Financial media giant CNBC has labeled XRP the standout cryptocurrency trade for 2026, highlighting its recent surge and distinct use case in banking and cross-border payments. During a segment on 'Power Lunch,' CNBC correspondent MacKenzie Sigalos detailed that the Ripple-backed token surged more than 20% in a single week, overtaking BNB to become the third-largest cryptocurrency by market value.
XRP's rally is attributed to several key factors. First, the regulatory overhang from Ripple's legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared following the case's conclusion on August 2nd. Second, XRP is seen as a "less crowded trade" compared to Bitcoin or Ether. Third, investment flows into XRP-focused funds held steady even during a market dip in Q4 2025, a period when Bitcoin ETF flows declined with the price.
Sigalos emphasized XRP's fundamental pitch: "XRP is trying to be the exchange layer that moves value between currencies." This differentiates it from Bitcoin's 'digital gold' narrative and stablecoins' 'tokenized dollars' story, positioning it specifically for cross-border settlement.
Supporting data shows strong momentum. The four spot XRP ETFs have seen nearly $100 million in inflows since the start of 2026, with aggregate inflows now totaling $1.15 billion without a single day of outflows. On-chain fundamentals are also bullish, with XRP exchange reserves on Binance at a two-year low (often a sign of reduced selling pressure) and network transactions up more than 50% over the past two weeks.
CNBC also highlighted Solana as a top performer alongside XRP, noting its appeal in tokenization, including money market funds. The segment referenced Morgan Stanley's recent filing to launch Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, and discussed transaction speed and cost as defining factors for blockchain adoption, with Solana cited as a more cost-effective alternative to Ethereum at times.
Ripple's strategic moves provide further tailwinds. The company has announced partnerships with major Japanese financial institutions—Mizuho Bank, SMBC Nikko, and Securitize Japan—to boost XRP Ledger adoption in Japan. Furthermore, Ripple received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in December 2025 to charter Ripple National Trust Bank.
