In a historic shift, XRP and Solana dethroned Bitcoin and Ethereum as the preferred choice for new institutional capital in 2025, according to year-end data from CoinShares. While Bitcoin saw a 35% decline in new investment compared to 2024, inflows into XRP products surged by 500%, and Solana’s skyrocketed by an astonishing 1,000%.
This pivot signals a major market evolution. Institutions are no longer just buying “crypto” as a singular bet; they are making specific, high-conviction allocations. XRP is seen as a key player in global payments, while Solana represents the high-speed future of blockchain infrastructure.
For young traders, this is a critical insight. The massive capital flow into these “institutional alt majors” creates a powerful tailwind, suggesting their growth is backed by more than just retail hype. It means building a portfolio in 2026 may require looking beyond Bitcoin to include these new, institutionally-endorsed pillars of the digital economy.