- XRP’s price has jumped more than 500% in the past year, rising from under $0.60 in early July to an all-time high of $3.65, thereby helping it overtake legacy firms.
- The XRP Ledger’s ecosystem growth, speculation surrounding a spot XRP ETF, and the resolution of Ripple’s legal battle with the SEC are strengthening bullish sentiment.
After the stunning XRP price rally to $3.5, the Ripple cryptocurrency is making waves, overtaking American oil giant Shell, as its market cap surges past $211 billion. With this, it also extends its lead over Tether’s USDT, which is currently at the fourth spot with a market cap of $160 billion.
This milestone marks a symbolic moment where a digital asset has officially surpassed a century-old oil giant in value.
XRP Price Jumps 500% In A Year to Become Top Crypto
The XRP frenzy is led by investor momentum, institutional adoption, and increasing on-chain activity. From under $0.60 in early July, XRP’s price has increased more than fivefold to reach an all-time high of $3.65, before settling slightly to around $3.62.
This phenomenal increase has placed XRP in third place in the market cap of cryptocurrencies, just after Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
Meanwhile, XRP Ledger, Ripple’s decentralized blockchain, has recorded substantial growth in recent weeks, as mentioned in our previous article. The platform has surpassed 10,000 new function wallet registrations daily earlier this month.
Also, in mid-July, the total value locked (TVL) has surpassed $93 million, according to DeFiLlama. It’s another indicator of greater industry involvement in the network of XRP digital assets.
At the same time, high-volume transactions involving XRP have become more frequent. The notable tip is that transfers larger than 210 million XRP, or worth more than 730 million, were recorded. It indicates activity among large holders and growing liquidity.
As far as these movements are concerned, they are generally regarded as signs of growing institutional interest and trust in the implementation of XRP as a cross-border payment instrument.
Shell vs. XRP: A Brief Look
In contrast, Shell, a multinational oil and gas company with operations in more than 70 countries, has had its market valuation grow at an average pace despite its healthy revenue foundation. In 2024, the company reported revenues above $284 billion and net earnings of $16.5 billion. However, the stock growth has been hindered by external factors, including the global energy transition, investor pressure on environmental policies, and geopolitical influences.
The difference in the direction of XRP and Shell may serve as an example of the changing forces of traditional industries against digital technologies. Shell, a venerable icon of 20th-century economic power, is forced to compete with a form of asset that did not exist two decades ago, when it acquired its valuation rating.
Now, analysts are more optimistic about the XRP price. They expect much-anticipated events like the approval of spot XRP ETFs and the closure of the Ripple vs. SEC case to push altcoin higher. Egrag Crypto and other popular crypto analysts see $5 as a potential short-term target.
