Ripple’s XRP has recorded its longest-ever streak of gains against Ethereum (ETH), marking six consecutive months of robust outperformance—a historical first and a significant market milestone. The upward trend started in November of last year, when XRP surged 160.4% relative to ETH, igniting an impressive run. Subsequent months sustained the rally with gains of 18.5% in December, 47.3% in January, 4.3% in February, 19.6% in March, and an additional 14.3% uptick in April. Altogether, XRP has soared approximately 264% against Ethereum during this extended bullish phase.
Such sustained XRP gains against Ethereum are remarkable, especially given XRP’s previous record of rarely outperforming ETH for more than two consecutive months historically. As such, analysts and investors alike are closely watching whether this momentum represents a fundamental shift or just a temporary anomaly.
Technical perspectives suggest possible staying power in XRP’s momentum. Recently, XRP decisively pushed past a key long-term resistant zone on the XRP/ETH trading pair, specifically the range between 0.00022 to 0.00025 ETH—an area that has held significance for over eight years. Analysts have noted that flipping such historic resistance into support was a pivotal factor in early 2017, late 2017, and again in 2018, each time preceding significant bullish acceleration for XRP. Historical price action suggests this current breakout could prove more than a fleeting market event.
Several critical developments appear to underpin XRP’s resurgence. Notably, renewed interest stems from XRP’s inclusion in the United States’ strategic crypto reserve portfolio as well as widespread speculation that Ripple’s prolonged legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might soon end favorably for the company. Moreover, investor expectations are buoyed by predictions of an imminent spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), which enjoys a 77% projected likelihood of being approved in 2025 according to market forecasts.
Contrasting XRP’s recent success, Ethereum has struggled through multiple setbacks lately, sapping confidence among investors. Ethereum faces substantial headwinds from forthcoming protocol updates—specifically, the Pectra and Fusaka upgrades. Analysts warn these updates, targeted primarily toward Layer 2 networks that operate atop Ethereum’s main protocol, could undercut Ethereum’s traditional value accrual models, pressuring ETH prices downward.
Additionally, fundamental indicators reveal severe declines in Ethereum’s overall market activity. Data reveals Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL), once standing at nearly $70 billion at the year’s start, has sharply declined to around $46 billion. Simultaneously, monthly revenue generated by Ethereum dropped precipitously from January highs around $109 million down to merely $7.2 million by March. Compounding these difficulties, Ethereum-focused ETFs continue witnessing substantial investor outflows.
Ethereum’s price action reflects these fundamental struggles. ETH has recently fallen into a well-established multi-year trading range and is precariously balanced near this range’s midpoint. Analysts warn that unless buying sentiment quickly returns to bolster ETH prices, Ethereum runs the risk of sliding toward critical support at the range’s lower boundary—a scenario that could precipitate a potential breakdown below the psychologically crucial $1,000 mark.
Currently, all eyes remain focused on XRP’s exceptional strength versus ETH, raising a critical market question about the longevity of this trend. If the underlying technical breakouts and supportive fundamentals hold true, XRP’s impressive run against Ethereum might signal a broader structural shift rather than merely a short-term anomaly. However, definitive answers to the sustainability of XRP’s streak lie in the coming market actions and regulatory developments.
