Despite weak market conditions, XRP has strengthened its utility case, earning praise from one of its longtime critics.
Peter Brandt, a legendary trader with more than five decades of trading experience, made the remarks during a recent appearance.
When asked by Ran Neuner, founder of Crypto Banter, which cryptocurrencies are best positioned to become widely used for transactions, Brandt pointed to XRP, Solana, and Ethereum.
“If you had a bet on a horse to become transactional, it would probably be XRP, Solana and ETH,” Brandt said.
The comment came as a surprise given he has often been critical of the crypto asset, branding XRP supporters as “uneducated and biased” and predicting its death.
 
Despite his criticism of the community, Brandt has consistently acknowledged XRP’s utility and potential role in global payments, a view reinforced by his latest comments.
Meanwhile, his latest remarks come as activity on the XRP Ledger continues to expand. According to data highlighted by crypto analytics firm Messari, the network processed an average of 2.48 million transactions per day during the first quarter of 2026. The figure represents a 35.3% increase over the previous quarter, signaling growing adoption and use of the blockchain.
Remarkably, the surge in network activity occurred while XRP’s market price moved in the opposite direction. The token ended the first quarter at $1.34, down 27.1% from the prior quarter. The divergence between rising on-chain activity and falling price has sparked discussion among analysts about whether utility growth could eventually translate into stronger market performance.
Furthermore, Messari’s latest assessment suggests that XRP’s expanding ecosystem is being driven by increasing institutional interest. The report noted significant growth in several key areas, including tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoins, and decentralized liquidity applications built on the XRP Ledger.
Among the notable developments, the market capitalization of RLUSD on XRPL reportedly grew by 45% to $340 million during the quarter. Meanwhile, the value of tokenized real-world assets on the network climbed 124% to $2.25 billion, making XRPL one of the leading blockchain ecosystems for RWA activity.
Additionally, the report highlighted the impact of ongoing upgrades focused on identity verification, compliance, and privacy features. These enhancements are aimed at attracting institutional participants that require regulatory-friendly infrastructure for blockchain-based financial services.
Meanwhile, despite these milestones, XRP has declined by 67% from its all-time high, amid a consolidation phase around $3.84. Additionally, analyst Crypto Patel noted that the 2w chart shows a second opportunity, with the token targeting $5, $10, and $15.
At press time, XRP was trading at $1.11, reflecting a 4.65% drop in the past 24 hours.
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