XRP Forms Golden Cross Against Bitcoin Early in 2026 - - #cryptocurrency #bitcoin #altcoins

The cryptocurrency market generally strengthened today, with the PayFi concept performing the best. Looking at the specific data, XRP surged to around $2.37, with a single-day increase of 9.8%; XLM followed suit with a 6.45% rise; and XMR also gained 4.36%. Mainstream coins are operating steadily, with BTC hovering around $93,568 and ETH fluctuating narrowly in the $3,232 range, with no big surprises. However, there is an interesting phenomenon — SUI's chain skyrocketed by 17% in one day, and the entire DePIN sector also strengthened, with a gain of 3.5%. It seems that funds are looking for new storylines, with PayFi and DePIN becoming the market's focus today.

As of now, Ripple(XRP) is priced at $2.39, becoming a recent market focus. Since the beginning of the year, XRP has increased by 31%, a notable gain among crypto assets—especially against the backdrop of Bitcoin(BTC) continuously challenging the $94,500 resistance level. Interestingly, in recent days, XRP's performance has directly outpaced BTC and Ethereum(ETH), even surpassing Binance Coin(BNB), climbing to the fourth position in the global cryptocurrency market cap rankings. This rally did not come out of nowhere. Data shows that XRP's trading reserves have fallen to an 8-year low, down 57% from October 2025. At the end of last year, XRP experienced significant volatility compression and capital outflows, which instead laid the groundwork for its current surge. This depletion of reserves often signals a shift in market sentiment—when concentration of holdings increases and liquidity is under pressure, a triggered buy-in can easily evolve into a chain reaction. Most importantly, spot demand is actually materializing. On January 5th, XRP spot ETF saw a single-day net inflow of $46.1 million, with XRPZ(Franklin) contributing $21.76 million, and Bitwise's XRP product following with $17.27 million. These funds are not speculative but represent institutional-level allocation behavior. Even though the overall market remains uncertain, the continuous inflow into spot ETFs since December clearly indicates a market shift in preference. However, risks must also be acknowledged: any weakness in Bitcoin could disrupt this momentum and suppress XRP's upward potential. Capital outflows themselves do not directly cause supply shocks, but negative sentiment can instantly change the situation. In the short term, buying pressure on XRP is accumulating, while in the medium term, it requires coordination with BTC and overall risk appetite.