The Role of XRP in Bitcoin Bull Markets

Crypto traders often interpret price surges in lesser-known cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin (DOGE) as signs of market excess. Recently, XRP, a cryptocurrency focused on payments, has emerged as a potential indicator for peaks in Bitcoin (BTC) bull markets.

Unlike meme tokens such as DOGE and Shiba Inu (SHIB), XRP serves a functional purpose. It is utilized by Ripple to enable cross-border transactions, placing it in a different category from meme coins.

Since 2017, XRP has acted as a contrary indicator for Bitcoin, frequently rallying—sometimes skyrocketing several hundred percent in brief periods—during the concluding phases of BTC bull runs, which often signal Bitcoin’s peak.

Price Comparisons

XRP saw a remarkable tenfold increase from December 2017 to early 2018, coinciding with Bitcoin reaching approximately $20,000 before entering a bear market lasting nearly a year.

A similar steep climb in XRP happened in early 2021, aligning with another peak in Bitcoin’s bull market. Additionally, XRP’s surge of around 240% in late 2024 preceded Bitcoin’s peak over $109,000, before a subsequent drop below $80,000.

As the old saying goes: “Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.”

Traders may want to monitor XRP during future BTC bull runs for potential signals indicating the end of the cycle.