Canary Capital CEO: In Past We Never Kept an Eye on XRP, but the Situation Changed

XRP has moved from the sidelines to the center of attention for institutional investors, according to Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg. 

Speaking on a recent AInvest podcast with host Adam Shapiro, McClurg explained that while XRP was once an asset he simply monitored from a distance, developments over the past two years have forced a reassessment.

Key Highlights

Why Canary Capital’s View on XRP Changed

McClurg noted that several years ago, XRP was not a major focus for Canary Capital. Instead, it was an asset he understood and followed, but it did not stand out compared to other opportunities in the market.

Meanwhile, that changed as Ripple steadily expanded the real-world use of the XRP Ledger. According to McClurg, Ripple has made significant progress in positioning the XRP Ledger as infrastructure for real-world transactions. The network now moves stablecoins alongside other tokenized real-world assets.

This growing activity has shifted XRP from a speculative asset into what he sees as a functional layer for modern finance.

XRP’s Role in Real-World Asset Tokenization

From Canary Capital’s perspective, this evolution puts XRP in a strong position within the real-world asset tokenization space. McClurg believes XRP is increasingly aligned with traditional finance use cases. This sets it apart from many crypto assets that remain focused on niche or purely decentralized applications.

In his view, this gives XRP a credible path to becoming a leading token for real-world asset tokenization.

The discussion also touched on other protocols Canary Capital is watching. McClurg highlighted Hedera as a separate but complementary play. He explained that while the XRP Ledger is more focused on financial markets, Hedera leans toward enterprise solutions.

Its appeal lies in its ability to handle data quickly and serve enterprise software use cases, attracting interest from beyond the typical crypto crowd.

2026 Outlook: What McClurg Expects

McClurg says clearer crypto regulations could change how the market moves. Instead of all coins rising and falling together, prices may start to reflect real use and adoption.

He expects networks like XRP, Solana, and Hedera to be valued based on how they’re used, while Bitcoin could remain influenced by factors like energy costs. This could lead to clear market divergence as early as 2026.

McClurg is cautious on Bitcoin, saying it may not hit a new all-time high until 2027. By contrast, he is bullish on XRP, predicting it could reach about $5 in 2026 due to growing adoption of the XRP Ledger.

For McClurg, XRP is no longer just on the watchlist; it is now a key player in the next phase of crypto adoption driven by real-world utility.