Recently, when looking at the market performance of major cryptocurrencies, XRP has been particularly eye-catching.

A while ago, Standard Chartered Bank released a forecast: by 2026, XRP could surge to $8. This price is more than double its all-time high of $3.84.

Even more surprisingly, XRP's market capitalization has overtaken BNB, making it the third-largest cryptocurrency globally. What does this shift indicate? The market is sending a signal.

Why did XRP suddenly turn around? Three core reasons are worth discussing.

First, it addresses real demand. In the areas of cross-border remittances and international transfers, XRP inherently has advantages—fast transaction speeds and low fees. This pain point has always existed, and demand is gradually increasing.

Second, the sword hanging over it has finally been lowered. The legal disputes between XRP and US regulators have lasted for years, and now they are basically settled. Previously, investors' biggest concern was policy risk, but this worry has now significantly diminished.

Third, the most straightforward reason—real money is flowing in. During Bitcoin's correction, large sums of funds withdrew from Bitcoin ETFs, but XRP ETFs continued to absorb capital. The current scale has reached $137 million, and it has maintained net inflows for over 40 consecutive days, even in a sluggish market.

From an industry perspective, Ripple plans to transform the XRP chain into a DeFi infrastructure that better meets institutional needs by enhancing compliance and security, making traditional financial institutions more comfortable with adoption.

In simple terms, XRP's rise this time is not driven by hype or storytelling, but by a genuine reduction in regulatory risks, serious institutional investment, and a reevaluation of its real application value. Whether it can finally break through $8 remains uncertain, but at least in this cycle, XRP has gone from a forgotten old coin to a mainstream player with a story, capital, and prospects.