XRP pushed above $2 on Friday for the first time since mid-December, extending a strong start to 2026 as traders cited ongoing spot ETF inflows and a more optimistic view of the U.S. regulatory outlook.
Data from SoSoValue showed U.S. spot XRP exchange-traded funds drew $13.59 million in net inflows on Jan. 2, bringing total inflows since launch to $1.18 billion. Analysts said the steady demand has tightened short-term supply and supported prices even as broader crypto benchmarks remain rangebound.
The rally followed news that U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw is leaving the agency, a development some market participants see as opening the door to a more crypto-friendly policy stance.
Crenshaw has been one of the SEC’s most outspoken critics of crypto spot ETFs and had opposed the agency’s decision to drop its appeal in the Ripple case, according to market commentary.
Speculation over upcoming legislation has also underpinned sentiment. Traders pointed to a potential markup of a Market Structure Bill on Jan. 15, which has kept expectations elevated for regulatory clarity into the first quarter and added to XRP’s recent outperformance.
XRP’s gains stood out against more mixed flows in other major crypto funds. The same SoSoValue data set showed softer demand for bitcoin ETFs over the period, reinforcing the view that XRP’s move is being driven largely by token-specific catalysts rather than a broad risk-on shift in digital assets.
In late-afternoon trading, XRP was just above $2, up about 8% on the day. Bitcoin hovered slightly above $90,000 and ether traded near $3,000, both posting only modest advances.