SUI and XRP Price Surge as Traders Rotate from BTC USD to Altcoins

Ben Graham · Terço em 13:57

SUI and XRP price have surged over the past seven days, with double-digit gains since the beginning of January, as fresh capital continues to flow into altcoins while Bitcoin remains above $92,500. The total crypto market cap added just over $250Bn in less than a week, since 2026 began.

According to CoinGecko, over the week, SUI is up about +31%, and XRP XRP $2.25 4.08% XRP XRP Price $2.25 4.08% /24h Volume in 24h $5.30B Price 7d Learn more is up about +21%, surpassing Bitcoin’s +5% gain in the same period. This move comes as traders shift from a Bitcoin-only mindset toward higher-risk altcoins, trying to front-run what many analysts believe is an upcoming ‘altcoin season’.

XRP, in particular, is gearing up for an explosive 2026, after CNBC called it the “hottest crypto trade of the year” and the “breakout investment of 2026” yesterday (January 6).

CNBC says the hottest crypto trade of 2026 is $XRP

"There is big money behind this trade" pic.twitter.com/M1H67WttR9

— Altcoin Daily (@AltcoinDaily) January 6, 2026

Why are SUI and XRP Price Suddenly Outperforming the Rest of the Market?

Bitcoin BTC $92,086.01 0.94% Bitcoin BTC Price $92,086.01 0.94% /24h Volume in 24h $47.97B Price 7d Learn more has shown strong resilience and a modest bounce after falling to $85,000 at the end of 2025, and is now up around 10% from there, currently trading above $92,500, prompting some traders to take profits and seek further upside in altcoins.

That rotation has lifted coins like Sui SUI $1.93 4.39% Sui SUI Price $1.93 4.39% /24h Volume in 24h $1.48B Price 7d Learn more and XRP faster, as investors seek out promising major-cap tokens with smaller market caps than Bitcoin in search of bigger gains. So far, that play is working out, as both SUI and XRP price are up around 3-4x more than BTC USD since the beginning of 2026.

Sui is a newer Layer-1 blockchain that launched in 2023 and can be thought of as another protocol similar to Solana or Avalanche. It focuses on speed, user experience, and privacy.

Developers recently pushed a significant upgrade: the Beluga Consensus Improvement, which is designed to process more transactions more efficiently, according to OKX. That mix of tech progress and hype around high-throughput chains heading into 2026 gives traders a clear story to buy into.

XRP’s story looks different but just as powerful. XRP targets cross-border payments, aiming to be a faster, cheaper alternative to SWIFT for banks and payment providers. Daily XRP Ledger transactions often exceed 900,000, indicating that people actually use the network, not just trade the token, according to Ainvest.

Additionally, XRP spot ETFs remain a popular investment choice among retail investors, attracting over $1.15Bn in inflows since their launch in November 2025, according to CoinGlass data.

If you want more detail on the XRP story, we covered its ETF-driven momentum in XRP ETFs Pull in $1.2B as Bitcoin, Ethereum Funds Cool, and its recent chart signals in XRP Price Nears First “Golden Cross” in 2026. For Sui’s institutional angle, check our coverage of ETF interest in Bitwise Files For 11 New Crypto ETFs, Including Uniswap, Sui, Near.

DISCOVER: 11 New and Upcoming Binance Listings in 2026

Does This Mean Altcoin Season Has Started for Real after a False Start in 2025?

(SOURCE:BlockchainCenter.net)

Short answer: not yet, but the pieces are lining up. The Altcoin Season Index now tilts toward a more pro-altcoin environment, according to BlockchainCenter.net, and meme coins and AI tokens already reacted first, with some AI names like Render posting +80% weekly gains. That behavior indicates traders feel more comfortable with risk again.

We also see a classic rotation pattern. Bitcoin runs first. Then, large-cap altcoins like XRP price rise, driven by factors such as ETF inflows and CME derivatives. After that, newer Layer-1 chains, such as SUI, and rivals like Solana, Avalanche, and Cardano begin to attract flows as traders bet on the “next big base chain.”

So what does this mean for your wallet today? It shows that money is no longer parked solely in BTC USD. Traders are willing to move into coins with clear stories: payments for XRP, fast smart contracts for Sui, and emerging viral memes such as WHITEWHALE, rather than random small caps with no momentum. That shift can create sharp rallies but also sharp reversals if the narrative cools.

What’s the Smart Way to Play This Without Getting Rekt?

This is the risky part of any potential bullish market cycle. Investors remain nervous after a lackluster 2025 for altcoins, during which a reported $4-5Bn was drained from retail traders via Pump.fun alone.

Now, double-digit daily moves feel great when the candles are green, but those same gains when going down can come just as fast. Prediction markets on Myriad still price only a 17% chance of a full-blown alt season in Q1 2026, so the crowd does not yet agree that this is an easy, straight-line uptrend.

(SOURCE: Myriad)

Beginners should treat the likes of SUI and XRP as beta plays around a core holding of Bitcoin or Ethereum, not as a full-stack investment. Never chase a vertical green candle, and definitely not with money you can’t afford to lose.

Keep position sizing small, use limit orders instead of emotional market buys, and accept that altcoin rotations often end with painful pullbacks, remembering to take profits all the way up to avoid the dreaded ’round trip’.

If you would like more context on how this fits into the broader moves underway, please see our market update in Crypto Market News Today, January 6. If this rotation strengthens and ETF flows remain strong, SUI, XRP, and other significant altcoins may see more action, as the market always tends to favor the patient, not the FOMO-driven.

EXPLORE: The 12+ Hottest Crypto Presales to Buy Right Now

Follow 99Bitcoins on X for the Latest Market Updates and Subscribe on YouTube for Daily Expert Market Analysis

The post SUI and XRP Price Surge as Traders Rotate from BTC USD to Altcoins appeared first on 99Bitcoins.