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XRP market cap nears 6 percent of bitcoin, can it regain peak status

Reported by Digitaltoday
Oct 1, 2026· 3 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • XRP trades near $1.50 with a market cap around $95 billion as of late September 2026, positioning it at approximately 6% of Bitcoin's market capitalization and ranking sixth among cryptocurrencies, down 58% from its $3.65 cycle peak.
  • • XRP emerged as the best-performing asset in the top five cryptocurrencies with a 36% gain amid broader market recovery, consolidating above the $1.32 support level with technical resistance at $2.14 and $1.55.
  • • Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin market cap surged 50% from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion within one month, signaling increased network adoption and usage following Ripple's $290 million funding round for its prime brokerage expansion.
  • • XRP ETF inflows totaled $32 million in early September 2026, with projected monthly inflows of approximately $90 million if bullish price action persists—representing a 62% decrease from the previous month but maintaining higher levels than June and July.
  • • Technical analysts project XRP recovery potential to $1.55–$2.50 by mid-2026, though long-term bull case scenarios citing $1,000+ valuations lack fundamental grounding given such prices would exceed twice the U.S. economy's nominal GDP.
Summary
XRP is consolidating within a defined technical range as of late September 2026, trading near $1.50 with a circulating supply of approximately 63 billion tokens and a market capitalization around $95 billion. This positions the asset at the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, representing roughly 6% of Bitcoin's valuation—a significant compression from previous bull market peaks. The cryptocurrency has declined 58% from its $3.65 cycle high, yet remains the best-performing asset among the top five cryptocurrencies with a 36% year-to-date gain, indicating selective institutional or retail demand amid broader macroeconomic uncertainty.

Technical analysis indicates XRP is consolidating above its $1.32 support level with near-term resistance identified at $1.55 and $2.14. Market participants have noted a recent 6% intraday surge following increased trading volume after breaking through the $2.14 resistance zone, though these moves have proven volatile amid mixed macroeconomic signals. U.S. inflation data released in late August came in near consensus at 3.4% on a 12-month basis, paradoxically triggering a market rally despite raising rate-hike probabilities to 87%—a dynamic that underscores the volatility and sentiment-driven nature of the current crypto market structure.

The cryptocurrency's recent strength has been accompanied by accelerating adoption of Ripple's native stablecoin, RLUSD. The token's market capitalization surged 50% in a single month, climbing from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion, reflecting increased network usage and integration. This growth follows Ripple's $290 million funding raise designated for expanding its prime brokerage operations, suggesting institutional infrastructure buildout as a near-term growth driver.

ETF inflows tracking XRP have moderated, with $32 million deployed in early September 2026. Extrapolating current daily averages projects approximately $90 million in monthly inflows, a 62% decline from the prior month but nevertheless elevated compared to June and July levels. This pattern suggests cyclical institutional interest rather than sustained accumulation.

Longer-term price predictions in available research vary substantially. Conservative technical scenarios project recovery to $2.50–$3.00 by mid-2026 contingent on continued ETF inflows and technical pattern completion. Speculative forecasts proposing $1,000+ targets lack economic credibility; such valuations would imply a total market capitalization exceeding twice U.S. nominal GDP and approximately 40% of global equities—a mathematically and economically implausible outcome for a single cryptocurrency token.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Digitaltoday XRP market cap nears 6 percent of bitcoin, can it regain peak status