The XRP discussion going into 2026 really comes down to one conditional scenario.
If Bitcoin enters a true late-cycle expansion phase, rotation won’t hit all alts equally. Historically, capital concentrates into large-caps that look “institution-ready,” not speculative long tails.
XRP stood out in 2025 for one reason: it held up better than most of the broader alt market.
That resilience is often attributed to two things — clearer regulatory footing and steady real-world adoption.
At the same time, Ripple has been operating less like a crypto startup and more like a financial infrastructure firm, deploying over $2.7B across acquisitions tied to payments, treasury systems, and trading rails.
The takeaway isn’t about price targets.
It’s about positioning.
In a scenario where BTC pulls liquidity to extremes, rotation tends to favor assets that already resemble traditional financial plumbing.
That’s the core of the XRP argument.