Top Crypto Picks for January 17, 2026: XRP, Shiba Inu, and Bonk in the Spotlight

Digital asset markets surge as three contenders defy traditional finance's sluggish pace.

XRP's Legal Clarity Fuels Institutional Adoption

Ripple's landmark resolution with regulators removed the compliance overhang that plagued XRP for years. Now, payment corridors and treasury solutions are integrating the token at a pace that makes legacy SWIFT transfers look like medieval messengers. The network's settlement speed—under four seconds—isn't just fast; it's an indictment of the three-to-five-day waits still common in cross-border fiat.

Shiba Inu's Layer-2 Gambit Pays Off

Shibarium isn't just a meme anymore. The Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution has slashed transaction costs for the SHIB ecosystem by over 90%, funneling real utility toward decentralized applications and burning mechanisms. The community-driven project now processes millions of transactions monthly—a volume that would give a traditional clearinghouse a nervous breakdown.

Bonk's Solana Synergy Drives Retail Frenzy

As Solana's blockchain throughput hits new peaks, its premier meme coin, Bonk, rides the wave. Integration across hundreds of Solana-based applications has transformed it from a joke into a de facto community token with measurable utility in NFTs and gaming. Its volatility still makes a rollercoaster seem tame, but try getting that kind of yield from a savings account offering a pathetic 0.5% APY.

While Wall Street analysts debate quarterly earnings, these assets operate on internet time—where adoption metrics and network effects trump price-to-earnings ratios every time. The old guard calls it speculation; the on-chain data calls it a migration.

XRP (XRP): Payments-Focused Blockchain Eyes New Q1 Breakout

With a market cap exceeding $125 billion, Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) remains the largest cryptocurrency purpose-built for cross-border payments, offering rapid settlement times and very low transaction fees.

Ripple designed the XRP Ledger (XRPL) primarily for banks and financial institutions, positioning itself as a faster and more cost-efficient alternative to SWIFT, which can be slow and expensive.

Ripple’s underlying technology has also come up on the radars of organizations such as the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the WHITE House, underscoring its increasing relevance.

XRP surged to an all-time high of $3.65 in mid-2025 after Ripple resolved its long-running legal battle with the SEC. Since then, the token has declined roughly 43% amid a broader crypto downturn and is now trading near $2.06 after gaining 9% in the last fortnight.

One recent game changer was the debut of multiple spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), giving traditional investors a regulated pathway into the asset.

Additional ETF approvals, alongside a more favorable macro backdrop, could drive XRP toward $5 by Q2. A MOVE toward $10 later in the year is possible if supported by regulatory progress, positive macro signals, and continued expansion of the Ripple ecosystem.

Shiba Inu (SHIB): From Meme Origins to a High Utility Network

Introduced in August 2020, shiba inu ($SHIB) has grown into the second-largest meme coin, with a market capitalization around $5 billion.

Supported by a vast community and an expanding range of products, SHIB is increasingly viewed as a blue-chip altcoin contender rather than a purely-for-entertainment meme coin. At the time of writing, it trades around $0.0000084.

Breaking above the sticky $0.000022 resistance level could set the stage for a move toward $0.00003 by March. In a sustained bullish scenario, SHIB could even finish the quarter NEAR $0.00005.

Shiba Inu’s utility is more than just a sales pitch. Shibarium, its Ethereum-based Layer-2 solution, reduces fees and enhances scalability. Additional privacy features and upcoming upgrades further reinforce SHIB’s transition from meme culture to a broader blockchain ecosystem.

Bonk (BONK): Solana’s Meme Coin on the Rise

Bonk ($BONK), a dog-themed meme coin native to Solana, launched on December 25, 2022, triggering a holiday surge that pushed solana ($SOL) up 34% in just two days and firmly established BONK as a key player within the ecosystem.

Now trading at $0.00001077 with a market cap near $1 billion, it is one of the largest meme coins on Solana and is close to flipping the OFFICIAL TRUMP ($TRUMP) token as the network’s flagship meme coin.

Beyond speculation, BONK is actively used across Solana DeFi for tipping, micropayments, and NFT collateral.

A falling wedge formation between late November and mid-March anticipated BONK’s July rally, during which it peaked at $0.00003906 before retracing alongside the broader meme coin market.

Although still roughly 80% below its November 2024 all-time high of $0.00005825, renewed market momentum could see it set a new ATH by spring.

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER): It Looks Like a Meme Coin; It’s Really a High-Performance Bitcoin Upgrade

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a bitcoin Layer-2 initiative that pairs playful visuals with serious technical ambitions, delivering faster transactions, lower fees, and advanced smart contract functionality on Bitcoin.

Powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), Bitcoin Hyper incorporates decentralized governance and a Canonical Bridge that enables seamless cross-chain transfers involving Bitcoin.

The project’s presale has already raised approximately $30.7 million, and market watchers anticipate 10x to 100x upside once the token lists on exchanges. A recent Coinsult audit reported no critical vulnerabilities in the smart contract.

The HYPER token plays multiple roles within the ecosystem, including payment of transaction fees, governance voting, and staking rewards.

Early presale participants can currently earn staking yields of up to 38% APY, although returns are expected to decline as the staking pool expands.

With a full rollout planned for 2026, Bitcoin Hyper is an onramp for both long-term Bitcoin maxis and newcomers alike into the next evolution of the Bitcoin network.

Visit the official presale website or follow Bitcoin Hyper on X and Telegram for more information.