Ripple Price Prediction 2026: Can XRP Recover as Market Cap Dips Below $116 Billion?

• Ripple (XRP): A Battle for Momentum
• Mutuum Finance (MUTM): The New Contender
• Why MUTM Is Compared to Early-Stage XRP
• Roadmap and Participation Drivers
• FAQs

Ripple (XRP), one of the most well-known digital payment assets, has been in the market for nearly a decade. However, as we approach 2026, analysts are questioning whether its valuation profile offers enough room for significant growth. With XRP hovering around the $116 billion market cap mark, investors are reassessing its long-term return potential and eyeing new competitors entering their valuation cycles. Here’s a deep dive into XRP’s current state, its challenges, and why newcomers like Mutuum Finance (MUTM) are drawing attention.

Ripple (XRP): A Battle for Momentum

Ripple is currently trading NEAR $1.90, with a market cap of approximately $117 billion. Historically, XRP gained traction due to its banking integrations, fast settlement speeds, and regulatory transparency, which propelled it to become a major player in the payments sector. However, the current scenario is different. XRP faces strong resistance between $2.10 and $2.30, a level it has failed to break multiple times without new catalysts.

Analysts from the BTCC team suggest that XRP’s massive valuation base may lead to slower, more moderate performance in 2026 and 2027. Most long-term forecasts predict gains of only 15% to 35% during this period, reflecting a cautious outlook. This trend highlights a shift toward newer, smaller-cap tokens like Mutuum Finance, which are still in their early growth phases.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM): The New Contender

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is attracting former XRP investors with its decentralized lending protocol. The project features two markets: a pooled lending market and a direct match market. In the pooled market, lenders provide assets and receive mtTokens representing their stake and earned interest. Borrowers access liquidity by collateralizing assets at specific loan-to-value ratios. The direct match market operates similarly but without shared liquidity.

Launched in 2025, MUTM’s initial token price was $0.01. Now in Phase 7, the token trades at $0.04, with $19.9 million raised and 18,900 participants onboarded. Of the total 4 billion token supply, 830 million have been sold, and 45.5% (1.82 billion tokens) are available for early access. The launch price is set at $0.06, offering a 500% return for Phase 1 participants.

Why MUTM Is Compared to Early-Stage XRP

Analysts cite three reasons why Mutuum Finance could follow XRP’s early trajectory:

1. Infrastructure Focus: Both assets prioritize building foundational systems—XRP in institutional payments, MUTM in collateralized lending.
2. Adoption Before Speculation: XRP’s breakthrough came with bank integrations; MUTM’s pivotal moment will be its Version 1 (V1) launch, revealing loan data and APY metrics.
3. Structured Token Models: XRP’s fixed supply model contrasts with MUTM’s phased distribution, but both avoid inflationary mechanics.

Roadmap and Participation Drivers

Phase 7 is gaining momentum, with a recent $115,000 allocation by a major investor signaling growing institutional interest. Security audits by Halborn Security (score: 90/100 on CertiK’s Token Scan) and user-friendly tools like credit card payments and a 24-hour contributor ranking (with $500 MUTM daily rewards) are boosting participation.

For investors seeking 2026 opportunities, MUTM’s pre-V1 stage offers a contrast to XRP’s mature lifecycle. As one BTCC analyst noted, “Tokens like MUTM, which are yet to hit their utility cycle peak, often mirror XRP’s early asymmetric upside.”