XRP News Today: Ethereum's Price Action Sparks 30% Rally After Pectra Upgrade

Ethereum is projected to reach $5,000 by the end of 2025, but investors seeking higher returns may find better opportunities in alternative tokens. Three tokens highlighted as potential outperformers are Little Pepe ($LILPEPE), Chainlink (LINK), and Ripple’s XRP. Ethereum's price action has been lackluster, with small bounces followed by notable dips after hitting a cycle high of $4,100 in January. However, the launch of its Pectra Upgrade in May sparked a strong rally above $3,000, although it later fell below $2,500. Experts noted that Ethereum stayed above critical support levels, indicating a positive trend. If bulls can regain the $2,400 region in the coming weeks, it may initiate a new upward trend.

Capital inflows have been significant, with whale activities and Ether ETF inflows reaching impressive heights since May. As macro conditions improve and institutional capital flows back into crypto, projections for Ethereum to test the $5,000 mark by Q4 2025 are gaining traction. However, with ETH’s gains potentially limited to 3x and delayed, lesser-cap tokens may offer higher upside with less capital.

Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) has evolved from a meme coin to a serious Layer 2 contender. Unlike other meme coins, $LILPEPE is launching a dedicated Layer 2 blockchain optimized for ultra-low gas fees, lightning-fast transactions, and anti-sniper bot architecture. This innovation protects communities from bots during liquidity events. The presale, which launched at $0.001 on June 10, has already raised over $3.5 million, with Stage 3 nearly sold out. Stage 4 will begin at $0.0014, and with two top-tier CEX listings confirmed at launch, the price action could accelerate quickly. $LILPEPE’s roadmap includes a memes Launchpad, allowing other meme tokens to be created, launched, and scaled entirely on its chain, adding real utility to the ecosystem. Given the hype, tech backing, and viral brand identity, $LILPEPE could easily surge 30x to 50x post-launch, with analysts eyeing price targets above $0.02 as Layer 2 adoption increases.

Chainlink (LINK) has shown renewed volatility and upside momentum, with the price retesting the $12 mark after an intraday surge of over 6%. Whale activity has surged, with 17.85 million LINK tokens transferred to Binance as part of its unlock scenario, which has often been a bullish trend. LINK has formed a descending channel since May, with $11.50 acting as a strong support base. If it breaks resistance levels at $13–$15, it could confirm a bullish reversal pattern. The Stochastic RSI has dipped into oversold territory, showing signs of convergence, another hint that a strong upward move is brewing. Should this pattern hold, LINK could reclaim higher levels, with targets around $40–$50 by the end of Q3 2025. With increased utility in oracle networks, rising DeFi integration, and smart contract adoption, LINK continues to position itself as a critical infrastructure token for the blockchain economy.

Ripple (XRP) fell below $2 earlier this week but has since recovered and is now trading near $2.18. Bulls are protecting the $2.00 support zone. Analysts are cautiously bullish as XRP tries to break above its primary resistance levels of $2.20 and $2.35. The coin is above the Gaussian Channel on the weekly chart, indicating that long-term bullish movements are likely to occur. If XRP rises above $2.33, it could initiate a more substantial climb toward $3 and beyond. The legal resolution with the SEC continues to gain momentum, and there is high hope for spot XRP ETFs in October. Moreover, XRP’s partnerships with major banks and payment corridors are expanding. Some traders using Elliott Wave theory have even projected that XRP will reach $9–$10, provided bullish macroeconomic conditions persist.

While Ethereum has the potential to reclaim $5,000 by Q4 2025, smaller-cap tokens with utility, narrative, and community momentum offer significantly better risk-reward ratios. Little Pepe stands at the top of that list as a meme coin that is building real infrastructure, disrupting Layer 2s, and has already attracted millions in presale interest. Combined with LINK’s DeFi momentum and XRP’s institutional push, these tokens are poised to outperform Ethereum in the next bull cycle.