“XRP's inclusion in the presidential crypto strategic reserve was not the original plan.”
As this news circulated in political circles and the crypto community, a discussion about lobbying, power, and policy also unfolded. According to the latest disclosures, Brian Ballard - a well-known lobbyist in Washington, is said to be a key figure in pushing for XRP's inclusion in the U.S. digital asset strategic reserve list.
This controversy reveals the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of President Trump's new administration regarding cryptocurrency policy. According to several political insiders, Trump established the 'Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets' for the first time in a presidential order signed in January this year, paving the way for the U.S. crypto strategic reserve. By March 2, he announced on Truth Social that Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, and XRP would be part of the official crypto strategic reserve.
However, the current rumors of 'behind-the-scenes drivers' cast a shadow of lobbying and interests over this decision. According to public documents, Ballard received at least $60,000 in consulting fees from Ripple in 2024, although the specific use of the funds has not been disclosed. This detail raises speculation: is this funding directly related to XRP's 'selection'?
Once the news broke, it quickly sparked discussions from various parties. Some comments suggest that President Trump may have been 'misled' into making this decision, and media reports indicated that Trump has decided to cut ties with Ballard. However, analysts from the policy circle pointed out that even if there are traces of lobbying, Trump may not necessarily remove XRP from the official reserve list in the short term.
“Once it's in, it's hard to take it out.” said a policy researcher. He believes that from the perspective of the presidential team, withdrawing XRP would send a signal of 'policy instability,' which is exactly the risk the president is unwilling to take.
Meanwhile, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse's connections with the Trump team are also seen as a potential guarantee for XRP to 'stay on the list.' Garlinghouse has previously publicly supported 'constructive regulation' for cryptocurrencies, and XRP, as a cross-border payment infrastructure, is gradually being shaped as a 'digital extension of the dollar payment system.'
The market's 'confidence overflow'
Interestingly, this controversy over lobbying has not weakened XRP's performance in the market. On the contrary, in the past 24 hours, XRP's price surged over 15%, breaking through the critical resistance level of $2.36 and strongly standing at $2.3737. Amid the political noise, the market seems to express another kind of 'confidence' through price.
Analysts generally believe that the deeper driving force behind the rise in XRP's price is the market's expectation of the 'end' of the SEC lawsuit. For the past few years, XRP has been overshadowed by the lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and recent legal developments indicate that the SEC may be preparing to withdraw the remaining charges. This signal has led investors to believe that the uncertainty that has long suppressed XRP's valuation is about to be eliminated.
Ripple's Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz recently published a statement reaffirming XRP's positioning as the foundational asset of a cross-border payment network. He noted that including XRP in the national strategic reserve 'is based on its technological advantages and global use cases, not just price fluctuations.'
This statement is seen as an attempt to reconstruct XRP's public narrative between 'policy-market-technology.' After all, at a higher level, for a digital asset to be included in the 'national reserve,' it requires not only price performance but also the demonstration of long-term value in 'application scenarios,' 'regulatory compliance,' and 'strategic security.'
The intertwining of lobbying, narrative, and reality
On the surface, XRP's 'selection' may have the shadow of lobbying. But at a deeper level, it reflects a larger trend: crypto assets are gradually embedding into the national financial system.
Whether it is New Hampshire allowing 5% of public funds to be allocated to digital assets, Arizona passing a strategic digital asset reserve bill, or the 'official reserve list' at the presidential level, all are sending a clear signal - digital assets are shifting from being 'speculative items' to subjects of 'national asset allocation' discussions.
In this changing process, policy news, capital flow, on-chain data, and institutional trends will all become variables affecting market sentiment. How to accurately obtain information and deeply analyze events between 'narrative-driven' and 'fundamental changes' has become a necessary competitiveness for investors.
This is also why platforms like Mlion.ai, which integrate on-chain data, policy tracking, sentiment analysis, and deep news interpretation, are increasingly relied upon by professional investors. In a noisy market, finding effective 'signals' is key to navigating the narrative cycle.
Written at the end
Did XRP 'unexpectedly make the list' because of lobbying? This controversy may never have a public answer. But what is certain is that regardless of the cause, XRP has entered an unprecedented stage where 'policy and market narratives' intersect.
For investors, this means opportunities, but also risks. The real challenge is to navigate between rapidly changing policies and markets without becoming overly excited or prematurely pessimistic.
Disclaimer: The above content is for informational sharing only and does not constitute any investment advice!