The price of Ripple (XRP) has recently shown a clear upward trend, drawing market attention. Based on CoinMarketCap data, it briefly exceeded $1.18 on the morning of the day. The market analyzes that investment funds are flowing into major altcoins, and expectations for the expansion of Ripple's payment business, increased use of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and positive changes in the regulatory environment are boosting investor sentiment.

According to the overseas crypto media outlet Coingape, the overall upward trend in the virtual asset market has led to new buying interest in major coins. In recent trading, the total market capitalization of the virtual asset market increased by 0.86% to reach $2.18 trillion. Bitcoin encountered some selling pressure after surpassing $62,000, and Ethereum is also showing a trend of searching for direction after hovering above the $1,700 mark. Solana, Dogecoin, and Cardano also rebounded slightly.

Coingape cited expectations for monetary policy easing due to weak U.S. employment data as the background for this rally. New jobs in June totaled 57,000, significantly below the market forecast of 110,000, continuing the slowed growth trend seen in May (129,000 new jobs). However, the unemployment rate came in at 4.2%, lower than the market expectation of 4.3%.

■ XRP Investors Focus on Progress of the CLARITY Act According to Coingape, the regulatory issue currently drawing the most attention from XRP investors is the U.S. Senate's CLARITY Act. The bill is evaluated as one that could influence the classification method for digital assets. In particular, as interest has reignited regarding the classification of 'Digital Commodities' by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), XRP, which is explicitly included in this category, is analyzed to have benefited. It was reported that expectations that this classification could become the standard for the digital asset regulatory framework have promoted the movement of funds into altcoins across the board.

■ Fund Inflows and Key Figure Investment Trends Fund flows are also improving. According to Coingape, XRP-related funds saw a net inflow of $6.55 million in a single day, bringing the cumulative net inflow to $1.49 billion. As of July 2 (local time), the net assets stood at $987.91 million.

Capital inflows have also resumed in spot Bitcoin ETFs, improving market sentiment. On July 2, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a daily net inflow of $221.72 million, ending a 10-day consecutive net outflow streak. The cumulative net inflow stands at $51.08 billion, and spot Ethereum ETFs also saw a net inflow of $29.08 million. These trends have fueled expectations that institutional investment demand for major virtual assets will grow, along with spreading anticipation for an XRP ETF.

Meanwhile, the investment by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen in the American Perpetuals Exchange Corporation is also being revisited. Coingape reported that the company was founded by the son of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Coingape predicted that XRP's next move will ultimately depend on the progress of the CLARITY Act in the U.S. Senate. It added that if a clearer regulatory framework is established, it could serve as a key factor in boosting investor confidence.

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