XRP Market Cap Surpasses $100 Billion, Claims Third Place in Crypto Rankings

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The cryptocurrency landscape is witnessing a powerful resurgence as XRP breaks through the $100 billion market capitalization mark, reclaiming its position as the third-largest digital asset by value—surpassing major players like Binance’s BNB, Solana’s SOL, and stablecoins such as USDC. This milestone, achieved on a strong weekend surge, marks a pivotal moment in XRP’s comeback story after years of legal challenges and market consolidation.

Issued by Ripple, a U.S.-based blockchain payments company, XRP had previously fallen out of the top three following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit in late 2020. The agency accused Ripple of conducting an unregistered securities offering through its digital asset. At the time, the price of XRP plummeted from around $0.50 to just $0.17, wiping out over $15 billion in market value almost overnight.

Despite the initial setback, XRP never dropped out of the top 10 cryptocurrencies—an indicator many analysts interpreted as resilience amid regulatory uncertainty.

A Legal Turning Point Fuels Market Confidence

Fast forward to 2024 and early 2025, Ripple achieved several key legal victories, including a landmark ruling that clarified XRP itself is not a security when sold to retail investors. As the SEC’s case weakened and settlement talks gained momentum, investor sentiment shifted dramatically.

The turning point accelerated in November 2024, shortly after Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election win, which sparked broad optimism across the crypto sector. Pro-crypto policies promised during his campaign fueled speculation and buying pressure across multiple digital assets—including XRP.

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This confluence of favorable legal outcomes and macro-political developments triggered a powerful rally. Since January 1, 2025, XRP has surged over 280%, with a 24% jump recorded in just the past 24 hours alone. It now trades at $2.35, reflecting renewed institutional and retail confidence.

Reclaiming Third Place: What This Means for the Crypto Ecosystem

For years, XRP trailed behind not only Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), but also stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), as well as exchange-native tokens such as BNB. However, its latest surge has allowed it to leapfrog these assets in market cap rankings.

As of now, only Bitcoin and Ethereum remain ahead of XRP in total market value. Ethereum still holds a commanding lead, with a market cap approximately 219% higher than XRP’s—but the gap is narrowing as momentum builds.

This repositioning underscores more than just price action; it reflects growing recognition of Ripple’s real-world utility in cross-border payments and financial infrastructure. Unlike many speculative altcoins, XRP is deeply integrated into global banking and remittance networks, powering fast, low-cost international transactions.

Google Trends Reveal Surging Public Interest

Beyond on-chain metrics and trading volume, public interest in XRP has reached new heights. According to Google Trends data, searches for “XRP” surpassed those for the general term “cryptocurrency” at least three times during November 2024.

While Bitcoin still dominates search volume overall, XRP briefly overtook Ethereum in early November—signaling a shift in retail attention toward assets perceived as undervalued or on the cusp of breakout growth.

This surge in organic search interest correlates strongly with social media engagement, exchange inflows, and wallet creation spikes—key indicators used by analysts to predict sustained price momentum.

Core Keywords Driving Visibility and Search Intent

To better align with search engine optimization (SEO) best practices and user intent, this article integrates the following core keywords naturally throughout the narrative:

These terms reflect what users are actively searching for: updates on price movements, regulatory developments, comparative analysis with other cryptos, and long-term outlooks.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why did XRP drop out of the top three cryptocurrencies in 2020?
A: In December 2020, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple Labs, alleging that XRP was an unregistered security. This caused major exchanges to delist XRP temporarily and led to a sharp decline in price and market confidence, pushing it out of the top three rankings.

Q: Is XRP now considered a security by U.S. regulators?
A: Not entirely. A July 2023 court ruling determined that XRP is not a security when sold to retail investors on public exchanges. However, institutional sales were deemed securities offerings. This partial clarity helped restore market trust.

Q: Can XRP surpass Ethereum in market cap?
A: While currently behind by 219%, it remains highly unlikely in the short term due to Ethereum’s dominance in smart contracts, DeFi, and institutional adoption. However, if Ripple wins a full regulatory clearance and expands globally, long-term growth could accelerate.

Q: What factors contributed to XRP’s 2025 price surge?
A: Key drivers include favorable court rulings, anticipation of an SEC settlement, macroeconomic support from pro-crypto U.S. policy shifts, strong on-chain activity, and increasing adoption by financial institutions using RippleNet.

Q: How does XRP differ from stablecoins like USDT or USDC?
A: Unlike stablecoins pegged 1:1 to fiat currencies, XRP is a volatile digital asset designed for liquidity and settlement efficiency in cross-border transactions. It offers speed and scalability without being tied to a specific currency.

Looking Ahead: Is This Momentum Sustainable?

While past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, several structural factors suggest that XRP’s rise may be more than just a speculative bubble:

As the crypto market evolves, assets with both technological substance and regulatory compliance are gaining favor. XRP’s journey from legal limbo to top-three status exemplifies how resilience, innovation, and timing can converge to reshape market hierarchies.

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With all external links and promotional content removed—and only approved anchor text retained—the focus remains firmly on delivering accurate, SEO-optimized, and reader-engaging content that meets both informational and commercial intent.

The story of XRP is no longer just about survival—it's about resurgence, relevance, and redefining its role in the future of finance.