Become a millionaire with XRP?..."Even breaking $5 isn't enough"

▲ XRP

XRP is once again gaining attention, buoyed by institutional investor interest and expectations for a spot XRP ETF, but an analysis suggests it's not easy for small investors to build a $1 million asset in a short period. XRP is an asset whose market capitalization has already grown large, and it has entered a stage where it is difficult to expect a 100-fold increase in a few months, like in the early cryptocurrency cycles.

According to the cryptocurrency media outlet BeInCrypto on May 7, as of May 2026, XRP traded around $1.41, with a market capitalization of approximately $87 billion and a circulating supply exceeding 61.8 billion units. BeInCrypto pointed out that the current market size has completely changed XRP investors' expectations. It explained that the realistic question is no longer whether XRP can rise, but how much capital an investor needs to invest now to reach $1 million by the end of this year.

The calculation results were sobering for small investors. Even if XRP reaches $5, approximately 200,000 XRP would be needed to make $1 million. Based on current prices, this would require an investment of about $282,000. Even if XRP rises to $10, 100,000 XRP would be needed, with the current purchase cost calculated at about $141,000. In the $2.80 scenario suggested by Standard Chartered, approximately 357,000 XRP would be needed, requiring an investment of about $503,000 at current prices.

BeInCrypto analyzed that for small investments of less than $10,000 aiming for $1 million, XRP would need to reach extreme price levels, exceeding $20, or even $50. However, it noted that such forecasts are not included in the mainstream outlooks of banks, analytical platforms, or artificial intelligence models.

The institutional investor narrative was still cited as a key factor supporting the XRP market. The XRP spot ETF recorded net inflows for 13 out of the first 19 weeks of 2026, with cumulative net inflows reaching approximately $157 million this year. According to SoSoValue, assets under management are already around $3.87 billion. Coinbase supported cash-settled trading for XRP futures, and GraniteShares confirmed the launch of a 3x leveraged XRP ETF on Nasdaq. Ripple is also continuously expanding its partnerships related to financial infrastructure and international payments.

However, the expansion of regulated products does not immediately guarantee an explosive rally. Standard Chartered projected XRP's price to be around $2.80 by the end of 2026, and Motley Fool warned of a potential correction to around $1. Artificial intelligence model forecasts were also generally limited. ChatGPT saw XRP at approximately $2.15 in December under medium probability conditions, and Grok suggested a range of $2 to $3.50 depending on ETF growth. Claude considered a scenario of approximately $3.15 possible if the U.S. Federal Reserve lowers interest rates.

BeInCrypto pointed out that for XRP to justify a price above $5, special conditions would be required, such as the final approval of U.S. cryptocurrency market structure legislation, institutional capital inflows significantly exceeding current levels, a rapid recovery of Bitcoin (BTC) to $100,000, and public adoption of XRP by Tier 1 banks. While XRP is still considered an altcoin with a strong institutional investor base in the international financial sector, the conclusion is that it is far from being a lottery-like asset that can instantly turn small investments into large fortunes within 2026.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for investment losses based on it. The content should be interpreted for informational purposes only.*