XRP vs Bitcoin: Investor Says RLUSD Growth and Regulatory Clarity Could Shift Crypto’s Balance of Power

While the claim remains highly ambitious given Bitcoin’s commanding lead in market capitalization, the discussion highlights broader trends influencing the crypto market, including the expansion of regulated stablecoins, increasing blockchain utility, and evolving global compliance standards.

In a recent video shared on X, Digital Asset Investor argued that Bitcoin’s rise to the top of the cryptocurrency market was driven primarily by its role as the industry’s dominant trading pair rather than technological superiority.

The video argues that regulated stablecoin adoption, growing XRP Ledger utility, and evolving global regulations could strengthen XRP’s competitive position. Source: @digitalassetbuy via X

According to the commentator, early crypto investors often had little choice but to trade through Bitcoin when accessing alternative digital assets.

“That’s the reason Bitcoin rose to its value. That’s the reason it’s number one,” he said.

He further argued that Bitcoin’s dominance was not the result of having better technology, adding that it became the market leader largely because it served as the primary gateway for crypto trading during the industry’s formative years.

To support the argument, he reviewed the evolution of major trading pairs over the past decade. Bitcoin pairs such as BTC/USD dominated from 2013 onward, while BTC/USDT became increasingly important during the 2017-2018 bull market. In later years, Ethereum and Solana trading pairs gained market share as the ecosystem diversified.

His broader conclusion is that leadership in digital assets can shift as liquidity migrates toward new trading infrastructures.

Digital Asset Investor believes the next phase of crypto adoption will be driven less by speculation and more by regulatory compliance.

He pointed to Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, as an example of how regulated digital assets could strengthen activity on the XRP Ledger. According to his thesis, networks capable of supporting compliant payment infrastructure and tokenized assets may attract a larger share of future liquidity.

“Bitcoin’s going to be replaced before it’s over,” he said, referring to his long-term outlook for XRP.

The commentator also highlighted that developers can issue tokens directly on the XRP Ledger, allowing additional applications and liquidity to develop within the ecosystem. He argued that this flexibility could become increasingly valuable as regulatory frameworks such as the proposed U.S. CLARITY Act, Europe’s MiCA framework, and ISO 20022 payment standards continue to shape institutional participation.

Although these developments may improve XRP’s utility, they do not by themselves indicate that XRP will surpass Bitcoin. As of early July 2026, XRP is valued at roughly $71-72 billion, while Bitcoin’s market capitalization exceeds $1.2 trillion, illustrating the substantial gap any challenger would need to close.

To reinforce his bullish outlook, Digital Asset Investor referenced data showing growing activity across the XRP Ledger.

He cited an Evernorth report indicating that RLUSD’s share of on-chain trading on the network increased from less than 1% to approximately 12% within 18 months. During the same period, the RLUSD-XRP trading pair reportedly processed around $900 million in transaction volume over six months.

The commentator also drew comparisons with the 2017-2018 market cycle, noting that rising daily active addresses preceded XRP’s historic rally during that period.

According to the data presented, total XRP Ledger addresses have now surpassed 8.3 million, representing a new all-time high. He believes increasing network participation, combined with expanding stablecoin activity, reflects strengthening ecosystem fundamentals rather than purely speculative trading.

Despite the bullish narrative surrounding XRP, Bitcoin continues to maintain a dominant position in the digital asset market, supported by a significantly larger market capitalization and deep institutional participation.

Bitcoin (BTC) price chart. Source: Bitcoin price via Brave New Coin 

According to TradingView, BTC is trading near $62,767, while its overall technical summary remains Neutral. The indicator breakdown includes 2 Buy, 8 Neutral, and 1 Sell signals among oscillators, while moving averages are evenly split with 7 Buy and 7 Sell readings.

Momentum indicators offer mixed signals. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 49, suggesting balanced momentum, while Momentum (10) and MACD both generate buy signals. At the same time, Bull Bear Power remains bearish, indicating that sellers continue to exert some influence.

Short-term moving averages continue to support price action, with the 10-period EMA at $61,355 and the 20-period EMA at $62,181, both below the current price. However, Bitcoin remains beneath its 50-, 100-, and 200-period moving averages, highlighting persistent longer-term resistance.

Key technical levels place the central pivot around $63,515, with immediate resistance near $68,995 and primary support around $53,046.

XRP has recently shown stronger short-term performance than Bitcoin, although its longer-term technical structure remains mixed.

The asset is currently trading around $1.17, with TradingView assigning an overall Neutral technical rating based on 10 Buy, 10 Neutral, and 6 Sell signals.

XRP price chart. Source: XRP price via Brave New Coin 

Momentum indicators lean modestly bullish. RSI (14) is at 56.40, while Momentum (10) and MACD continue to issue buy signals. The ADX reading of 23.52 suggests trend strength is developing but has yet to become particularly strong.

Moving averages also favor the short-term trend. XRP trades above its 10-, 20-, and 30-period EMAs, which range from $1.0984 to $1.1366, indicating that recent gains have established support across shorter timeframes.

Longer-term moving averages remain the primary hurdle. The 50-period EMA sits at $1.1858, followed by the 50-period SMA at $1.2016, while the 100- and 200-period averages continue to point to a broader downtrend.

From a price structure perspective, the asset remains above its central pivot at $1.1284, with the next major resistance located near $1.2489. A sustained move above the $1.19-$1.20 region would strengthen the bullish case, whereas failure to maintain support above the pivot could encourage renewed consolidation.

Although some market participants believe RLUSD adoption and regulatory progress could improve XRP’s long-term position, Bitcoin continues to hold a substantial advantage in market value, liquidity, and institutional adoption. For now, the comparison reflects two assets at different stages of market maturity, with investors closely watching whether growing XRP Ledger activity can translate into sustained price performance over time.