Company Bitwise CIO Mr. Matt Hougan Says XRP Was Better Received Than Ethereum

Company Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Mr. Matt Hougan has added a new institutional angle to the ongoing debate around XRP. In a widely shared clip highlighted by Mr. X Finance Bull, Mr. Hougan compared the early reception of XRP ETF flows to those of Ethereum and concluded that XRP was, in the initial phases, better received than Ethereum.

The comment did not focus on specific price targets or market euphoria. Instead, Mr. Hougan emphasized how XRP products attracted significant inflows in a weak market. He pointed to the rapid arrival of liquidity — including a notable $58 million trading day for the Canary Capital ETF on launch — and noted that assets under management (AUM) for XRP products have now surpassed $1 billion, with more than 30 days of net inflows. This pace and scale, he argued, are unusual given the broader market weakness.

Company Bitwise framed the narrative around investor familiarity: according to Mr. Hougan, XRP is a "simple story" that many investors already understand and are "conditioned and ready for." He suggested that these conditions point to long and ongoing demand from institutional players. That institutional presence contrasts sharply with cautious retail participation, a divergence that commentators say could reshape price dynamics when broader sentiment improves.

Mr. X Finance Bull used the clip to argue that price weakness may be a trap: institutions have been positioning privately while retail remains "shaken." Whale movement in the XRP ecosystem has supported the thesis of institutional accumulation, and observers point to large addresses moving significant balances as corroborating evidence.

From an analysis perspective, the implications are multifold. First, early institutional flows typically reduce the volatility associated with purely retail-driven pumps and dumps, potentially creating more stable support levels. Second, if flows continue and ETFs broaden distribution, price discovery may happen in stages rather than in speculative spikes. Third, the comparison to Ethereum underscores how product structure, market timing, and investor familiarity can materially alter ETF reception.

However, several caveats remain. Institutional inflows do not guarantee uninterrupted price appreciation: macro conditions, regulatory developments, and liquidity dynamics still matter. Company Bitwise itself noted that stronger market conditions would likely have amplified performance, implying current results are impressive primarily because they occurred in a down market. Finally, commentary from Mr. Hougan and amplification from voices like Mr. X Finance Bull and Company Times Tabloid should not be treated as investment advice.

What traders and analysts should watch next: continued net ETF inflows, movement of large XRP holders (whales), shifts in retail on-chain activity, and any regulatory clarifications that could affect institutional adoption. If inflows persist, existing technical resistance levels could be revisited with greater conviction from professional desks, turning perceived price weakness into an opportunity for those who monitor flows rather than short-term sentiment.