Michael Arrington doesn’t usually post for noise. So when he casually dropped that XRP is one of his largest crypto positions, people paid attention. Not because it was flashy. But because it was specific.
In a recent social post, the TechCrunch and CrunchBase founder listed his top five crypto holdings by dollar value: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Immutable, and XRP. That single line reignited a familiar question in crypto circles: who’s actually backing what… and why?
Tell me your top five crypto holdings (by total dollar value).
— Michael Arrington 🏴☠️ (@arrington) December 13, 2025
Mine are XRP, BTC, ETH and IMX
Why Arrington’s XRP Call Matters
Let’s be clear. One portfolio doesn’t move the market.
But Arrington isn’t just another retail investor. He’s been in tech and crypto for years. When he names XRP alongside BTC and ETH, it signals conviction not curiosity.
The response online was instant. Some applauded the diversification. Others doubled down on Bitcoin-only views. A few warned against reading too much into one person’s holdings.
That’s crypto in a nutshell.
Still, Arrington wasn’t alone. Industry voices like Tony Edward chimed in with similar “core portfolio” mixes that also included XRP. The conversation spread fast.
This Isn’t Just Talk: here’s Capital Behind It
Here’s the part many people missed.
Arrington’s interest in XRP isn’t theoretical. In October, Arrington Capital joined Ripple and SBI Holdings to back an Evernorth-led initiative focused on building a large institutional XRP treasury.
The goal?
Push real institutional usage of XRP.
Support on-ledger activity like DeFi and lending.
Bring regulated capital into the ecosystem.
That changes the context.
Arrington isn’t just holding XRP. He’s involved in efforts that could shape how institutions actually use it.
XRP’s Price: Choppy, But Watched Closely
Price-wise, XRP has had a mixed year.
As of December 16, 2025, it was trading around $1.98, moving in a tight $2.00–$2.20 range. A small bounce earlier in the week helped it recover from early-December weakness.
Zoom out, and the story gets louder.
XRP hit a yearly high near $3.65 in July, then pulled back. Volatile? Yes. Ignored? Not even close.
On the institutional side, interest is growing. CME-listed XRP futures reportedly hit a record $3 billion in open interest in October 2025. That’s not retail hype. That’s regulated money looking for exposure.
About That Old Performance Claim…
Earlier this year, Arrington tweeted that XRP was the best-performing major crypto asset across several time frames from 90 days to three years.
That statement doesn’t hold anymore.
Markets move. Rankings change. The data shifted, and newer performance leaders have taken the spotlight. Arrington hasn’t doubled down on that claim since and that’s fine.
The takeaway isn’t past performance.
It’s positioning.
The Bigger Picture
Arrington naming XRP as a top holding doesn’t mean everyone should buy it. That’s not how smart investing works.
What it does show is this:
XRP continues to sit in the portfolios and plans of serious players.
And in crypto, attention plus capital usually means one thing.
Something is still being built.
