XRP Outperforms BTC, ETH, and SOL in Q1 2025 as XRPL Adoption, Institutional Inflows, and Infrastructure Expansion Accelerate

In Q1 2025, XRP was the only top-four cryptocurrency to record a market cap increase, rising 1.9% to $121.6 billion, while BTC, ETH, and SOL saw a collective market cap decline of 22%. According to Messari’s comprehensive report, XRP’s continued resilience is driven by robust XRPL adoption, significant growth in institutional interest, and network expansion. Key XRPL network metrics saw notable gains: daily active addresses soared 142% to 134,600, average daily transactions rose 13% to 2.04 million, and new addresses increased 12% quarter-over-quarter. Supporting infrastructure strengthened, with active XRPL nodes up 972% to 9,498. Ripple’s strategic $1.25B acquisition of global prime broker Hidden Road marks a significant milestone, as Hidden Road will migrate post-trade services to XRPL and utilize Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin as collateral, fostering further institutional engagement. RLUSD’s market cap surged 304% to $25.9 million. The XRPL ecosystem also advanced on the technical front with the launch of an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain testnet, paving the way for Ethereum-compatible smart contracts, which could attract DeFi developers seeking scalability and lower fees. Messari highlighted that all core XRPL metrics have now grown for two consecutive quarters, the first time this has occurred since 2023. Enterprise adoption continues to climb, with global players such as UAE-based Zand Bank and fintech firm Mamo onboarding Ripple Payments in Q1. Although XRP’s price saw a modest Q1 gain (0.5%), rising circulating supply and strong network usage indicate increasing real-world utility. The combination of heightened XRPL activity, deeper enterprise integration, and expanded developer access to DeFi solutions positions XRP and its ecosystem for further potential upside, signaling an important shift in the competitive landscape of major cryptocurrencies.