Can XRP Overtake Ethereum: Here’s What Needs to Happen for XRP to Surpass Ethereum

As XRP holds the third spot among the most valuable crypto assets for most of July, discussions about further progress from this level are emerging again.

Notably, XRP climbed one step up the ranks by overtaking Tether’s USDT in the second week of July when its market cap surpassed $160 billion. It then rose to reach $216 billion, its highest valuation ever, shortly after. This further cemented its position as the third biggest crypto.

Despite occasional fluctuations, XRP has consistently maintained a market cap above that of USDT as it trades above $3. Now, anticipation is growing for further progress from XRP to again surpass Ethereum, as it did in the first week of 2018.

What Does It Take for XRP to Overtake Ethereum?

Despite the widening gap, optimism remains high in the crypto community about the rise of a new altcoin king, and the XRP Army believes their beloved coin will wear the crown.

At the moment, XRP’s price needs to more than double from its current position to match Ethereum’s market cap. With XRP trading at $3.16 at press time, its price must expand approximately 2.5 times to slightly surpass Ethereum. This would mean an approximate price of $8 for XRP.

However, any further price increase from Ethereum would widen the gap, reducing the odds of XRP overtaking it.

Notably, analysts are already predicting a major breakout for XRP beyond $3 soon. For instance, market watcher Zach Rector forecasts XRP breaking into the $4–$5 range “any day now,” with potential upside to $15 by early September.

If Ethereum fails to make any notable price leaps, this 380% increase could send XRP’s market cap near $900 billion, almost twice ETH’s current valuation.

Calls for XRP Flippening

Previously, calls for XRP to flip Ethereum were at a fever pitch, particularly as the second biggest crypto massively underperformed while Bitcoin was breaking new price territory. Many wrote off ETH as dead, favoring rivals in the smart contract ecosystems like Solana and SUI.

Commentators like John Deaton cited silent Wall Street interest in XRP, particularly via ETFs, as a factor for why he believes XRP will overtake ETH this year. Meanwhile, Harvard engineer Austin King highlighted inflationary risks and rising competition among his supporting factors for the flippening.

Ethereum’s Surprising Comeback

However, these skeptical voices have quietened recently amid Ethereum’s surprising comeback. The coin has soared by over 112% in the last 12 weeks, the best performance among the most prominent cryptos.

In fact, some prominent industry voices are now forecasting a future where ETH trades at $60,000 per coin.