CNBC names XRP the hottest crypto trade of 2026 after 24% January surge

Beincrypto reported that CNBC named XRP the hottest crypto trade of 2026 after the token surged 24% in January.

Market data showed XRP’s January advance outpaced Bitcoin’s 5.5% and Ether’s 9.7%, making it the second-strongest performer among the top 20 coins behind Dogecoin, and allowing XRP to overtake BNB as the fourth-largest digital asset by market capitalization. After nearly a week of gains the broader market saw a modest correction and XRP pulled back; at the time of writing it was trading at $2.28, down 2.47% over the past 24 hours.

CNBC hosts called XRP the "new cryptocurrency darling," with Brian Sullivan saying, "The hottest crypto trade of the year is not Bitcoin, it is not Ether, it is XRP." The report noted uninterrupted inflows into XRP spot ETFs, with cumulative inflows of $1.25 billion and $19.12 million on January 6, and analyst Chad Steingraber projected ETFs buying 20 million XRP per day could absorb up to 4.8 billion XRP in 2026. Analysts remain divided on whether ETF demand and payments use cases are driving the rally or if thin sell-side liquidity explains the move, and whether the uptrend can continue remains to be seen.

Key Topics

Crypto, Xrp, Xrp Etfs, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin