Pundit Foresees Major Institutional Shift Toward XRP Beyond Bitcoin and Ether

Popular XRP advocate and author of “3 Steps to Quantum Wealth” Linda P. Jones believes that institutions will expand their crypto investments beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum to include XRP ETFs. Her stance comes amid increasing institutional interest in XRP, as evidenced by a growing number of ETF filings.

Notably, the discussion gained traction on Tuesday when prominent crypto analyst Scott Melker expressed skepticism about demand for new crypto ETFs. “I’m perfectly happy that the industry is in a position to file for endless ETFs, but doubt anyone is going to actually buy them anytime soon. Except Bitcoin, of course.” He stated.

Jones swiftly dismissed this notion, asserting that institutions will not focus solely on Bitcoin and Ethereum, tweeting, “Hilarious! Institutions will diversify out of Bitcoin/ETH only and add XRP ETFs to their portfolio.”

In a follow-up tweet, the wealth mentor elaborated on her position, emphasizing that financial firms file ETF requests with the SEC based on anticipated demand. She pointed out that XRP’s standing as the top U.S. cryptocurrency could lead to preferential tax treatment. Additionally, she noted that large firms introduce financial products based on their profitability projections, reinforcing that demand for XRP ETFs is real and substantial.

“Investors will naturally want to own XRP and may decide to divest (all or in part) from other crypto ETFs and buy XRP, especially if preferential tax treatment, such as no tax on U.S. crypto, is passed.” She added.

The debate comes on the heals of a major development, with Franklin Templeton, a $1.53 trillion asset manager, filing for an XRP ETF on the same day.

This filing adds to a growing list of applications from other major asset managers, bringing the total number of prospective XRP ETFs to 15, the highest for any crypto asset. Bitcoin has 11 ETF filings, while Ethereum trails with just 8. This surge in ETF filings has fueled speculation that institutional demand for XRP investment products is significant. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan echoed this sentiment last month, affirming strong demand for XRP-related investment vehicles.

However, amid the excitement surrounding XRP ETFs, skepticism persists. Some critics have argued that many newly filed ETFs might not see significant investor interest upon approval. This assertion aligns with Ethereum’s ETF performance, which has struggled since its launch in July 2024. While Bitcoin ETFs have recorded $35.4 billion in cumulative net inflows since January 2024, Ethereum ETFs have only seen $2.63 billion.

However, Jones remains confident that institutions will shift from a Bitcoin- and Ethereum-centric approach to include XRP ETFs. Notably, XRP has outperformed Bitcoin by 212% since November and has gained nearly 250% against Ethereum in the same period, making it a compelling investment.

The surge in XRP ETF interest comes as the SEC extends its review deadline for several spot ETF applications, including those for XRP, Solana, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.