XRP's Surge: Can It Dethrone Ethereum?

XRP's recent surge has sparked speculation that it could soon surpass Ethereum as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Dom Kwok, a former Goldman Sachs analyst and co-founder of Easy, has expressed optimism about XRP's prospects, noting a "high chance" of it flipping Ethereum in the near future.

XRP's impressive performance since November 2024 has caught the attention of analysts and investors alike. The crypto asset reached its highest price since 2018 last week, surging to $3.39, and has since maintained strong momentum. Last weekend, XRP surged over 10%, leaving most top 10 cryptocurrencies behind. This surge propelled the XRP/ETH pair to a 50-month high, igniting renewed discussions about XRP's potential to outpace Ethereum.

Kwok's confidence in XRP's prospects stems from the rapid expansion of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem, fueled by the anticipated surge of capital through tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). XRP boasts a market cap of $161.2 billion, a $7.4 billion increase following its recent rally. The asset trades at $3.01, reflecting an impressive 53% gain since the beginning of 2025. In contrast, Ethereum's market cap stands at $370 billion, with the cryptocurrency posting a modest 7.8% drop since the year began.

For XRP to surpass Ethereum, it would need to reach a price of $6.83, assuming Ethereum's market cap remains static. This translates to a required price increase of 115.5%. Although such a leap may appear ambitious, market analysts have suggested it is within reach. EGRAG Crypto recently predicted that XRP could surge to $7.5 once it breaks through key resistance levels, calling this price point the "Genuine Wake-Up Line."

Sistine Research analysts have also weighed in on XRP's potential, noting that surpassing Ethereum is "much closer than you think." According to their analysis, with the asset currently trading around $2.45 on January 4, it could surpass Ethereum at approximately $4.36 and Bitcoin near $21.

Antony