XRP Price Analysis: Navigating the Crossroads of Legal Resolutions and Market Trends
XRP at $2.17 – Is Now the Right Time to Buy for Long-Term Gains?
Ripple’s native token, XRP-USD, currently trading at $2.17, faces an interesting phase in its journey towards potentially higher valuations. Despite facing a range of challenges in 2025, including regulatory hurdles and network slowdowns, XRP remains a focal point for investors eyeing the future of cross-border payments and decentralized finance (DeFi). This article explores the current price of XRP, its future growth trajectory, the legal developments surrounding Ripple, and what the data tells us about its potential in the coming years.
Ripple’s Strategic Expansion and Legal Settlements: A Game Changer for XRP
Ripple’s ongoing expansion strategy and recent legal victories have shifted investor sentiment, creating potential for future price appreciation in XRP. One of the most significant recent developments is Ripple's resolution of its long-standing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). With the SEC dropping its appeal, Ripple is now positioned to operate with more confidence, setting the stage for increased institutional adoption of XRP.
Beyond the SEC case, Ripple made headlines with its $1.25 billion acquisition of the brokerage firm Hidden Road. The integration of Hidden Road’s infrastructure into the XRP Ledger could significantly boost the adoption of Ripple’s products in the DeFi space, further enhancing XRP's relevance. Additionally, Ripple’s launch of its stablecoin, RLUSD, could fuel further XRP adoption as it seeks to establish itself as a serious competitor to USDT and USDC.
XRP Price Predictions: Can Ripple Reach $100?
As of now, XRP-USD is priced at $2.17, but some analysts and community members predict a much higher price point in the future. One particularly bold claim comes from a Reddit user, who suggests XRP could hit $100, given the increasing institutional adoption of the token for cross-border payments. If XRP were to facilitate $5 trillion in daily transactions, with its current circulating supply of approximately 50 billion tokens, its price could theoretically reach $100 per token.
However, the feasibility of this projection remains highly speculative. Reaching such a price point would require a market capitalization of $5 trillion, which is far beyond the current $124 billion market cap. While this may be an ambitious forecast, it does highlight the potential XRP has as a "utility token" in the rapidly evolving world of global finance.
XRP's Network Activity: A Key Indicator for Future Growth
Despite the bullish optimism surrounding XRP, its network activity has shown signs of slowing down. On-chain data reveals that daily active addresses on the XRP Ledger have dropped significantly since their peak in March 2025, when 612,000 daily active addresses were recorded. By April and May, this number had fallen drastically to around 40,000 addresses, suggesting a decline in user engagement and potentially signaling a lack of short-term confidence in the token.
However, whale activity tells a different story. Large holders, defined as those holding between 10 million and 1 billion XRP tokens, have been steadily accumulating the asset. Since early April, whale ownership of XRP has increased, with holders in this category now controlling 26.7% of the total XRP supply, up from 25.3% in April. This accumulation by whales often signals bullish sentiment, suggesting that large investors are positioning themselves for an eventual breakout.
Technical Analysis: Where Does XRP Go from Here?
The current price of XRP has faced resistance near the $2.36 level, and it continues to struggle to break through key Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), including the 50, 100, and 200 EMAs. Despite this, bulls are attempting a trend reversal, with the price holding above short-term support at $2.10. Should XRP manage to break above the $2.36 resistance level, a rally towards $3.00 is conceivable.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) currently sits at 43.30, signaling that selling pressure remains but could ease if the price continues to stabilize. A significant resistance point remains at the $3.00 mark, and overcoming this level could signal a stronger bullish movement for XRP-USD in the medium term.
Additionally, the ongoing decrease in network activity could hinder XRP's growth potential in the short term. Reduced transaction volume weakens liquidity and buying pressure, potentially stalling any immediate price advancements. However, if Ripple’s legal resolution leads to increased institutional involvement, XRP could see an uptick in use, directly affecting its price.
Growth Scenarios: What’s Next for XRP?
Looking ahead, the potential price range for XRP by 2026 is subject to a mix of factors. Analysts project a wide range of possibilities for XRP's future value, with Blockchain Crypto forecasting a price between $4 and $7.50 by 2026, which would represent a significant increase from its current price of $2.17. Some even predict an average estimate of $8.64, bringing the total value of 2,500 XRP tokens to $21,600 by 2026.
If Ripple continues its strategic expansion, particularly within DeFi and institutional partnerships, the potential for XRP to reach a price range between $16.92 and $26.97 could become a reality. Under these optimistic scenarios, a $5,375 investment in XRP at today’s price could grow to between $42,300 and $67,425.
However, XRP faces real competition from other blockchain technologies like Stellar (XLM), Algorand (ALGO), Solana (SOL), and the rise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). These factors must be considered when evaluating XRP’s growth prospects in the long term.
Institutional Adoption: Will $100 XRP Ever Happen?
For those holding XRP in the hope that it will one day reach the $100 mark, it is important to evaluate the barriers to this outcome. While some believe that the widespread adoption of XRP by financial institutions will drive the price to unprecedented levels, others caution that such a high valuation would require a market capitalization that exceeds that of major tech giants like Apple and Microsoft combined. This seems unlikely in the short term, given that XRP would need to experience a 50X rally from its current $2.17 price to reach $100.
Nonetheless, Ripple’s strategic partnerships and innovations in the financial sector, such as its growing role in cross-border payments and DeFi, could drive XRP to new highs. While the path to $100 may seem improbable today, XRP's future potential remains tied to Ripple's ability to secure further institutional adoption and maintain its position as a leader in cross-border financial solutions.
XRP is at a crossroads, balancing between its current price level of $2.17 and the potential for future gains. While optimistic projections of $100 per token seem unlikely in the near future, the ongoing developments within Ripple and XRP's key role in cross-border payments keep investors intrigued. With whale accumulation, ongoing network activity, and the potential for future institutional adoption, XRP’s price could experience significant growth, particularly if Ripple continues to expand its use cases and maintain momentum in the evolving financial landscape.
As of now, XRP holds the potential for medium-term growth, with predictions suggesting a possible price range of $3 to $8 by 2026. However, the road to these price levels may be bumpy, with short-term volatility and market conditions that could shift rapidly. Investors should remain cautious but optimistic, keeping a close eye on both Ripple’s developments and broader market trends.
