Overviewing the current crypto market tendencies, CNBC’s journalists have concluded that XRP, formerly known as Ripple coin, might be the hottest trade in 2026. CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos even stated that XRP coin is trying to become the default exchange layer between different crypto & fiat currencies.
CNBC Just Praised XRP For a Flurry Of Reasons
While deeming XRP “the hottest crypto trade of the year”, CNBC’s review also stated that Solana is way more cost-effective than Ethereum (ETH), putting SOL token on the pedestal along with Ripple’s XRP due to the rising Wall Street interest. Both OG altcoins received their ETFs last year, becoming the next big thing since BTC & ETH ETFs.
CNBC recognized the ETF appetite to be a key driver for XRP’s price rise, already hitting the 25% mark Year-to-date (YTD). The ability to tokenize money market funds (MMF) or various real-world assets (RWA) gives an advantage to Ripple (XRP) & Solana (SOL) in terms of utility against Bitcoin (BTC), which went mainstream before stablecoins.
XRP May Be More Attractive To Retail Than BTC
Now, with both Genius & Clarity Acts intact, “times are changing”, agreed CNBC’s newsroom. This is particularly great for Ripple’s own RLUSD. The evolution of the market comes alive with mass appeal on “less-crowded” major-cap coins, as most investors expect to make bigger gains on XRP coin & Solana (SOL) in comparison to the well-established Bitcoin (BTC).
Following the bullish XRP news, the popular remittance altcoin pulled back 5.7% to trade at $2.24, says SoSoValue. In spite of reclaiming the $2 psychologically-decisive territory, XRP’s bulls are having a hard time to push the digital asset back to $3, named by multiple analysts as the next target storming into 2026.
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In a Power Lunch segment, host Brian Sullivan stated: “The hottest crypto trade of the year is not Bitcoin, it is not Ether, it is XRP,” while reporter MacKenzie Sigalos called it the “new cryptocurrency darling” and breakout trade of 2026.
XRP surged 25% in the first week of January, outperforming Bitcoin (up ~6%) and Ether (up ~10%), pushing it to around $2.25-$2.40.
Strong institutional demand and supply tightness support more upside, but risks include broader market corrections, profit-taking, or regulatory shifts – past pumps have cooled without sustained catalysts.
Bullish social sentiment, declining exchange balances (reduced selling pressure), on-chain activity spikes, and renewed focus on XRP’s cross-border payments utility.
