Tracking the flows into and out of crypto ETFs is one way to track which cryptocurrencies could be gaining favor with investors.
Spot XRP ETFs are still seeing inflows, while spot Bitcoin ETFs are struggling with outflows.
While inflows to the XRP ETFs have been less than originally promised, they could signal a near-term rally.
On the surface, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) might appear to be one of the worst possible cryptocurrency investments you could make right now. It's down more than 70% from its high last summer. Once you've seen XRP's one-year chart, you won't be able to unsee it -- it looks like XRP is rolling down a mountain.
But here's the thing: money continues to flow into the new spot XRP ETFs, bucking an industrywide trend. While money is flowing out of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), it's flowing into XRP. So does that make XRP the best cryptocurrency you can buy right now?
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One of the most closely watched indicators within the crypto market is the flow of money into and out of the spot crypto ETFs. This might sound simplistic, but if money is flowing into them, it's a positive indicator. And if money is flowing out of them, it's a negative indicator.
That's why the new spot XRP ETFs excited investors when they first launched last year. Money was pouring into them, and there was a long streak of consecutive days when the spot XRP ETFs recorded only positive inflows.
And even now, amid a major downturn in the crypto market, money continues to flow into them, albeit at a slower pace. Using CoinGlass data, you can get a very granular look at what's happening. The big winner of late has been the Bitwise XRP ETF (NYSEMKT: XRP), which has seen positive inflows for much of June.
That comes amid money flowing out of the Bitcoin ETFs. There has been much hand-wringing about what all this means. The most likely narrative is that investors are moving money out of crypto and into artificial intelligence (AI) in search of higher returns.
While it's definitely a positive that money is still flowing into XRP, is it "too little, too late"? Even with money flowing in, the price of XRP continues to fall. Weren't the new spot ETFs supposed to provide a safe floor for XRP's price? That doesn't seem to be the case, given that XRP is dangerously close to falling under $1.
The reason could be that the amount of money that has actually flowed into XRP is much lower than originally promised. Remember back in early 2025? JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) predicted then that as much as $8 billion might flow into these spot XRP ETFs. Right now, the total assets under management (AUM) are still under $1 billion.
As for me, I'm monitoring the crypto ETF situation. If money continues to flow into XRP, that is likely a bullish indicator. It could signal that the bottom is already in, and that XRP is ready to skyrocket higher.
Over the next 12 months, XRP could easily make a run at the $4 price level, as it did twice last year. If it does that, it would likely outpace the returns of any other major cryptocurrency.
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JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, JPMorgan Chase, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.