XRP could surpass ETH’s market cap: Messari analyst

Messari’s Sam Ruskin highlighted post-election momentum, a possible XRP ETF filing, and the rotation into “boomer coins” as key factors that could allow XRP to overtake ETH.

Ruskin suggested that XRP (XRP) could surpass Ethereum (ETH) in market capitalization. In a detailed article on X, Ruskin pointed to a 460% rise in the price of

Ruskin attributes XRP’s recent gains to macroeconomic factors and sector-specific catalysts. These include the inauguration of Donald Trump, speculation about a US 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 favoring established cryptocurrencies like XRP, HBAR (HBAR), Stellar (XLM), and Cardano (ADA)—nicknamed “boomer coins.”

Challenges of Ethereum

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

“The market cap of ETH ETFs is 3% of all Ethereum,” Ruskin wrote, “while the market cap of BTC ETFs is almost 10% of all Bitcoin.” Retail didn’t show up for Ethereum like they did for Bitcoin, and on-chain morale suffered.

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

In contrast, XRP’s price momentum and growing investor confidence point to near-term gains, with Ruskin forecasting a further price increase of 35-50% in the months following Trump’s inauguration.