Related Articles
Forget Bitcoin. XRP is blazing a trail: the altcoin darling of the US crypto ETF scene, leaving rivals in the dust with a performance that’s smashing records and turning heads since last month.
XRP ETFs are off to a blazing start! In under two weeks, these new US spot funds have already amassed around $587 million, eclipsing the roughly $568 million mark set by Solana ETFs in the same timeframe.
XRP’s meteoric rise has flipped the crypto world upside down, crowning it the king of altcoin risk. Forget the cautious retreat and the Bitcoin-Ethereum duopoly; XRP is now the go-to playground for bold bets in a sea of red.
Solana vs XRP ETFs
Solana ETFs had set the early pace in the sector.
Solana ETFs are on a tear! Launching October 28th, they’ve racked up 20 straight days of net inflows, pulling in a staggering $568 million. That tidal wave of investment has propelled total assets to $840 million – a cool 1% slice of Solana’s entire market cap. Not bad for a rookie.
However, XRP has compressed that trajectory into a hyper-accelerated window.
XRP’s quiet climb turned into a rocket launch. Before Thanksgiving, US spot XRP products held a respectable $423 million. Then, Grayscale and Franklin Templeton joined the party on November 24th. The result? An explosive $164 million poured in, transforming XRP’s trajectory overnight.
XRP’s surge has catapulted its monthly earnings to a staggering $587 million, eclipsing Solana’s entire month’s performance in almost half the time.
On a capital-intensity basis, XRP is now absorbing institutional dollars at almost double the daily rate of its rival.
The race to zero
The velocity of the flip is being driven by a structural “race to the bottom” on costs.
Franklin Templeton just dropped a bombshell in the crypto ETF arena: the XRPZ fund. Buckle up, because they’re offering a 0.19% sponsor fee – already the lowest in the game. But here’s the kicker: that fee vanishes entirely on the first $5 billion in assets until May 31, 2026. That’s right, zero cost exposure to crypto. Consider this a challenge to the rest of Wall Street.
Institutional investors and model portfolios, listen up: XRPZ unlocks a virtually zero-cost carry trade for the next six months. Basis-point battles? Consider them won.
Grayscale’s GXRP has adopted a similar posture, waiving its standard fees for the first three months.
Peak demand met a tidal wave of issuer subsidies. The $164 million explosion on November 24th wasn’t just a surge; it was a coiled spring of capital finally unleashed, waiting in the wings for these discounted, blue-chip deals to hit the market.
Solana ETFs, emulating Bitwise’s BSOL with waivers, saw an entirely different beast unleashed when Franklin Templeton entered the arena. Their $5 billion cap wasn’t just a number; it was a key, unlocking a tidal wave of institutional investment the moment shares went live.
Momentum vs. gravity
The most telling divergence, however, lies in the relationship between flows and price action.
Solana’s recent $510 million injection arrives like a life raft tossed into a choppy sea, coinciding with a sharp 30% price dip. While ETF inflows have cushioned the fall, acting as a sponge for panicked selling, they haven’t been enough to pull Solana out of the undertow. The influx is significant, but the question remains: will it spark a true recovery or merely delay the inevitable?
Effectively, this makes the SOL ETF’s performance a defensive accumulation story.
While other cryptocurrencies falter, XRP is staging a dramatic comeback. After a recent dip of 17%, the token rebounded with a vengeance, surging 10% after the November 24th session, signaling a potential breakout.
XRP shattered the $2 barrier, surging to a peak of $2.27, fueled by a market frenzy. Glassnode’s on-chain data paints a compelling picture: this zone represents a critical “psychological showdown.” Long-term XRP holders, scarred by the 2025 crash, are now presented with a bittersweet opportunity – to finally recoup their losses and break even. Will they cash out, or hold on for more gains? The fate of XRP hangs in the balance.
Remember the dreaded supply wall? It used to crush every rally in its path. Now, everything’s different. A silent revolution is underway, fueled by ETFs. These funds aren’t just buying; they’re devouring $50 to $100 million daily, creating an insatiable demand that makes old supply fears obsolete. Legacy holdings? Consider them lunch.
While Solana’s price struggles against downward pressure, XRP is a force to be reckoned with, shattering past resistance and forging a new foundation for growth.
The Path to $2 billion?
Barely two weeks in, and the new market is already shattering expectations. Four issuers have ignited a $500 million blaze, forcing analysts to rewrite their year-end forecasts in a frenzy.
The current run rate places XRP on a trajectory that outpaces many analyst expectations for non-Bitcoin assets.
The post-launch excitement may be fading, but a steady $40-$60 million daily pour is quietly fueling this complex toward a year-end showdown with $1.5 billion.
However, a “bull case” scenario is emerging.
Franklin Templeton’s fee waivers could be the golden ticket to wooing RIAs and shedding dead weight assets. If this strategy hits its mark, could the firm be sitting on a cool $2 billion AUM by the end of 2025?
Thanks for reading XRP overtakes Solana in ETF race with aggressive fee strategy
