XRP has allegedly graduated from the altcoin minor leagues to become the heavyweight champion of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, or so declares Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg. He argues that recent upgrades to the XRP Ledger have fundamentally reshaped institutional perceptions, transforming the asset from a perpetual "maybe" on the watchlist to a serious contender ready for the main stage.
Speaking on an AInvest podcast, McClurg noted that the XRP Ledger has officially left the theoretical realm and is actively hauling stablecoins and tokenized assets—Ripple’s own RLUSD included—across the finish line. Unlike networks still tinkering in the lab, the XRP Ledger is processing live financial transactions right now. This pivot from pure speculation to actual, gritty utility is precisely why McClurg believes XRP will lead the RWA charge as Wall Street tentatively dips its toes into tokenization.
While riding the XRP hype train, McClurg gave a respectful nod to Hedera, drawing a line in the sand between the two. He views Hedera as the darling of enterprise data and software pros, while XRP remains the preferred weapon of choice for traditional finance integration. He also shouted out emerging networks like Injective and Sui, positioning them as scrappy competitors to Ethereum and Solana in specific, niche battlegrounds.
Looking toward 2026, McClurg predicts a "great decoupling" driven by regulatory clarity—essentially the moment the crypto market finally learns to read the room. He believes asset prices will finally diverge based on real usage rather than blindly following Bitcoin’s lead. Networks with high transaction activity, like XRP, Solana, and Hedera, could see their value surge independently, while Bitcoin’s proof-of-work model leaves it perpetually vulnerable to energy-related pressure and regulatory side-eye.
McClurg expects Bitcoin might not hit a new all-time high until 2027, potentially revisiting the $60,000–$70,000 range if the recovery stumbles. Meanwhile, he projects XRP could hit around $5 in 2026—roughly doubling current levels—as its role in tokenizing real-world assets drives price action independently of the crypto king, proving that sometimes the underdog has the best utility playbook.
