Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has predicted that XRP could surpass Ethereum in market capitalization, citing the cryptocurrency’s utility in cross-border payments and favorable regulatory clarity outside the U.S. The comments came during a recent interview as Ripple continues its three-year legal battle with the SEC over whether XRP constitutes an unregistered security.
“When you look at the fundamentals of what XRP was built for – institutional-grade settlements – and compare it to other networks that are struggling with scaling and high fees, the potential is obvious,” Garlinghouse told crypto.news. XRP currently ranks as the sixth-largest cryptocurrency with a $36 billion market cap, while Ethereum remains second at $430 billion.
Analysts note that XRP’s price has shown unusual resilience despite the SEC lawsuit, gaining 85% year-to-date compared to Ethereum’s 70% increase. “The market seems to be pricing in a favorable settlement,” said CoinShares researcher Marc Arjoon, pointing to Ripple’s recent victories in court that forced the SEC to drop certain claims.
However, the prediction faces skepticism given Ethereum’s dominant position in decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), sectors where XRP has minimal presence. The outcome of Ripple’s ongoing case – expected to conclude later this year – will likely determine whether Garlinghouse’s projection remains plausible.