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While Bitcoin and altcoins are starting 2026 with a recovery, some altcoins are standing out from the market with their rise.
One of these altcoins, Ripple’s native token XRP, was named “the year’s hottest cryptocurrency” by CNBC after experiencing a 20% increase in the first week of the new year.
Brian Sullivan, host of CNBC’s Power Lunch program, named XRP the top cryptocurrency of the year, ahead of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
“The most popular cryptocurrency of the year is not Bitcoin, not Ethereum, but XRP.”
It is stated that XRP’s gain of 20% in the last week, outperforming Bitcoin (3.6%), Ethereum (7.4%) and many other major altcoins, has been influential in this characterization.
Sullivan emphasized that XRP has quietly made a strong start to 2026, standing out as a key investment vehicle in this rise, and noting that XRP has become the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
Besides Sullivan, CNBC host Mackenzie Sigalos also noted that XRP has managed to attract investor interest and make a significant breakthrough at a time when overall interest in major cryptocurrencies is low.
Sigalos stated that one of the main factors triggering the rise of XRP was the continuous inflows into XRP ETFs.
At this point, Sigalos notes that even while a downtrend dominated the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market, investors quietly accumulated XRP. This is because, unlike spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, XRP ETFs attracted inflows during the downturn.
“Even during the sluggish fourth quarter, many people turned to XRP ETFs. This is the complete opposite of what happens with spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, where people’s investments move in line with their prices.”
In conclusion, according to Coinglass, the four spot XRP ETFs have seen approximately $100 million in inflows since the beginning of the year, with the highest inflow level recorded on the first day of the week in the last five weeks. Total inflows currently stand at $1.15 billion, with no outflows yet.
*This is not investment advice.