XRP’s price surge over the last 24 hours has pushed its market capitalization past that of Binance-affiliated BNB, reclaiming its position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency.
Excluding stablecoins, XRP now trails only Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin holds the top spot with a market capitalization of $1.79 trillion, followed by Ethereum at $373 billion.
The price of XRP popped above the vaunted $2 milestone on Friday for the first time since mid-December, extending a strong start to 2026. XRP’s meteoric price performance can be attributed to strong spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows and the improving U.S. regulatory environment.
XRP’s market cap has climbed to the 3rd spot among top cryptocurrencies by market cap. XRP was changing hands at $2.01 as of publication time, up 5.6%, while Bitcoin traded just above $90,000, CoinGecko data shows.
The upsurge also comes as investors reevaluate the regulatory environment, as SEC Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, known for her skepticism of crypto, is set to depart the agency this week after serving a five-year tenure at the United States’ main digital assets regulator — a major win for the crypto industry’s bid to expand its influence on Capitol Hill.
Crenshaw publicly denounced the SEC’s settlement with Ripple after their protracted legal brawl, cautioning that it represented a retreat from meaningful crypto enforcement and left investors exposed.
Crenshaw’s exit stokes hopes that more digital asset-friendly regulations will take root in the US.
Steady ETF inflows added to the momentum. According to data from SoSoValue, U.S.-listed spot XRP investment products pulled in $13.59 million on Jan. 2, bringing the total inflows since their debut in November to $1.18 billion and nd total assets under management to over $1.37 billion. The continued demand has helped shift supply and demand dynamics in favor of XRP bulls as confidence slowly rebuilds.
