XRP Leads Large-Cap Gains as ETF Inflows Hit $55 Million

Ripple’s token XRP surged to the top of the large-cap crypto leaderboard this week, outpacing Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as renewed 'spot ETF inflows' and climbing expectations for clearer U.S. rules helped push the asset higher despite a choppy macro backdrop.

As of Saturday, April 18 (UTC), XRP was trading around $1.4235, up roughly 6.9% from the prior week. The move placed XRP ahead of other majors including BTC, ETH, BNB, and Solana (SOL), which posted mid-single-digit weekly gains over the same period. XRP also reclaimed the No. 4 position by market capitalization, underscoring a rotation of attention back toward tokens perceived to be most sensitive to regulatory developments and institutional positioning.

Price action was volatile but constructive. XRP briefly tapped the $1.50–$1.51 area earlier in the week before pulling back, and has since been re-testing the $1.42–$1.44 resistance zone. Technicians noted that XRP has held above its 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) and above a key support band spanning roughly $1.10–$1.40—signals often read as evidence of an improving medium-term trend. Still, near-term whipsaws remain possible, with heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz cited by traders as a catalyst for profit-taking that weighed on broader risk sentiment.

The most notable tailwind came from ETF flows. XRP 'spot ETF' products recorded net inflows of about $55.39 million over the past week, the strongest weekly intake since January and the largest in roughly three months, according to figures cited in the report. The reversal was sharp compared with March, when Middle East-driven risk-off moves coincided with net outflows of around $31 million.

Single-day flow data reinforced the shift. On April 15 (UTC), XRP spot ETFs drew approximately $17.11 million—described as the biggest one-day inflow in the past 10 weeks. Bitwise was highlighted as a key contributor, with about $13.74 million in inflows on one day, alongside another session above $9 million earlier in April. Cumulative net inflows have now surpassed $1.27 billion, a threshold that market participants view as a proxy for returning 'institutional demand' after a period of uneven positioning.

Regulatory expectations in Washington remain the central narrative driver. Traders are watching the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, widely referred to as the CLARITY Act, which is expected to move toward Senate consideration as soon as May. Market participants see the bill as potentially strengthening the legal basis to classify XRP as a 'digital commodity'—a shift that could materially reshape how U.S. venues list, custody, and offer products tied to the asset.

Standard Chartered has argued that passage of the CLARITY framework could open room for an aggressive repricing, floating an $8 scenario for XRP under a more supportive regulatory regime. Other commentators have pointed to historical cycle analogs—particularly patterns associated with the 2017 bull market—to justify more speculative ranges, though such projections remain highly sensitive to liquidity conditions and policy outcomes.

In parallel, discussion has resurfaced around the Federal Reserve’s 'master account' architecture and whether future consolidation or access models could expand the role of blockchain-based rails in payments. While no direct pathway was confirmed, traders continue to treat any credible connection between regulated payment infrastructure and XRP-led settlement as a potentially high-impact catalyst.

Ripple’s expanding roster of partnerships also featured prominently in this week’s optimism. In South Korea, the company’s relationship with Kyobo Life was reported as formalized. In Japan, payments integration work involving Rakuten—cited as having roughly 44 million users—was described as ongoing. Ripple’s collaboration with B2B payments platform Convera was also framed as an incremental step toward broader real-world usage, reinforcing the investment case that XRP’s value may be increasingly linked to transaction utility rather than speculative momentum alone.

Looking ahead, Ripple’s roadmap was described as focusing on stronger 'cross-chain utility,' broader multi-chain availability for its stablecoin RLUSD, and the rollout of 'Ripple Treasury' aimed at corporate treasury management. The report also cited persistent whale accumulation—averaging net purchases of roughly 11 million XRP per day—as a supportive signal, alongside relatively controlled volumes that some traders interpret as a healthier setup than a purely leverage-driven rally.

Yet the near-term picture is not without constraints. XRP’s 24-hour trading volume was estimated near $2.35 billion, down about 41.4% from the prior day—an important datapoint because technicians commonly look for rising volume to validate breakouts. With major resistance still seen around the $2–$3 region, analysts said a sustained push higher likely requires a meaningful expansion in spot demand and follow-through from ETF inflows.

On-chain and market structure metrics highlighted the scale of the asset. XRP’s market capitalization was reported around $87.6 billion, with a fully diluted valuation near $142.3 billion. Circulating supply was pegged at roughly 61.57 billion XRP—about 61.6% of the maximum 100 billion supply.

Longer-horizon performance remains a reminder that the rally is occurring within a broader recovery attempt: the report cited a 30-day return of -1.91% and a 90-day return of -28.06%. For now, market participants appear focused on whether ETF allocations remain steady and whether the CLARITY Act advances in Congress—two variables likely to set the tone for XRP’s next major move without dictating its direction.