CNBC Names XRP Hottest Cryptocurrency of the Year

During CNBC’s Power Lunch segment, the network singled out XRP as the hottest cryptocurrency of the year, placing it ahead of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Specifically, CNBC anchor Brian Sullivan highlighted XRP’s strong start to the year, noting that it has already climbed more than 20%. This move outperforms several major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Sullivan explained that XRP has moved up to become the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Amid this, he declared that the hottest crypto trade of the year is neither Bitcoin nor Ethereum, but XRP.

XRP Outperforms Bitcoin and Ethereum

Notably, XRP’s rise marks a sharp reversal from the bearish pressure it faced last month. Entering 2026 with strong momentum, the token opened the year at $1.84 and quickly posted consistent gains. This upward trend pushed XRP to a year-to-date high of $2.41, representing a 30.97% surge.

By comparison, Bitcoin and Ethereum started the year at $87,508 and $2,967, respectively, and have so far reached highs of $94,762 and $3,303. These moves translate to gains of 8.28% for Bitcoin and 11.32% for Ethereum. The disparity reinforces XRP’s position as the standout performer so far this year among large-cap assets.

Meanwhile, XRP has surrendered some gains amid the market pullback and now trades at $2.25. Yet, it remains up 22.28% year-to-date.

Factors Fueling XRP Rally

Commenting on the rally, CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos attributed XRP’s strong performance to a mix of strategic investor positioning, market rotation, and shifting blockchain priorities.

According to Sigalos, investors quietly accumulated XRP throughout Q4 2025, even as the crypto market remained largely stagnant. Unlike spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, whose inflows and outflows often mirror price movements, XRP ETFs continued to attract buyers during the downturn. As a result, these funds recorded cumulative net inflows of $1 billion, with zero outflows, in the first month of going live.

Moreover, Sigalos suggested that many investors viewed XRP as a less crowded trade with greater upside potential than Bitcoin or Ethereum. That strategy, she noted, quickly paid off in the first days of January.

Beyond positioning, she also pointed to a shift in investor interest toward altcoins with clearer or faster-growing use cases. While Bitcoin and Ethereum are now well understood and increasingly mainstream, XRP and Solana are emerging as the “next big thing” in the crypto market.

In particular, Sigalos emphasized that XRP’s long-standing role in cross-border payments remains central to its appeal.

Further, she highlighted XRP’s speed and cost efficiency as key advantages that continue to attract real-world financial applications. In her view, these factors suggest that capital is rotating toward assets and blockchains positioned for the next phase of financial innovation—a shift now reflected in XRP’s impressive start to the year.