For years, the performance of the price #Ripple has been a source of frustration for many investors.
While the cryptocurrency market in general has experienced cycles of hype-driven surges, the performance of #XRP has often been slower, leading to repeated claims that it is underperforming or flawed. According to Firsan Al-Jarrah, founder of Black Swan Capitalist, this conclusion completely overlooks the essence of the matter.
Key Points
The slow movement of the price of #XRPUSDT frustrates investors, but supporters assert that it was not designed for hype cycles.
The surgeon says that XRP's progress is based on utility and settlement, not on short-term speculation.
Still, $XRP moves under the influence of cryptocurrency liquidity and the dollar system, limiting its decoupling in the near term.
The CEO of Canary Capital says that XRP may decouple from Bitcoin as the focus shifts to practical applications in the real world.
"$XRP was not designed for amplification cycles"
The surgeon argues that XRP is often valued using the same framework applied to speculative assets, where price momentum and sentiment dominate the analysis.
In fact, XRP was designed for a completely different purpose, the surgeon says. Rather than thrive on market enthusiasm, it was built to function as a settlement asset when traditional systems fail to transfer value efficiently.
From this perspective, price movement alone is an incomplete measure of progress. XRP's role is tied to practical utility, not short-term speculation, and this distinction explains why it does not always match the rocket-like movements we see elsewhere in the market.
Why does #XRP still move with the broader market?
Currently, XRP is still traded within the same liquidity structure driven by the rest of the cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin remains closely linked to debt markets, which respond to global liquidity, and liquidity is still largely controlled by the US dollar system. The surgeon pointed out that as long as the price of XRP stays within this framework, it will reflect these conditions.
Even the growth of stablecoins has not radically changed this reality. Stablecoins, although digital, still represent fiat currencies and rely on a fundamental settlement layer to operate on a large scale.
The demand for settlement is the real driver
In the surgeon's opinion, real decoupling between the market and markets does not occur simply due to improved market sentiment or changes in prevailing narratives, but happens when settlement becomes necessary, usually during periods of systemic pressure. It is only when established financial systems face pressure that the demand for alternative settlement mechanisms emerges.
Here, the importance of designing #XRP comes to the forefront. The value of XRP is not based on beliefs or speculations, but on demand arising from real settlement needs.
The summary is that XRP does not need to gain widespread popularity, nor does it require continuous media hype or excessive optimism to fulfill its role. Its critical moment comes when the system needs what it was designed for: effective and neutral settlement on a large scale.
Investors who focus solely on charts may overlook this point, but for those who look at market structure rather than sentiment, #XRP may have a long-term strategy.
"XRP may decouple from Bitcoin this year"
Stephen McClurg, CEO of Canary Capital, believes that XRP may be among the few major cryptocurrencies that will not be significantly affected by Bitcoin's price movements this year.
In a podcast, McClurg expressed his pessimism about Bitcoin, noting that it already peaked in October 2025 at $126,200. Since then, Bitcoin's price has dropped by about 36%, and he expects another decline of 20% to 30% over the next six to nine months.
While most cryptocurrencies typically move in parallel with Bitcoin, McClurg believes this cycle will be different for projects with practical applications. He sees 2026 focusing more on tokenizing real assets and stablecoins rather than speculation.
He confirmed that #XRPLedger is well-positioned to benefit from this shift, stating that platforms associated with practical applications may decouple from Bitcoin's overall decline.
However, McClurg does not expect significant surges. He anticipates modest gains, not exceeding 10%, for a small group of assets like XRP, while the price of Bitcoin may continue to decline. In contrast, critics describe these expectations as unrealistic.
