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Shiba Inu Outperforms Bitcoin and XRP in This Key Metric

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Despite ongoing price weakness, Shiba Inu has emerged as a standout in the derivatives space, overtaking major assets such as Bitcoin and XRP in open interest.

Notably, Shiba Inu has outperformed other leading cryptocurrencies in daily open interest growth. According to data from CoinGlass, SHIB’s open interest climbed 1.84% over the past 24 hours.

At press time, traders have committed approximately 10.97 trillion SHIB, worth around $81.18 million, to active futures contracts.

Shiba Inu Open Interest
Shiba Inu Open Interest

According to CoinGlass data, several exchanges recorded positive growth in Shiba Inu’s open interest over the past 24 hours. MEXC led the gains with a 37.69% increase, followed by Coinbase at 20.04%, LBank at 15.04%, Kraken at 12.86%, HTX at 10.52%, and Bitget at 10.16%.

Meanwhile, other platforms posted notable declines during the same period. KuCoin recorded the steepest drop at 44.53%, while Bitunix saw open interest fall by 11.79%.

Notably, most traders are positioning for a potential price spike, as reflected in the long-to-short ratio. Of all open positions, 51.35% are long, compared with 48.65% short, resulting in a long-to-short ratio of 1.0555.

SHIB Long and Short Ratio
SHIB Long and Short Ratio

Shiba Inu Outperforms Bitcoin and XRP in Open Interest Surge

This increase follows several weeks of negative performance and signals a reversal, reviving optimism around the token.

Notably, the renewed momentum becomes even clearer when compared with the open interest of the top cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin and XRP. While Bitcoin’s open interest fell by 1.14% over the same period, XRP recorded a steeper decline of 2.3%.

BTC Open Interest
BTC Open Interest

Indeed, the surge in Shiba Inu’s open interest during this period indicates growing speculative interest in SHIB. This activity has reignited expectations of a potential upside move, with the optimism already translating into price action.

SHIB Spikes Over 3% in 24 Hours

Data from CoinMarketCap shows that Shiba Inu gained 3.21% over the past 24 hours, climbing to $0.000007239. Notably, it also outperformed Bitcoin and XRP during the same period, as the two major assets posted more modest gains of 0.92% and 1.18%, respectively.

At its current price of $0.000007239, Shiba Inu has climbed 3.53% from its December 19 low of $0.000006992. However, the token remains about 27.6% below the $0.00001 psychological level. Notably, it’s been more than six weeks since Shiba Inu last traded near this threshold.

After briefly trading at $0.000010 on November 11, SHIB encountered intense selling pressure alongside the broader market downturn, driving its price lower.

However, renewed strength in the futures market has reignited hopes of a rebound. In addition, several catalysts continue to fuel investor optimism for a stronger rally. These include the potential passage of the CLARITY Act, the rollout of Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) technology on Shibarium, and growing speculation around the launch of a standalone ETF tied to the token.

Buy Bitcoin When Others Fear, Not When They FOMO, Says CZ

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Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) reminded investors that the best time to buy Bitcoin is usually when people are scared, not when they’re excited.

In a tweet, he said many regret not buying Bitcoin earlier, but early investors didn’t buy at the top. They bought during uncertain times when it was hardest to stay confident.

His comments come as the crypto market is still cautious. For weeks, Bitcoin has been in “Extreme Fear,” showing that traders are nervous. Even though things have improved a little, it’s more a sign of caution than full confidence.

Community Voices Reinforce the Message

Several market participants publicly echoed Zhao’s perspective on social platforms. X user Lawrence Lanzilli encouraged investors to consider accumulating Bitcoin during the holiday period, suggesting that institutions may be quietly positioning themselves for a potential bullish phase in 2026.

He reinforced Zhao’s broader theme, arguing that meaningful positions are typically built during doubt, not widespread optimism.

Other community members focused on the psychological challenges of investing in downturns. One X user observed that while many seek financial opportunity, far fewer are willing to endure the discomfort required to seize it.

According to the commenter, early participation demands emotional resilience, as acting during uncertainty often feels worse than missing out later.

Meanwhile, broader market conditions have shown incremental improvement. At press time, total cryptocurrency market capitalization had risen 1.1% to $3.05 trillion, with 24-hour trading volume reaching $69.75 billion.

Bitcoin continued to dominate within this environment. Its market capitalization approached $1.75 trillion, maintaining its leading position across the crypto market.

Zhao’s Consistent View on Fear and Greed

Zhao’s recent remarks align with views he shared earlier this year. In November, he gave a simple rule for handling Bitcoin’s ups and downs: sell when everyone is overly optimistic, and buy when fear is strongest.

Back then, some investors agreed, saying it’s better to watch the market carefully rather than act on emotions. Others, however, criticized his advice.

During the same period, Binance CEO Richard Teng also weighed in on market conditions, offering reassurance amid heightened uncertainty. Teng stated that all asset classes experience cycles and added that deleveraging and risk-off behavior were contributing to short-term pressure in the crypto markets.

Education as a Defense Against Panic Selling

Changpeng Zhao has also highlighted the importance of investor education. In a separate X post published in September, he warned that many panic-sell Bitcoin due to limited understanding.

He argued that relying on external recommendations does not build conviction. Instead, he urged investors to study technology, finance, and global trends.

According to Zhao, stronger knowledge helps traders hold through downturns and focus on Bitcoin’s long-term prospects.

Taken together, Zhao’s remarks stress that fear often precedes opportunity, while euphoria tends to amplify risk.

Ripple CTO Reveals XRP Escrow Limited Ripple’s Ability to Sell XRP Freely

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The Ripple CTO, David Schwartz, has clarified that the XRP escrow introduced in 2017 did not give Ripple more freedom to sell XRP. 

According to him, the approach actually placed firm limits on how much the company could sell. Notably, he made this disclosure during a public exchange that started as a debate about wealth, taxes, and fairness.

The conversation started when a political satirical commentator reacted to remarks attributed to Elon Musk about paying over $10 billion in taxes. The commentator argued that although the figure sounded large, it represented only a small share of Musk’s overall wealth. 

Ripple CTO Comments on Musk’s Tax Obligation

Using Musk’s estimated net worth of $700 billion, the political commentator calculated that $10 billion amounted to about 1.43%. They criticized what they believe is a system where extremely wealthy individuals can legally reduce their tax burden while most people pay a much higher share of their income. 

Responding to the criticism, Schwartz acknowledged that while the calculation itself was correct, the reasoning behind it was flawed. However, an XRP investor shifted the conversation to the XRP ecosystem, suggesting that the Ripple CTO lacked standing in the debate.

According to him, Schwartz had helped put in place the Ripple escrow so the company could sell up to 1 billion XRP each month to fund its operations and careers within the firm.

The Escrow Limited Ripple’s Ability to Sell XRP

Meanwhile, Schwartz corrected this claim. He explained that before Ripple created the escrow, the company faced no formal limits on how much XRP it could sell in any given month. 

According to him, the escrow actually reduced Ripple’s freedom by locking up most of its XRP and releasing it on a fixed schedule. 

He added that he opposed the escrow when Ripple considered it, because he did not see enough benefit to justify giving up that flexibility. To him, the company traded away optionality, not control, when it agreed to the escrow structure.

The investor admitted that this was news to them but argued that XRP’s price would likely be much higher today if Ripple had not sold XRP regularly since 2017. Notably, this reflects a common belief among critics who argue that ongoing sales by Ripple have weighed on XRP’s market value.

However, Schwartz said this idea sounds reasonable on the surface, but the available evidence does not support it. He explained that markets usually account for events that everyone expects. Since investors have long known about Ripple’s scheduled XRP releases, the market should already reflect that information in the price.

To support his position, Schwartz presented price data comparing XRP with Stellar’s XLM. Specifically, both assets have moved largely in tandem over time, even though Stellar burned half of its total supply in 2019. The major supply reduction had absolutely no effect on XLM’s price.

XRP and XLM Price Action
XRP and XLM Price Action

Top Five Token Sales Capture $2.92 Billion in 2025

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Crypto token offerings generated billions of dollars in 2025, but fundraising activity was far from evenly distributed.

Instead of broad-based participation across the market, investor capital clustered tightly around a small number of headline projects.

In total, just five token sales accounted for nearly $2.92 billion in proceeds, highlighting how demand concentrated around a handful of high-profile launches with strong branding, prominent backers, or compelling narratives.

MegaETH Sets a New Benchmark for ICO Demand

MegaETH dominated the landscape with the largest token sale of the year. The Ethereum layer 2 project completed its initial coin offering in October, attracting extraordinary investor interest and setting a new benchmark for demand.

Total bids approached $1.4 billion, despite the sale being capped at just $50 million. This imbalance resulted in extreme oversubscription, with demand exceeding available supply by nearly 28 times. Consequently, MegaETH’s fully diluted valuation climbed to approximately $27.8 billion.

The project benefited from high visibility within the Ethereum ecosystem, bolstered by backing from prominent figures such as Vitalik Buterin and Joe Lubin. Momentum was immediate once the sale opened, with roughly $50 million raised in the first five minutes on October 27.

Participation was restricted to verified users transacting in USDT, with individual purchase caps and long-term holding incentives designed to encourage alignment.

Technical performance also played a role in driving demand. Ahead of the offering, MegaETH demonstrated high throughput on its test network, while more than 100,000 users completed KYC checks, signaling strong early engagement.

PUMP Token Secures $600 Million in Minutes

Following MegaETH’s record-setting sale, pump.fun delivered another rapid fundraising event.

Specifically, the platform’s public sale of the PUMP token raised $600 million. Approximately $500 million came directly from the token offering, which implies a fully diluted valuation of $4 billion. In addition, another $100 million was raised off-chain through a centralized exchange.

Notably, the entire sale concluded in under 12 minutes, underscoring the market’s continued appetite for well-publicized and tightly structured token launches.

World Liberty Financial Draws Attention With Political Backing

While PUMP token stood out for its pace, World Liberty Financial attracted attention for its high-profile backing and extended fundraising timeline.

The decentralized finance project, backed by Donald Trump, ranked third by total capital raised, with proceeds of roughly $590 million. Its public sale began earlier, in October 2024, when 20 billion WLFI tokens were offered at $0.015 to whitelisted investors. That initial phase closed in January 2025 and generated $300 million.

A second round followed, with five billion additional tokens sold at a higher price of $0.05. This phase concluded in March, contributing another $250 million.

Strategic investments further supported the project. Tron founder Justin Sun invested $30 million in November 2024 and later joined as an advisor, while Web3Port added $10 million in January.

Monad Exceeds Its Fundraising Target

Monad’s performance reflected interest in alternative layer-1 networks. The EVM-compatible blockchain raised $269 million during a Coinbase-hosted ICO in November, comfortably surpassing its original $187 million target.

Participation was broad, with more than 85,000 contributors. Demand exceeded expectations, resulting in the sale being oversubscribed by approximately 43 percent.

The offering included 7.5 billion MON tokens, representing 7.5 percent of the total supply. At full subscription, the implied valuation reached roughly $2.5 billion. To reinforce long-term alignment, more than half of the total token supply was locked at launch, limiting near-term selling pressure.

Aztec Network Completes Community-Focused Sale

Rounding out the top five was Aztec Network, which pursued a more community-centric approach. The privacy-focused project completed its public AZTEC token sale earlier this month, raising approximately $61.3 million.

The sale attracted broad participation, with contributors supplying 19,476 ETH across more than 16,700 wallets between December 2 and December 6. Aztec employed a continuous clearing auction built on Uniswap Labs infrastructure, allowing price discovery to unfold over several days.

Community involvement was a defining feature. Roughly half of the funds came from existing users and testnet operators, including early adopters of the now-closed Aztec Connect product.

Analyst Says Have Orders Ready as XRP Breakout Incoming

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YouTuber Zach Rector believes XRP is approaching a major breakout due to extreme market conditions tied to the largest crypto options expiry in history. 

According to Rector, short-term volatility may shake out weak hands, but the overall setup points toward a strong upside move. With this outlook, he stressed that 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for XRP.

XRP Faces Historic Options Expiry Pressure

In his update, Rector noted that the crypto market is heading into the largest Bitcoin options expiry ever with more than $23 billion in notional value expiring. He explained that events of this size force prices into tight ranges as market makers attempt to extract maximum value from both long and short positions.

This dynamic has kept Bitcoin and major altcoins like XRP locked in frustrating consolidation for weeks. Once these contracts expire, that artificial pressure typically eases, opening the door for sharp directional moves

Liquidity Data Shows More Incentive to Push XRP Higher

Furthermore, Rector noted that liquidity maps across major exchanges show more money to be made pushing XRP upward than downward. A move toward the $2.50 level would trigger heavier short liquidations than the long liquidations if the price briefly dips toward the $1.60–$1.70 zone.

Because of this imbalance, Rector warned traders to be prepared for a possible downside liquidity sweep. He added that any dip is unlikely to last long before a reversal.

Consolidation Nearing Its End

Rector views XRP’s extended range since late November as a deliberate holding pattern ahead of options expiry. He noted that market makers have kept price trapped to maximize profits, not because XRP’s fundamentals have weakened.

A move back above $2.50, he said, would mean that the local bottom is in and that XRP is ready to trend higher into the new year. Notably, at press time, XRP is trading at $1.87, up 1.15% over the past day.

ETF Activity Strengthens the Bullish Case

Beyond short-term price action, Rector highlighted record-setting ETF activity as a key structural tailwind. The U.S. ETF industry has seen historic inflows, and XRP ETFs have stood out within that trend.

Key highlights:

  • U.S. ETFs attracted $1.4 trillion in net inflows in 2025, a historic record

  • ETF trading volume reached $57.9 trillion, also a new high

  • XRP’s spot ETF from Canary Capital set the day-one volume record

Moreover, XRP ETFs recorded one of the strongest inflows of the year, even as Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs experienced outflows. Rector sees this as evidence of growing institutional interest in XRP.

XRP etf records
XRP ETF records

Why 2026 Could Be a Defining Year for XRP

Looking ahead, Rector argued that XRP is being accumulated below its perceived fundamental value. He pointed to expanding ETF adoption, institutional positioning, and an eventual liquidity expansion as reasons 2026 could deliver massive tailwinds for XRP.

In his view, the current weakness is more about positioning and pressure from derivatives than long-term fundamentals.

What Zach Rector Is Watching Next

Rector said traders should watch closely for volatility around key downside levels near $1.60–$1.70 and resistance around $2.50. A brief sweep lower followed by a sharp recovery would align with his breakout thesis.

While he expects near-term turbulence, Rector maintains that XRP’s consolidation phase is nearing an end, and the asset may be setting up for a much stronger move as the market turns toward 2026.

Expert Says These 5 Bullish Facts Around XRP Don’t Change, No Matter What Anyone Says

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Jake Claver, CEO of Digital Ascension Group, has shared what he sees as major facts about XRP and the XRP Ledger that would never change.

Claver made this disclosure amid the ongoing relentless attacks the XRP ecosystem has witnessed in recent times. These criticisms intensified within the Chainlink camp as well as from Solana community figures.

XRP’s Decentralization and Deflationary Model

Notably, in his X commentary, Claver first highlighted XRP’s decentralization. For context, the XRP Ledger runs as a layer-one blockchain supported by a global network of independent validators, with 185 currently running on rippled versions, per XRPScan. 

The network uses its own consensus model instead of proof-of-work or proof-of-stake, which prevents any single entity from controlling the system. While Ripple helped promote early adoption, it does not own or control the XRPL, which operates as an open-source network.

Secondly, Claver addressed XRP’s deflationary model. Notably, XRP launched in 2012 with a fixed supply of 100 billion tokens, and the protocol does not allow the creation of new tokens. 

However, each transaction permanently removes a very small amount of XRP, usually about 0.00001 XRP, to discourage spam. Since launch, this process has burned 14.2 million XRP, about 0.014% of the total supply. Although the reduction remains small, the supply continues to decline over time.

XRPL Features Native DEX, Supports Tokenization, and Avoids External Threats

For his third point, Claver highlighted the XRPL’s built-in decentralized exchange (DEX). Upon its launch in 2012, the XRPL came with a native DEX that still operates today. It allows users to trade XRP and issued tokens directly using a central limit order book. The network later added automated market makers to improve liquidity, all without relying on external applications.

Meanwhile, Claver’s fourth fact revolved around tokenization. From its launch, the XRPL has allowed users to issue custom tokens representing stablecoins, real-world assets, and other financial instruments. 

The network introduced this capability without smart contracts, making it the first blockchain to support broad token issuance at the protocol level. Over time, this support has expanded to include fungible tokens, NFTs, and assets such as tokenized treasuries and real estate.

For his fifth point, Claver called attention to the XRPL’s unique design that makes it stand out. Specifically, core functions such as payments, escrow, token issuance, and decentralized trading operate directly at the layer-one level. 

This removes dependence on complex smart contracts and reduces exposure to common risks like exploits, wallet drains, and blind signing. Notably, while tools like Hooks allow limited programmability, the main network keeps its core features native and rule-based.

Chainlink Proponent Presents a Counter Opinion

Meanwhile, Fishy Catfish, a Chainlink proponent that has persistently championed some of the attacks on XRP, responded with his own facts in an attempt to identify weak points surrounding the XRPL network.

Notably, he argued that XRP lacks a mechanism that links usage to price growth and noted that only a small portion of supply has burned since 2012. He also claimed that using XRP as a bridge asset does not support price appreciation because trades involve quick buying and selling.

Speaking further, the pundit suggested that holding XRP provides no exposure to Ripple’s business growth. He also described the XRPL as outdated, citing low rankings in total value locked, a limited share of the real-world asset and stablecoin markets, a small number of full-time developers, and daily DEX volume below $3 million.

According to him, Ripple focuses on expanding its broader ecosystem and shareholder value rather than the XRPL itself. He referenced Ripple’s decision to issue most RLUSD on Ethereum and bridge it to other networks, claiming that activity on those chains benefits their ecosystems, not XRP.

Cardano Founder Says ADA Holders Don’t Need to Sell ADA for NIGHT

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Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has responded to questions from community members about whether they should sell ADA to buy Midnight (NIGHT).

Since Midnight’s introduction, its development team, alongside Hoskinson, has actively promoted the project across multiple platforms. They position it as a solution that enables developers to build privacy smart contracts. Interest surged further earlier this month after NIGHT debuted on exchanges, hitting new highs and recording substantial trading volume.

Given the successful launch and sustained promotion from Hoskinson and other prominent Cardano figures, speculation has intensified. Community members now ask whether selling ADA for NIGHT makes sense, with some even suggesting that NIGHT could replace ADA.

Hoskinson Disagrees

Hoskinson has addressed the issue during a recent episode of the Discover Crypto podcast. He clarified that NIGHT was designed to extend ADA’s capabilities, not to replace it. According to him, the two tokens complement each other, serving distinct purposes within the ecosystem.

Specifically, Hoskinson said Midnight’s core role is to function as the “ChatGPT of privacy” for Cardano decentralized applications. In practice, Midnight provides a privacy infrastructure that enables Cardano dApps to operate with enhanced confidentiality.

Cardano Gets First-Mover Advantage

While Hoskinson expects Midnight’s adoption to span multiple blockchain networks, he believes Cardano dApps will lead the way as the earliest adopters of Midnight’s privacy solutions. In his view, Midnight will give dApps on Cardano an edge in competing for users.

Another key benefit Hoskinson highlighted is Midnight’s decision to prioritize Cardano by rolling out its features to the network first. He pointed to the NIGHT airdrop as clear evidence of this approach, noting that ADA holders received the largest allocation.

Specifically, 50% of NIGHT’s total 24 billion supply went to ADA holders, while the remaining seven blockchains, including Bitcoin and the XRP Ledger, shared the remainder.

Positioned as a Suitable Destination for Bitcoin DeFi

Hoskinson then broadened the discussion by outlining a wider cross-chain liquidity thesis, identifying Bitcoin DeFi as a major potential source of future capital inflows into Cardano.

He recalled a previous projection in which he suggested that Bitcoin DeFi’s total value locked (TVL) could eventually surpass Ethereum’s entire market capitalization, which stood at around $520 billion at the time.

He described Bitcoin as largely agnostic capital, not bound by loyalty to any single blockchain. Instead, Bitcoin liquidity tends to flow toward ecosystems that offer the most accessible yield opportunities, credit markets, and real-world utility.

From this perspective, Hoskinson argued that Cardano stands out as a natural destination. He cited its UTXO-based model, which closely aligns with Bitcoin’s own architecture and reduces friction for cross-chain participation.

Here’s Why XRP Could Be Repriced, According to Financial Expert

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Amid the ongoing XRP price struggles, a well-known financial expert has explained why the altcoin could witness a reprice.

XRP continues to trade below the $2 level as bearish pressure weighs on the broader crypto market. Despite this weakness, some analysts argue that XRP remains highly undervalued, as the current value does not reflect its potential utility in global payments. 

Amid these discussions, Dr. Kamilah Stevenson, a financial market and health expert, recently explained why XRP could eventually be repriced based on its function rather than market speculation.

In a video commentary, Dr. Stevenson said many investors misunderstand XRP because they evaluate it using the wrong framework. She argued that this mistake leads to frustration and confusion, especially during periods of price decline. To her, understanding what XRP was designed to do changes how investors should think about its value.

XRP Serves a Different Purpose Than Most Assets

Dr. Stevenson explained that many people treat XRP like a stock or growth investment, expecting price gains due to company performance. She said this actually misses the point. According to her, XRP does not represent ownership in Ripple, nor does it provide claims to profits or earnings.

Instead, XRP exists independently of Ripple’s business results. Whether Ripple performs well or poorly, XRP remains operational. This difference places XRP in a different category from equities or speculative investments.

According to Dr. Stevenson, XRP functions as infrastructure. Specifically, its value comes from its ability to move value efficiently within financial systems, not from narratives, hype, or short-term price movements.

How Institutions Think About Value

Speaking further, Dr. Stevenson then highlighted a major difference between retail and institutional thinking. Notably, retail investors often focus on price action, while institutions focus on capability and reliability.

She explained that large financial systems care about whether an asset can handle high transaction volumes, settle payments quickly, and operate smoothly during periods of stress. Essentially, institutions prioritize certainty, efficiency, and reduced risk over short-term returns.

The market expert added that financial systems fail when liquidity breaks down or settlement slows, not when prices fluctuate. In the financial scene, assets that reduce friction gain importance, while those that introduce delays lose relevance.

Why Price Often Moves Last

Speaking on XRP’s late response to developments, Dr. Stevenson noted that infrastructure assets do not reprice because of excitement. However, they reprice when systems need them. Before price changes appear, systems usually go through stages such as legal clarity, technical testing, and integration.

These developments often happen quietly and do not show up as sudden price spikes. However, once systems begin to depend on an asset, availability becomes critical, and valuation can change quickly.

She explained that stress often accelerates this process. When conditions worsen, systems stop prioritizing cost and start prioritizing reliability and certainty.

XRP Repricing Depends on Necessity, Not Predictions

Dr. Stevenson chose not to make any price predictions or timelines. Instead, she highlighted XRP’s potential in terms of readiness. The financial pundit believes XRP is ready to play a role when financial systems require speed, finality, deep liquidity, and legal clarity.

She stressed that XRP does not need a crisis to succeed over time. However, challenging conditions tend to reveal which assets are essential and which ones remain optional.

To her, XRP could be repriced if the system demands the capabilities it offers. This possibility explains why long-term positioning matters more than short-term price movement.

Dr. Stevenson also discussed how investors plan around XRP. She explained that different classes of investors set up their strategies based on how they understand XRP. Specifically, investors who see XRP as a trade focus on timing buys and sells.

However, investors who view XRP as a system asset think differently. Notably, these ones focus on long-term use cases such as collateral, borrowing, yield generation, and diversification without immediate liquidation.

Here Is XRP Price by the End of 2026 if ETF Growth Hits Wall Street Record Levels

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XRP community figure Chad Steingraber recently suggested that by the end of 2026, all combined XRP ETFs could achieve the largest first-year percentage gain in Wall Street history.

If such a milestone comes to pass, the impact on XRP’s price could be dramatic. This article examines where XRP’s price could realistically land by the end of 2026 under this scenario.

XRP ETFs Are Already Setting Records

XRP ETFs are already posting record-breaking inflows, absorbing XRP supply at an unprecedented rate. For instance, Canary Capital opened on November 14 with a first-day inflow of $243 million.

According to Bloomberg senior analyst Eric Balchunas, this was the largest first-day turnover of the over 900 ETFs that entered the market in 2025.

Meanwhile, the momentum has continued, with consistent daily inflows since that day and no outflows recorded across the 15 days of trading. Other ETFs have joined along the line, including Bitwise, Grayscale, and Franklin Templeton.

Together, these XRP ETFs have pulled in inflows of $897.35 million, accumulating over 430 million XRP. Notably, this also represents another record for the XRP ETF market.

In particular, XRP ETFs have emerged as the second-fastest crypto ETFs to hit the $800 million inflow milestone. Inflows are now approaching the major $1 billion target.

Such inflows reduce liquid circulating XRP, increase competition for spot supply, and accelerate price discovery.

Meanwhile, more XRP ETFs are on the horizon from WisdomTree and 21Shares. Accordingly, Steingraber predicts that, by the end of 2026, the combined XRP ETFs could achieve the highest first-year percentage gains in Wall Street ETF history.

What Could This Mean for XRP’s Price?

Base Case for XRP Price

According to an analysis by OpenAI’s model, ChatGPT, if ETF adoption grows steadily but remains within realistic bounds, XRP could end 2026 in the $4.50 to $6 range. This assumes a steady flow of assets under management and a supportive macro environment.

In this scenario, XRP doesn’t need explosive growth to outperform. The asset simply needs its ETFs to maintain strong inflows and track a broader crypto uptrend throughout 2026.

Mid-Range Bullish Scenario

The model also suggests that if XRP ETFs not only perform well but mirror the early surge seen in Bitcoin ETFs, combined with expanding utility in payments and cross-border settlements, prices in the $6 to $10 range are a realistic outlook.

This scenario relies on deeper institutional exposure, reduced exchange liquidity, and XRP’s usefulness in settlement gaining mainstream recognition.

High-End Scenario: Record ETF Year Creates a Perfect Storm

Notably, Chad Steingraber’s prediction implies something far larger than standard success. A record-setting ETF performance would require intense inflows, global demand, and significant supply compression. Steingraber argues that XRP ETFs could absorb half of XRP’s supply in one year.

In that environment, XRP’s price could push into the $10 to $15 range by the end of 2026.

Screenshot 2025 12 06 at 120511 pm
XRP price scenario by ChatGPT

Meanwhile, the model suggests that if global institutions treat XRP as a large-scale liquidity asset, prices could even exceed these upper estimates. However, such outcomes rely heavily on extraordinary adoption.

Opposing Views

Some market participants reacting to Steingraber’s post pointed out that first-year ETF records are not really about percentage gains but about assets under management (AUM).

X user OGA NFT argued that even if XRP ETFs 10x from here, they would still be tiny compared to the records set by gold and Bitcoin. For context, Bitcoin ETFs pulled in over $50 billion in one year.

According to OGA NFT, the real question is whether XRP ETFs can even reach $5 billion AUM to compete with Bitcoin and gold.

Notably, while record inflows in Bitcoin ETFs helped its price cross $100K, similar record ETFs in Ethereum have failed to significantly affect the price of ETH. This raises questions about the actual impact of ETFs on XRP’s price.

Moreover, since the ETF accumulation in November, XRP’s price has dipped rather than surged.

XRP Holders Could Become Millionaires, Billionaires, Trillionaires, and Quadrillionaires: Triblu Founder

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Joshua Dalton, the founder of Triblu, predicts that XRP holders could become millionaires, billionaires, or even trillionaires.

The context of his prediction is the potential use of crypto as a strategic reserve to address the U.S. national debt.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on cryptocurrency. The order establishes a national Bitcoin reserve. However, it also created a national stockpile for altcoins.

This has led to speculation that assets like XRP, Cardano, or Solana could also play a notable role in a U.S. national crypto reserve.

“XRP Is More Likely Than Bitcoin”

Meanwhile, Dalton caused a stir in the crypto space by claiming that XRP is a safer choice for a U.S. strategic reserve than Bitcoin. He expressed concern about Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, suggesting that the unknown identity could pose risks, especially if linked to foreign countries like China.

Dalton contrasts this with Ripple and XRP, praising the company’s U.S. origins. He argues that XRP’s American ties make it a more secure and reliable option for the U.S. government.

XRP Solving the U.S. National Debt Crisis

Dalton suggests that XRP could play a pivotal role in addressing the U.S. national debt, which currently stands at approximately $38 trillion.

Some industry leaders, such as VanEck’s lead researcher Matthew Sigel, have repeatedly argued that Bitcoin is the best solution for the U.S. national debt. Sigel once outlined a path for BTC to alleviate $14 trillion from the deficit back in April. Meanwhile, Dalton believes XRP may be a more realistic option.

On the other hand, Senator Cynthia Lummis proposed acquiring 1 million BTC to offset 80% of the national debt, roughly $30 trillion. For Bitcoin to achieve this, its price would need to reach $30 million per token. This is a 33,607% increase from its current price of $89,000.

However, proponents of XRP argue that the U.S. government could potentially use Ripple’s escrowed XRP reserve, which holds 34.4 billion tokens. To offset 80% of the national debt with this amount of XRP, the price per token would need to surge to $883. This requires a 46,168% increase from its current value of $1.91.

The Path to XRP Millionaires, Billionaires, Trillionaires, and Quadrillionaires

Dalton believes XRP holders could become millionaires, billionaires, trillionaires, or even quadrillionaires if the proposed strategic reserve materializes.

For example, a holder with 10,000 XRP tokens (currently worth about $19,100) could see their portfolio rise to $8.89 million. Notably, 179,546 wallets hold between 5,000 and 10,000 XRP.

Those holding larger amounts, like 1 million XRP, could see their portfolios rise to $889 million, nearing the $1 billion mark. Currently, 2,006 addresses hold between 500,000 and 1 million XRP.

Those approaching trillionaire status would need holdings of 1 billion XRP or more. According to XRP Rich List data, only 20 wallets hold 500 million to 1 billion XRP, and only 6 wallets hold more than 1 billion XRP. Most of these belong to Ripple, its founders, or crypto exchanges with large XRP reserves, such as Binance and Uphold.

XRP Rich List
XRP Rich List

Based on current XRP wallet holdings, no single wallet could realistically reach quadrillionaire status even if XRP reached $883. For that to happen, XRP would need to reach $1 million per coin.

Conclusion

Dalton’s claims are largely hypothetical. The likelihood of the U.S. establishing a crypto reserve with XRP is slim. Furthermore, the government has indicated that it will focus on creating a strategic reserve for Bitcoin only. Other cryptocurrencies like XRP, Cardano, and Solana may only fall under a general crypto stockpile.

Moreover, the government cannot simply take over Ripple’s escrowed XRP for reserve purposes. Even if it could, this would not automatically drive XRP’s price to $883 to offset the national debt.

Essentially, while the idea of XRP holders becoming millionaires, billionaires, trillionaires, or quadrillionaires is intriguing, it is extremely unlikely under the current scenario.