XRP could surpass ETH’s market cap: Messari analyst

Sam Ruskin from Messari highlighted post-election momentum, a potential XRP ETF filing, and the rotation toward “boomer coins” as key factors that could enable XRP to surpass ETH.

Ruskin suggested that XRP (XRP) could surpass Ethereum (ETH) in market capitalization. In a detailed post on X, Ruskin pointed to a 460% surge in XRP’s price since the 2024 U.S. election and growing investor interest as reasons for his bold prediction.

Ruskin attributes XRP’s recent gains to macroeconomic factors and sector-specific catalysts. These include the inauguration of Donald Trump, speculation about a U.S. spot XRP ETF filing, and proposed capital gains tax policies that could benefit U.S.-based crypto projects like XRP. 

Additionally, Ruskin notes a market trend favouring established cryptocurrencies like XRP, HBAR (HBAR), Stellar (XLM), and Cardano (ADA)— dubbed “boomer coins.”

Ethereum’s challenges

While Ethereum faces challenges such as increased competition from layer-2 scaling solutions and rival blockchains like Solana (SOL), XRP has a more unified community and a clear narrative surrounding its role in the future of finance.

“The market cap of ETH ETF’s makes up 3% of all Ethereum,” wrote Ruskin, “while the market cap of BTC ETFs makes up nearly 10% of all Bitcoin. Retail has not shown up for Ethereum like they have for Bitcoin, and morale onchain suffered as a result.”

Ethereum’s on-chain metrics also reveal concerning trends. Ruskin highlighted declining retail interest in ETH, oversaturation of L2 solutions, and a fragmented community as factors hindering its growth.

By contrast, XRP’s price momentum and growing investor confidence point to short-term gains, with Ruskin predicting another 35-50% price increase in the months following Trump’s inauguration.