XRP ETFs Reach $1.21B as Asset Managers See a ‘Third Path’ Beyond Bitcoin

U.S. listed spot XRP ETF products surpassed $1.21 billion in total net assets by Dec. 19. The funds launched in mid-November and continued to attract inflows. Demand held firm despite broader weakness across the crypto market, pointing to interest beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

XRP ETFs Draw Retail and Institutional Flows

Token Relations founder and CEO Jacqueline Malik led a recent podcast discussion with Ripple CTO David Schwartz, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, and Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg. The asset managers framed the early XRP ETF growth as a sign that institutional access is widening beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

McClurg said initial demand looked retail-led, which is common for new ETFs. He said the next wave came quickly, with inbound interest from pensions and insurance firms outside the U.S. McClurg argued that many traditional investors find XRP easier to grasp because it maps to payment rails and liquidity movement.

Hougan said Bitwise is seeing traction among advisers looking for assets with staying power. He said XRP’s long track record reduces the fear that a token could fade away. Hougan also said advisers respond to use cases they can explain to clients. This include cross-currency liquidity and stablecoin-linked flows as XRP holders eyes ‘Institutional Grade Yield.’

Institutional Adoption Follows a ‘Third Path’

Bitwise CIO described XRP ETFs as a “third path” in crypto ETFs adoption. He contrasted Bitcoin’s “once in a generation” launch dynamic with Ethereum’s slower early pace. Hougan said reaching above $1 billion in a down market stood out, and suggested the asset may be drawing from multiple buyer segments at once.

Schwartz described the XRP Ledger as purpose-built financial infrastructure. The chain supports multiple assets and delivers predictable settlement with stable fees. Its architecture focuses on basic financial primitives, such as payments, exchanges and token issuance, instead of generalized smart contract flexibility.

David Schwartz pointed to on-chain metrics that extend beyond volume at a surface level. There have been over four billion transactions on the XRP Ledger with settled finality in 4-5 seconds and fees so low, they were never even noticed. Active usage, deep liquidity and assets actively settling on-chain were cited as the important factors.

The discussion extended beyond XRP ETF flows. Steven McClurg said Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has provided an early indication of enterprise adoption and named the ‘Hidden Road deal’ as a move toward tighter integration with capital markets.

David Schwartz mentioned Evernorth, a treasury infrastructure that is specific to XRP. It is a participant in yield strategies and network roles such as validation and liquidity provision.