Despite broader crypto market sluggishness, XRP XRP/USD has had a solid first quarter of the year, according to a recent report. What Happened: In its Q1 2025 XRP Markets report, Ripple provided key developments and market performance of XRP. The token rallied 50% in February, outperforming both Bitcoin BTC/USD, which was flat, and Ethereum ETH/USD, which trended lower.

XRP investment products saw $214 million in inflows year-to-date, just $1 million shy of Ethereum fund inflows globally, highlighting a surge in institutional interest. Spot trading volume on top-tier exchanges averaged $3.2 billion daily, with XRP/BTC ratios climbing by over 10%. XRP briefly touched $3.40 before cooling off, while realized volatility ranged from 100% to 130%.

Binance dominated trading volume with 40% market share, followed by Upbit (15%) and Coinbase (12%). Despite this strong performance, on-chain activity slowed, with new wallets and transactions falling 30–40% quarter-over-quarter, mirroring the broader market cooldown. Also Read: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin On A Knife’s Edge Ahead Of Wednesday’s Federal Reserve Decision Why It Matters: XRP's Q1 rally appears to be fueled by accelerating institutional tailwinds: Franklin Templeton filed an S-1 for a U.S. spot XRP ETF.

The CME Group announced plans for XRP futures and Brazil's regulators greenlit a dedicated XRP ETF. On the legal front, the SEC dropped its appeal in the Ripple case, and Ripple settled with a reduced $50 million penalty, with the court potentially vacating the earlier injunction. A pro-crypto shift in the U.S. administration, under President Trump, has also boosted sentiment, with executive orders and new appointments signaling market-friendly regulation.

Ripple also closed a major acquisition, purchasing Hidden Road for $1.25 billion to scale up institutional RLUSD and XRP Ledger use cases. Read Next: Image: Shutterstock