TL;DR:
- Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says advisors value XRP for longevity and understandable financial use cases rather than price appreciation alone.
- XRP ETF net assets reached $1.77 billion on September 25 after rising roughly 80% during Q3, with 11 consecutive weeks of inflows.
- Bitwise leads with $677 million in cumulative inflows, while expanding regulated access gives advisors a familiar structure for XRP exposure without requiring direct custody across client portfolios today.
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says financial advisors are buying XRP for reasons beyond short-term price performance. In a Token Relations discussion, Hougan pointed to XRP’s longevity and financial use cases advisors understand. The institutional appeal rests on confidence that XRP will remain relevant and on applications tied to payments, liquidity and stablecoins. His comments come as XRP ETFs continue attracting capital despite the token trading below its all-time high.
XRP ETFs net assets have grown 80% throughout Q3 to an all-time high of $1.77B.@Matt_Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at @Bitwise, on what's driving institutional demand for $XRP:
"XRP appeals for very simple reasons … One is that [financial advisors] are confident it's not… pic.twitter.com/7YXqVPpOj2
— Token Relations (@TokenRelations) September 28, 2026
XRP’s Longevity Helps Advisors Get Comfortable
Hougan described XRP as one of crypto’s established assets, arguing that its operating history gives advisors confidence that it will persist. That durability can matter when deciding whether XRP belongs in a client portfolio. XRP’s track record reduces uncertainty for advisors who question whether newer crypto assets will still exist years from now. That institutional comfort is visible in the growth of regulated XRP ETF exposure across the U.S. market.
The second factor is practical familiarity. Hougan said advisors can connect XRP with real-world applications they follow, including stablecoins, cross-currency transfers and liquidity infrastructure. Ripple’s efforts in banking and payments make those themes easier to frame than speculative token narratives. Advisors can evaluate XRP through financial functions they recognize rather than relying only on price appreciation. That demand has supported a three-day institutional buying streak led by Bitwise and Franklin.
The timing is notable because XRP ETF assets rose sharply during Q3. Total net assets reached a record $1.77 billion on September 25, an increase of roughly 80%, while the products extended their inflow streak to 11 consecutive weeks. Bitwise leads with $677 million in cumulative inflows, followed by Franklin at $501 million. The ETF data suggest regulated access is becoming an important channel for XRP demand even when price performance is not the main investment argument. Institutional participation has included large-bank exposure through XRP ETFs.
Bitwise updated the prospectus for its XRP fund on September 28 as the ETF continued issuing shares. The product charges a 0.34% fee and holds XRP with Coinbase Custody. Canary’s XRP ETF added $3.96 million on Monday, taking cumulative inflows across all XRP ETFs to $1.79 billion, although total net assets eased to $1.68 billion. For advisors, the expanding ETF market makes XRP easier to access through familiar structures. Recent Bitwise-led XRP inflows reinforce that shift toward regulated vehicles rather than direct custody.
