The launch of the first XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) has been one of the fastest-growing ETF stories in recent years, according to Teucrium Trading CEO Sal Gilbertie.
In an interview with Zack Rector, Gilberti said he felt it was especially meaningful to bring the first XRP-linked ETF to market given his long background in the commodities and derivatives space. He has been following Bitcoin for years and said XRP is one of the few digital assets he deeply understands, making it a natural choice for an ETF product.
First things first. Gilberti said that in the world of ETFs, initial settings often prevail, especially when combined with strong ticker names. In this case, “XXRP” clearly indicates a double exposure to XRP, allowing XRP to stand out immediately.
$500 million in just 12 weeks
The response exceeded expectations. Mr. Gilberti revealed that the XRP ETF's assets under management exceeded $500 million in just 12 weeks.
To put this into perspective, most ETFs aim to reach $25 million in assets, but only about 1% reach that milestone within a year. Teucrium's XRP ETF reached 20x that level in just three months.
Gilberti credited the XRP community for its rapid growth and said it has one of the most passionate investor bases in the cryptocurrency space.
Why XRP ETFs are still in their infancy
Despite XRP's recent price weakness, Gilberti says the broader ETF story is only just beginning. He said the XRP ETF's cumulative assets are currently around $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, but he believes this is just a fraction of what's possible.
He expects demand to grow further once clearer cryptocurrency regulations are introduced in the United States, particularly legislation focused on defining use cases for digital assets.
In his view, XRP is unique because it serves a real purpose: payments. While he described Bitcoin as “digital gold,” he said assets with clear utility such as XRP, Ethereum and Solana are likely to earn a permanent place in investors' portfolios.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Gilberti said the XRP ETF could raise billions of dollars in its first full year, consistent with predictions from major financial institutions.
So far, he says the success of the first XRP ETF sends a clear message. This means that when traditional finance meets strong cryptocurrency use cases, investor interest may move faster than expected.
