New reports from Politico suggest that the inclusion of XRP in the cryptocurrency reserve proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump may not have been his idea. According to emerging sources, lobbyist Brian Ballard allegedly influenced Trump behind the scenes to include XRP in the plan.
Is Trump Misunderstanding XRP?
In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the President's Task Force on Digital Asset Markets. On March 2, he announced via Truth Social that XRP, Solana, Cardano, Ethereum, and Bitcoin would be part of the official U.S. Cryptocurrency Strategic Reserve Fund.
A few days later, on March 6, Trump issued another executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve fund and a U.S. digital asset reserve for several altcoins. However, current reports suggest that XRP was not initially part of Trump's plan and was added due to Ballard's lobbying efforts.
Ripple's Lobbying Scandal: What's Noteworthy?
Political insiders accuse Brian Ballard, a prominent lobbyist, of using his close relationship with Ripple to influence this decision. Documents reveal Ballard received at least $60,000 from Ripple in 2024. This move has sparked widespread speculation in both the political and cryptocurrency circles.
While the White House has yet to comment, sources indicate that Trump severed ties with Ballard after realizing he had been duped.
Will XRP Be Excluded From the Strategic Reserve Fund?
Experts believe that although Trump is said to be unhappy about the situation, he is unlikely to eliminate XRP immediately. The President still maintains a close relationship with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who is a major donor to Trump's campaign and inauguration fund.
XRP Price Performance in 2025
January: +46%
February: -29.3%
March: -2.52%
April: +4.98%
May (so far): +5.33% to $2.31
30-day growth: +2.1%
Surge in 24 hours: +6.3%
Despite the politically unstable situation, XRP continues to trade in an upward direction, indicating that market confidence remains intact, at least for the time being.
