Wall Street media is positioning Ripple XRP as the top crypto trade in 2026, with a steep rise last week.
According to CNBC, the attention of investors has moved to the token before Bitcoin and Ether.
XRP rose to its highest point of more than 20% in a week and reached the third position in terms of market value. The profit propelled it beyond BNB and strengthened several months of under-the-radar performance.
MacKenzie Sigalos, finance correspondent of CNBC, told Newsday the move was not spontaneous. She observed that XRP was very stable when the market experienced massive selling of securities and remained appealing to investors.
XRP gains from steady inflows and lighter positioning
The inflows into XRP were stable in the fourth quarter market crush. Simultaneously, outflows in the spot Bitcoin ETFs diminished when prices declined.
CNBC reported that such a trend made XRP a less congested trade in the crypto market. XRP-focused funds gained more investors, and investors dropped in Bitcoin.
According to Sigalos, regulatory clarity was also an issue and contributed to renewed interest. In early August, Ripple ended its legal wrangle with the US SEC that had lasted long.
The legal overhang has been eliminated, and XRP has now been made more accessible to institutions. That transparency enhanced its interest over other market pressure assets.
She commented that there are investors who are reserved about Bitcoin and Ether-linked treasuries. The threat of forced selling is still a liability to such assets.
Payments use case sets XRP apart from rivals
XRP is constructed as a cross-border payment currency. Ripple created the network to resolve the transfer in seconds instead of days.
CNBC opposed this model to the story of Bitcoin as a store of value. It is also unlike the stablecoins, which replicate tokenized dollars.
Sigalos claimed that XRP tries to serve as a currency interchange. Banks and payment providers have been interested in that position.
She further wrote that XRP comes with a low valuation base. This kind of behavior was observed last year when the outflows of Bitcoin ETF and the subsequent purchase of XRP rose.
Solana also attracts attention as speed drives demand
In addition to XRP, CNBC stated that Solana is also a healthy performer. Essence revolves around the activity of tokenization, such as money market funds.
In recent times, Morgan Stanley has presented trading documents to introduce Bitcoin and Solana ETFs. The bank has increased the availability of crypto following the support of spot Bitcoin products.
Speed and cost were some of the factors of blockchain adoption discussed by the panel. The networks with faster speeds are regarded as more appropriate for tokenized assets.
Ether has been reported to be cheaper on certain occasions, whereas certain transfers with stablecoins on Base are currently free. Tron was also cited as an option that was fast and priced differently.
Finally, CNBC reported that investors are expanding beyond the biggest tokens. The utility of payments, consistent inflows, and more transparent regulation make XRP special.
