XRP Surges in Retail Interest, Outpacing Bitcoin
XRP sees a 490% rise in active addresses, signaling booming retail demand vs Bitcoin’s institutional-driven growth.

- XRP active addresses are up 490% since 2022
- Bitcoin’s address growth lags at just 10%
- Retail investors are fueling XRP’s current momentum
XRP Sees Massive Retail Momentum
A striking shift is emerging in the crypto space — XRP retail demand is soaring. While Bitcoin continues to lead in terms of institutional adoption, XRP has found a new wave of popularity among retail investors this cycle. According to recent data, active XRP addresses have jumped by 490% since the 2022 market low, a staggering contrast to Bitcoin’s modest 10% rise.
This indicates that small, individual investors are increasingly betting on XRP, possibly driven by affordability, optimism around Ripple’s legal clarity, and hopes of major future gains.
Bitcoin and XRP Follow Different Paths
Unlike XRP’s retail-driven surge, Bitcoin’s rally this cycle has been fueled mostly by institutional interest, including ETF inflows and big-money players. This divide showcases how the two assets are carving out separate roles in the broader crypto ecosystem.
Bitcoin continues to be seen as a store of value and a hedge asset, while XRP, with its lower price per token and growing presence in payment solutions, appeals more to speculative retail participants.
$XRP has emerged as a new retail favorite this cycle, diverging from #Bitcoin’s more institutional-driven rally. Since the 2022 cycle low, $XRP active addresses are up +490%, while $BTC has only seen a +10% increase – a sharp signal of speculative retail demand. pic.twitter.com/mGRuktUVXK
— glassnode (@glassnode) April 3, 2025
What This Means for the Market
The sharp rise in XRP retail demand highlights a speculative trend that could influence price volatility. Retail-heavy movements often lead to rapid price swings—both up and down—as smaller investors tend to react strongly to market news and momentum.
While this trend is a bullish signal for XRP’s community engagement, it also means that traders should remain cautious of the emotional trading behavior that often accompanies retail-driven rallies.