XRP Breaks $2 as ETF Inflows Fuel Early-2026 Rally

US spot XRP ETFs recorded US$13.59 million (AU$20.7 million) of net inflows on Jan. 2, lifting cumulative inflows since launch to about US$1.18 billion (AU$1.8 billion), according to data cited by SoSoValue. Traders said the ongoing buying has supported XRP in early 2026, even as broader crypto markets have been relatively flat.

XRP moved above US$2 (AU$2.9) on Friday for the first time since mid-December, with market participants pointing to the combination of ETF demand and shifting expectations around US regulation.

By this Monday morning, XRP trades at US$2.11 (AU$3.16), a 12% increase in the last seven days, and one of the best performers this Monday with a surge of over 5%, dethroning Binance Coin (BNB) from the fourth place as the largest crypto asset by market cap.

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A Friendlier SEC?

Part of XRP’s price shift is tied to the departure of SEC Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw. Some traders viewed her exit as reducing resistance to more crypto-friendly policy decisions. Crenshaw had been a prominent critic of spot crypto ETFs and, according to market commentary, opposed the SEC dropping its appeal in the Ripple case.

Policy speculation also contributed to sentiment and traders highlighted a possible markup of a Market Structure Bill on Jan. 15, keeping expectations elevated into the first quarter and helping XRP outperform.

Flows into other major crypto ETF products were described as less supportive over the same period, with weaker demand for Bitcoin funds cited by analysts. That divergence reinforced the view that XRP’s move has been driven mainly by XRP-specific catalysts rather than a broad risk-on push across crypto.

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