Will XRP overtake Ethereum in 2026? Dogecoin records an unnatural $0 with the disappearance of the bears, and Cardano sees a rise of 157.6% in trading "the new ADA."
This Wednesday, the cryptocurrency market remains under pressure, amid a crazy prediction for XRP in 2026, and Dogecoin recording an unnatural $0, and Cardano's resurgence with "new ADA."
This Wednesday, the cryptocurrency session has just begun, and the damage is already evident on the charts. Bitcoin is trading near $86,600 after failing again above $90,000, Ethereum is under $2,930 with a significant weekly decline, and XRP is weak below $2 after weeks of selling pressure. The mood is cautious with extreme fear dominating the market.
Liquidation data supports this. Over the past 24 hours, total liquidations exceeded 205 million dollars, with long positions bearing most of the damage. Over 104 million dollars of long positions were liquidated, compared to about 101 million dollars of short positions. Short-term data shows the same pattern. Liquidations in the one-hour mark approached 7 million dollars, mostly from long positions.
Is it panic selling or liquidating crowded positions?
## Quick Summary (TL;DR)
* Crazy prediction for XRP against Ethereum in 2026.
* Dogecoin shows a strange liquidation signal at 0 dollars indicating seller exhaustion.
* The 'new ADA' token in Cardano records a 157.6% jump in trading activity.
## XRP to outperform Ethereum by 2026: a big claim hits weak charts
The biggest claim today comes from Yong Hoon Kim, known for claiming to have the highest IQ in the world. According to his new post, XRP may surpass the market cap of ETH by 2026.
Looking at the current numbers, Ethereum is ahead by about 237.5 billion dollars in total market capitalization. To flip it under current supply conditions, XRP needs to add that difference over its current value, putting it close to 352-360 billion dollars in market capitalization.
With XRP trading near 1.90 dollars, that implies a required price increase of about 310% from current levels, assuming the circulating supply remains unchanged. Simply put, XRP needs to trade in the 5.80-6 dollar range to reach Ethereum's current volume.
These calculations work both ways. If the market value of Ethereum shrinks while XRP expands, the required price for XRP drops significantly. For example:
* If ETH drops to 300 billion dollars, XRP needs to approach 4.90-5.10 dollars.
* If ETH remains stable and XRP grows alone, the burden remains near 6 dollars.
This prediction comes at an inconvenient time. XRP is not leading the market. On a weekly basis, XRP has declined by about 8.6%, while Ethereum has dropped more than 12%. XRP is losing less, but it also shows no strength. Both assets appear heavy.
The comparative chart between XRP/USDT and ETH/USDT shows this. Both peaked during the same summer period, failed to hold their highs, and slid down towards December. XRP temporarily outperformed in the middle of the year, then returned to align with Ethereum. By mid-December, both sit in deep negative territory.
So, why does this prediction matter? The bet here is not on a recovery. Merely making such claims shows how the conversation around XRP has changed. The question is no longer about survival. It's about replacement. This alone changes how traders frame risk, even if they disagree.
## Dogecoin bears disappear: 0 dollars should not exist
Dogecoin presents the strangest data point today, unrelated to price.
On the CoinGlass liquidation heat map, DOGE shows an anomaly: about 151,950 dollars in long position liquidations, and exactly 0 dollars in short position liquidations for the observed period. Not close to zero. Exactly zero.
This is important because the price chart for Dogecoin does not look good at the same time. DOGE is trading near 0.13 dollars after months of 'down only' movement. Since September, the price has dropped from the 0.30 dollar area through a series of failed recoveries and strong selling. If you look at the daily chart, you'll see lower peaks, weak recoveries, and no clear reversal. However, derivative data suggests that sellers may have exited.
When short position liquidations completely disappear, it usually means one thing: bears no longer see value in betting on the downside. Either everyone who wanted to short has already done so, or the risk of doing so now seems wrong. In either case, pushing the downside becomes more difficult.
This does not mean DOGE is about to surge. It means the balance has shifted. With no remaining short pressure for liquidation, any further drop must come from real immediate selling. As the market is already liquidating long positions across major assets, this alters the scenario.
## 'New Cardano' rises 157.6% in trading activity
While large assets struggle, the Cardano ecosystem thrives.
The NIGHT token, associated with the narrative of 'new ADA, but with privacy' in Cardano, saw a trading volume to market cap ratio of 157.6% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. The trading volume was 1.58 billion dollars, with a market cap close to 1.02 billion dollars — a significant turnover, not negative retention.
Price movement corresponds with this activity. NIGHT is trading near 0.061 dollars, up more than 7% for the week after a volatile yet controlled range. The chart shows an initial rise, a deep retracement, and continued trading above the mid-range. There are over 6,000 holders, and the circulating supply is close to 16.6 billion, with a total supply fixed at 24 billion.
This activity occurs while ADA itself remains quiet. However, thanks to the launch of Midnight, funds are not leaving Cardano but are moving towards it. Whether this short-term success will refocus attention on the main asset, especially as trading volume shifts away from ADA, is definitely something to watch.
## A look at the cryptocurrency market
The market is neither collapsing nor recovering. It is stuck between a weak price structure and loud narratives. Prices are under pressure, leverage is drying up, and attention is shifting to stories rather than trends. Until one side wins, volatility remains dangerous and painful.
*Bitcoin (BTC)**: dropped to 86,600 dollars after another rejection above 90,000 dollars, and as long as BTC remains below that area, attempts to rise look fragile, and highs are being sold.
*Ethereum (ETH)**: back at 2,930 dollars with a weekly decline of more than 12%, still struggling to gain momentum and needs to surpass 3,000 dollars to halt the slide.
*XRP**: under 2 dollars and a decrease of about 8.6% weekly with a weak price, despite achieving one billion dollars in traded XRP funds.
*Dogecoin (DOGE)**: near 0.13 dollars after months of decline, and the price is weak too, but 0 dollars in short liquidations shows bear fatigue.
*NIGHT in Cardano**: about 0.061 dollars, up 7% weekly, indicating strong speculative demand despite ADA's weakness.
