Emre Yumlu 
XRP has once again moved into the spotlight following the conclusion of the long-running legal dispute between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2025. With regulatory uncertainty largely removed, institutional interest in Ripple has started to take a more concrete shape. Recent remarks from Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg highlight how perceptions around the asset are evolving at the highest levels of the financial industry.
XRP Viewed as Infrastructure, Not a Trade
According to McClurg, XRP should no longer be framed as a short-term speculative instrument. Instead, he argues that its value proposition lies far beyond daily price fluctuations and technical levels followed by retail traders. From an institutional perspective, the central question is whether Ripple can reliably support large-scale transfers of real-world value.
McClurg emphasizes that institutions managing billions of dollars operate under a fundamentally different framework. Rather than focusing on whether Ripple is trading at a single-digit or double-digit price, they assess whether the network can function as a backbone for global financial flows and asset settlement at scale.
A Shift in Wall Street’s Perspective
The Canary Capital CEO notes a clear shift in how Wall Street and global capital markets view XRP. In his assessment, XRP is no longer driven primarily by hype cycles or speculative narratives. Instead, it is increasingly recognized as a financial infrastructure layer designed to move value efficiently across borders and systems.
McClurg suggests that major financial players are no longer debating whether XRP fits their needs. The discussion has shifted toward how quickly and effectively existing systems can be upgraded or adapted to leverage XRP’s capabilities on a large scale.
A $5 Target for XRP by 2026
While McClurg maintains that price targets are no longer the primary focus for institutional investors, he still shared a notable projection. He believes that growing adoption and expanding real-world use cases could support XRP reaching the $5 level by 2026.
He also pointed out that clearer and more comprehensive crypto regulations could accelerate market differentiation. In such an environment, assets with tangible utility and proven adoption, such as XRP, may be positioned to outperform purely speculative tokens.
A More Cautious View on Bitcoin
Despite his optimistic stance on XRP, McClurg adopts a more cautious outlook when it comes to Bitcoin. He has suggested that Bitcoin may struggle to reach a new all-time high before 2027.
Overall, McClurg’s commentary reflects a broader, usage-driven approach to evaluating crypto assets, focusing less on short-term price action and more on long-term structural relevance within the global financial system.
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