A long-time Bitcoin investor has argued that $XRP could surpass Bitcoin “by magnitude” as global finance moves on-chain.
Pumpius, who says he has bought Bitcoin since 2013, took to X to declare that all central banks will ultimately use $XRP as a bridge asset. According to him, that shift is already starting to become reality.
“When this happens, $XRP will surpass Bitcoin (BTC) by magnitude,” he wrote. The backdrop to the discussion centers on growing stress in global currency markets.
Key Points
- A longtime Bitcoin investor says $XRP could surpass Bitcoin as global finance shifts on-chain.
- Rising FX stress and bond volatility are fueling calls for blockchain-based settlement systems.
- Supporters argue that $XRP and the $XRP Ledger could serve as a neutral bridge for global currencies.
- Despite bold forecasts, $XRP would need trillions in added market cap to overtake Bitcoin.
FX Tensions and the Push for On-Chain Settlement
Notably, Pumpius made his comment while responding to a macro-focused post by the popular X account Stellar Rippler. The post referenced reports that the U.S. Treasury contacted Japan for assurances on foreign exchange as oil prices climbed and Japanese interest rates rose.
With oil at $65 and Japan’s rates rising, investors are growing concerned about bond market instability and possible capital leaving the U.S. Reports that the Federal Reserve asked banks for dollar/yen quotes have added to speculation that officials may step in if currency volatility worsens.
Stellar Rippler argued that this kind of uncertainty highlights the need for on-chain foreign exchange systems instead of relying only on traditional interbank networks.
He also pointed to the growing ecosystem around Ripple and the $XRP Ledger. Ripple President Monica Long recently said that 2026 could mark the start of institutional-scale adoption for $XRP, a statement many in the community believe aligns with these market trends.
$XRP Ledger as a Neutral Bridge
Supporters describe a system in which regulated euro- and dollar-liquidity flows through $XRP as a neutral bridge asset.
In this model, euro-backed and dollar-backed stablecoins could operate on-chain. Over time, similar corridors could expand to include yen liquidity through Japanese financial institutions.
The idea includes permissioned areas where verified banks provide liquidity. A compliant on-chain DEX would handle foreign exchange matching, while privacy-focused credential systems would protect institutional users. Transactions would settle on the $XRP Ledger within seconds, with built-in audit trails and policy controls.
In this setup, $XRP would move beyond speculation and serve as the connecting layer for cross-border payments between major global currencies.
Can $XRP Really Surpass Bitcoin?
The claim that $XRP could surpass Bitcoin by a large margin echoes earlier predictions from market commentators.
In October 2025, Tradeship University founder Cameron Scrubs forecast that $XRP would become the number one cryptocurrency by market capitalization by 2030, overtaking both Bitcoin and Ethereum. Similarly, Coach JV has repeatedly argued that $XRP could rise into the top spot within the decade.
However, the numbers illustrate the scale of the challenge.
Bitcoin’s market capitalization currently stands in the trillions of dollars, while $XRP’s valuation remains a fraction of that at $86 billion. For $XRP to flip Bitcoin at current levels, it would require a multi-trillion-dollar increase in market cap.
And if Bitcoin continues to grow toward long-term projections such as $500,000 or $1 million per coin, the gap would widen even further.
Even optimistic $XRP forecasts from analytics platforms project prices between $23 and $48 by 2030, which would still leave Bitcoin with a substantial lead.
