XRP futures have reached a major milestone, becoming the quickest derivative product to hit $1 billion in open interest on the prestigious CME Group exchange. This achievement not only highlights a surge in institutional participation but also positions XRP alongside stalwarts like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) in the ‘billion-dollar club.’

Institutional Confidence Builds Around XRP

This record-setting growth was confirmed by the CME Group, a top-rated exchange by Forbes, which recently disclosed that its crypto futures portfolio had surpassed $30 billion in total notional open interest. Bitcoin continues to dominate that total with more than $16 billion, followed by Ethereum at $10.5 billion. Both Solana and XRP have exceeded $1 billion, but XRP’s rapid pace of growth is now in the spotlight.

Respected derivatives analyst SonOfaRichard remarked that reaching $1 billion is a defining moment for market maturity. At that level, trading spreads compress and institutional risk desks start treating the contract with greater legitimacy—on par with BTC and ETH. According to him, XRP’s ascent wasn’t gradual; rather, it reflects strong immediate allocations by major players, pointing to more robust derivatives markets and even potential ETF developments ahead.

Institutional adoption continues to grow as XRP hits new milestones on CME’s futures platform.

Ripple’s Innovation Strategy Deepens XRP Ecosystem

This market confidence coincides with Ripple’s ongoing efforts to expand XRP’s utility. In a strategic alliance with Gemini, the company introduced a new XRP-based credit card that integrates the RLUSD stablecoin. This follows Ripple’s earlier backing of Gemini’s IPO initiatives and underscores its continued push to grow real-world applications in payments and tokenization sectors.

These collaborative efforts show that Ripple isn’t simply relying on trading momentum. Instead, it is building financial infrastructure around the XRP token that could further cement its relevance in decentralized finance and payment systems.

Price Momentum Falls Behind Derivatives Surge

While open interest grows, the actual price of XRP has not followed suit. At the time of writing, XRP is hovering around $2.92, showing a mild daily decrease of 0.8% and a 3.1% weekly drop. Over 30 days, the decline sharpens, amounting to nearly 10%—bringing the asset roughly 20% below its July 18 peak of $3.65.

Despite this pullback, XRP maintains a positive yearly trajectory, up 390% compared to the previous year. However, technical analysts remain cautious. Increased exchange inflows from large wallets suggest ongoing profit-taking, potentially pressuring prices downward in the short term.

Technical analyst Duo Nine recently warned of a descending triangle pattern forming on the charts. If XRP fails to reclaim the $3 level convincingly, it could retreat toward a key support zone around $2.70—fueling short-term bearish sentiment.

Related: XRP Price: $12M Max Pain for Bears

While price performance remains mixed, institutional confidence through CME futures suggests that XRP is earning more legitimacy in professional trading circles. Combined with Ripple’s aggressive strategic expansion, the future may see XRP evolve into a major player across both retail and institutional markets.