XRP Jumps Over 20% in Early 2026 as Stablecoins Challenge Its Bridge Asset Narrative

XRP has entered 2026 with gains of more than 20%, lifting it back among the largest digital assets by market value and sparking renewed debate about its long-term prospects. While Ripple originally positioned XRP as a fast, low-cost bridge for cross-border payments, banks have largely favored Ripple's software tools, stablecoins, or internal tokens instead of using XRP directly. The rapid expansion of dollar-pegged stablecoins and Ripple's own evolving business strategy have prompted analysts to question how central XRP remains to the company's future.