XRP surpassed $2 on Friday, marking its first rise above this threshold since mid-December, as it began 2026 on a strong note. Traders attributed this increase to consistent spot ETF inflows and an improving sentiment regarding U.S. regulations.
According to data from SoSoValue, U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded inflows of $13.59 million on January 2, bringing total inflows since their inception to $1.18 billion. This consistent demand has positively influenced the near-term supply and demand dynamics for XRP, even as other crypto benchmarks have remained stable.
This increase also comes as traders reassess the regulatory landscape following the exit of SEC Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, which some market participants interpret as a shift towards a more crypto-friendly regulatory approach.
Crenshaw was one of the most prominent critics of crypto spot ETFs and had opposed the SEC’s decision to withdraw its appeal in the Ripple case, as indicated by market discussions.
Speculation surrounding potential legislation has further fueled this momentum. Traders noted that a possible markup for a Market Structure Bill on January 15 has kept policy expectations high heading into the first quarter, contributing to the token’s strong performance.
XRP’s robustness is notable compared to mixed trends in other major crypto ETFs.
The same dataset referenced by analysts indicated subdued demand for Bitcoin funds during this period, reinforcing the notion that XRP’s surge is driven more by token-specific factors rather than a broader risk-on trend.
XRP was last seen trading just above $2, with an increase of around 8%, while Bitcoin was hovering slightly above $90,000 and Ether was trading near $3,000, both reflecting only modest gains for the day.
