Why XRP, Hyperliquid, and Monad Are Strategic Buys in November 2025

In a maturing crypto market where risk-adjusted returns are paramount, three assets-XRP, Hyperliquid (HYPE), and Monad (MON)-stand out as strategic buys in November 2025. Each project has navigated critical inflection points in 2025, leveraging regulatory clarity, institutional infrastructure, and on-chain momentum to position themselves for sustained growth. Below, we dissect their fundamentals and market dynamics to justify their inclusion in a risk-conscious portfolio.

XRP: Regulatory Clarity and Institutional Infrastructure Drive Long-Term Value

Ripple's settlement with the SEC in August 2025 marked a watershed moment for XRP. By resolving the $125 million legal dispute, Ripple not only removed a decade-long overhang but also unlocked institutional adoption. The resolution allowed banks and financial institutions to legally use XRP for cross-border payments, custody solutions, and liquidity management, as noted by Yahoo Finance.

The acquisition of Hidden Road-a prime brokerage rebranded as Ripple Prime-further solidified XRP's institutional appeal. Ripple Prime now offers clearing, financing, and OTC trading services for both fiat and crypto assets, positioning XRP as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems. This infrastructure has catalyzed a surge in demand, with Ripple's stablecoin, RLUSD, surpassing a $1 billion market cap in 2025.

Perhaps most compelling is the ETF-driven tailwind. By late 2025, nine asset managers had filed XRP ETF applications with the SEC, with analysts projecting $5B to $7B in inflows by 2026. These developments, coupled with XRP's 11% price surge post-settlement, underscore its role as a regulated, institutional-grade asset in a crypto market increasingly dominated by institutional capital.

Hyperliquid: Whale Activity and On-Chain Momentum Signal Short-Term Volatility, Long-Term Resilience

Hyperliquid's on-chain metrics in 2025 reveal a platform in hypergrowth. Monthly trading volume hit $320 billion in July 2025, with October's $303 billion in daily volume and $1.3 billion in HYPE token repurchases cementing its status as a top decentralized perpetuals venue. Open interest (OI) surged to $1.77 billion by November, reflecting speculative fervor and institutional-grade liquidity.

Whale activity amplifies Hyperliquid's momentum. According to Coinglass, the largest Hyperliquid whales hold $3.44 billion in open positions, with $2.29 billion in shorts and $1.15 billion in longs. Notably, the whale address 0x5D2 holds the largest BTC short position on the platform, with $17 million in unrealized profits. While short dominance suggests bearish sentiment, the platform's HIP-3 Growth Mode and BorrowLendingProtocol (BLP)-which slashes taker fees by 90% for new markets-have attracted liquidity providers and traders alike.

User growth further validates Hyperliquid's trajectory. Active addresses surged from 291,000 in early 2025 to 518,000 by mid-year, a 78% increase. Institutional partnerships with entities like Circle and VanEck have added credibility. Meanwhile, the Assistance Fund, which allocates 97% of trading fees to HYPE buybacks, has repurchased 28.5 million tokens by mid-2025, creating a flywheel effect that aligns token value with trading activity.

While Hyperliquid's whale-driven volatility poses short-term risks, its institutional-grade infrastructure and innovative fee model position it as a long-term contender in the DeFi space.

Monad: Layer-1 Innovation and ETF-Driven Demand Fuel Next-Gen Blockchain Adoption

Monad's launch in November 2025 has redefined Layer-1 blockchain capabilities. Designed for high-throughput decentralized applications, Monad boasts 10,000 TPS and 1-second block times, achieved through innovations like MonadBFT consensus, parallel execution, and a custom database (MonadDB). Its full EVM compatibility allows developers to migrate Ethereum-based apps without rewriting code, giving it a competitive edge over Solana, which relies on LLVM-compatible languages according to Messari.

The $105 million airdrop of MON tokens-distributed to 76,000 wallets-has decentralized ownership and spurred ecosystem growth. Listings on major exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken, coupled with an oversubscribed public sale raising $216 million, highlight strong retail and institutional demand. In Q3 2025, MON's 24-hour trading volume exceeded $1.23 billion, pushing its price to $0.0465-a 13.7% surge.

ETF-driven market dynamics further bolster Monad's case. The approval of Grayscale's XRP and Dogecoin ETFs in November 2025 signaled regulatory confidence, creating a favorable environment for high-growth tokens like MON. With 3.7 million transactions and 153,000 active addresses in its first 24 hours, Monad's mainnet has demonstrated real-world utility. Ecosystem integrations with Uniswap, LayerZero, and Wormhole, along with an AI Blueprint program, position it as a next-gen blockchain for both developers and institutional investors.

Conclusion: Strategic Buys in a Maturing Market

In a crypto market increasingly shaped by institutional adoption and regulatory clarity, XRP, Hyperliquid, and Monad offer distinct risk-adjusted growth profiles:
- XRP benefits from regulatory resolution and ETF-driven inflows, making it a low-risk, high-conviction play.
- Hyperliquid combines on-chain momentum and whale activity with institutional-grade infrastructure, though its volatility requires careful risk management.
- Monad leverages cutting-edge Layer-1 innovation and ETF tailwinds to capture developer and institutional demand, positioning it as a long-term speculative bet.

As 2025 progresses, these assets exemplify the maturation of crypto from speculative noise to strategic, fundamentals-driven investments.