XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have fully recovered from a $40.8 million capital outflow earlier this month, resuming a strong inflow trend that has brought their cumulative net flows to $1.25 billion since their November 2025 launch. According to data, the funds experienced four consecutive days of positive inflows following the January 7 outflow, including a $12.98 million influx on January 13, 2026. This rebound underscores the product's resilience after its first decline following a record 35 consecutive days of inflows.
The performance positions XRP ETFs as the third-largest crypto ETF by cumulative inflows, trailing only Bitcoin ETFs ($57.27B since Jan 2024) and Ethereum ETFs ($12.57B since July 2024). Notably, XRP ETFs have outpaced Solana ETFs, which launched over two weeks earlier and have accumulated $833.51 million in net flows.
However, industry experts caution that the real test for XRP ETFs is just beginning. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, stated that while the $1.2+ billion inflows have "exceeded my expectations," XRP is still "figuring out its product-market fit." He emphasized that the asset's performance in 2026 will determine whether this becomes one of the most successful ETF launches or if demand fizzles out.
The core challenge highlighted is XRP's search for a definitive, scalable use case beyond cross-border payments. Unlike Ethereum and Solana, which found product-market fit through decentralized finance (DeFi) and stablecoins, widespread institutional adoption of XRP remains elusive. Hougan and others point to the potential passage of the Clarity Act and Ripple's execution on real-world adoption as critical factors for sustaining momentum. "Without builders, expect minimal growth for XRP," noted Brian Huang, co-founder of investment platform Glider.
Despite the uncertainty, Hougan views XRP's "idiosyncratic risk" as an attractive investment proposition, creating asymmetric upside if Ripple executes successfully. Ripple recently tripled its valuation to $40 billion after a $500 million funding round and announced partnerships with Mastercard and Gemini.
