surprised market observers with $26 million in volume, suggesting strong initial demand. Meanwhile, BSOL recorded an impressive volume of $10 million in the first 30 minutes of trading, surging to $33 million by the half-day mark. The investment product closed its debut with $57 million in volume, beating all 900 other launches of the year. According to SoSoValue data, Franklin’s XRPZ and Grayscale’s GXRP saw an impressive $62.6 million and $67.4 million on their launch day, surpassing Canary’s XRPC record and becoming the best debuts of any ETFs in 2025 so far. XRP ETFs Steal The Spotlight Besides the remarkable launch of Grayscale and Franklin Templeton’s investment funds, the XRP ETF category’s performance surpassed that of other leading ETFs on Monday, including those based on the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Solana (SOL). Canary Capital’s XRPC and Bitwise’s XRP ETF brought in $16.4 million and $16.4 million, respectively, amounting to a total of $164 million in net inflows for the whole category on November 24. This performance was followed by ETH ETFs, which recorded $96.6 million in inflows, led by BlackRock’s ETHA. Solana-based funds came third with $58 million in positive net flows, extending their 20-day streak with a total of $568 million in inflows, according to Farside Invest data. Related Reading: Financial Strategist Debunks Prediction That Bitcoin Price Will Reach $220,000 In 45 Days Notably, spot XRP ETFs have seen cumulative net inflows of $586.8 million, registering an eight-day positive streak and surpassing the total inflows of SOL ETFs. On the contrary, Bitcoin ETFs registered the worst performance among the leading cryptocurrency funds. The investment products continued their choppy November performance, starting the week with $151 million in outflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT. As of this writing, XRP is trading at $2.18, a 1.6% decline in the daily timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com