Ripple Former CTO Says XRP Could Flip Bitcoin Through an 18x Surge

XRP hovers under $1.40 while the Ripple former chief architect just put a number on the maximalist dream: an eighteen-fold rally. That’s the gap David Schwartz, Ripple former CTO and one of the designers of the XRP Ledger, quietly implied during a live X Space.

“It is more likely that XRP flips Bitcoin due to surge in price of XRP than the collapse of Bitcoin.”

David Schwartz, 2026 pic.twitter.com/hdDuF7VCEf

Responding to a host who believes XRP will eventually surpass Bitcoin by market cap, Schwartz didn’t dodge the question; he reframed it. “I honestly have to say, I think XRP surging is probably more likely than not,” he said, adding that a flip is more plausible through XRP’s ascent than Bitcoin’s collapse.

The clip spread fast among XRP holders eager for validation from a technical insider. Fair enough, but the numbers behind that comment deserve scrutiny.

Bitcoin currently sits near $78,000, but XRP’s market cap runs about $87.25 billion, or just 5.5% of Bitcoin’s size. Closing that gap without Bitcoin moving requires exactly the kind of surge Schwartz described. The near-term tape isn’t cooperating with that narrative yet.

XRP’s daily range has stayed tight between $1.375 and $1.40, a compression pattern consistent with the descending-triangle setup analysts have flagged beneath resistance near $1.43–$1.46. Support sits at $1.34–$1.35, with deeper floors at $1.32 and $1.20 if momentum fails.

Bitcoin’s dominance reading of 59.05% and an altcoin season index of 39 both point to capital still parked in BTC rather than rotating into XRP or other majors.

• Bull case: A clean break above $1.43 opens a path toward $1.50, and more aggressive models put $1.68–$2.00 in play if the CLARITY Act clears the Senate on September 15 and ETF inflows accelerate.
• Base case: continued consolidation between $1.34 and $1.43 while traders wait on the Fed’s September 16 decision.
• Bear case: a break below $1.32 invalidates near-term bullish structure and opens room toward $1.20.

For deeper scenario modeling, see this extreme XRP price target breakdown and a more moderate long-term forecast for comparison.

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An 18x surge to flip Bitcoin is a headline, not a trade setup. XRP would still need to pass Ethereum, Tether, and BNB just to reach third place. That’s the uncomfortable math nobody clips for social media.

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