From January 2024 to June 2025, the currency was affected by$XRP (associated with Ripple) primarily due to legal and regulatory developments and the general market movement. The Ripple case against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dominated the landscape during this period, along with new technological initiatives and international partnerships, while global economic trends also affected the currency's price. We will discuss below the fundamental factors influencing XRP's performance, reviewing expert opinions on its future prospects, based on reliable sources.
Developments in the Ripple case with the SEC
During 2024-2025, the Ripple – SEC file witnessed significant shifts:
• In August 2024, a district court judge ruled that Ripple violated securities laws in institutional sales of XRP, imposing a fine of $125 million.
• The SEC responded by appealing the ruling in October 2024, keeping the case under review.
• In March 2025, Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, announced that the SEC had withdrawn its appeal in the case, describing it as a 'clear victory' for Ripple and the cryptocurrency industry. Thus, the main legal dispute effectively ended.
• In May 2025, the SEC published a statement about a final settlement with Ripple, which included lifting some court orders and returning over $75 million to Ripple, in exchange for Ripple paying a final fine of $50 million. With this agreement, the SEC officially closed the case without further appeal.
This settlement alleviated the legal uncertainty that had hampered XRP for years. Analysts noted that the resolution of the dispute could open the door for XRP's return to U.S. exchanges and enable institutional investments, thereby enhancing confidence in the currency.
New partnerships and uses for XRP
In addition to the legal aspects, Ripple and XRPL continued to expand technologically and deploy XRP in new applications:
• Stablecoins and tokenization (RWA): In December 2024, Ripple launched its dollar-backed stablecoin 'Ripple USD' (RLUSD), which was listed on global platforms such as Uphold and Bitso. It also partnered with Ondo Finance to issue U.S. Treasury bonds tokenized on the XRPL network (OUSG), using RLUSD for the immediate liquidity of these assets.
• Emerging markets and the Middle East: Dubai (DLD) announced in May 2025 a government project for real estate tokenization on the XRPL supported by Ripple, marking the first government real estate tokenization project in the region. Ripple also obtained an official license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in 2025 to provide compliant crypto payment solutions. Similarly, local banks (like Zayed Bank) entered into partnerships with Ripple to enable real-time payment settlement around the clock.
• Institutional investments: XRP attracted unconventional investments, with VivoPower, a U.S. company, announcing in May 2025 that it converted its reserves to XRP in a deal worth $121 million led by a Saudi prince. Ripple also announced its intention to acquire the financial brokerage Hidden Road for $1.25 billion (partially in cash and partly in XRP) to enhance institutional services and connect XRP to traditional capital markets.
These initiatives enhance the use of XRP as part of the new financial infrastructure (such as ODL solutions for instant liquidity) and expand its scope to real assets and institutional finance.
Regulatory policies and general economic conditions
On the regulatory front, there has been a noticeable shift in the positions of regulatory bodies: With the change of U.S. administration in 2025 and expectations for the appointment of a new SEC chair more friendly to cryptocurrencies, the pace of pursuing digital projects has slowed. Industry leaders indicated that a clearer and more supportive regulatory environment – such as the potential approval of investment funds to sell XRP (with an 85% documented likelihood of XRP ETFs emerging in 2025) – would contribute to increased demand for XRP.
General economic factors also played a role in price fluctuations. Rising global interest rates tend to reduce liquidity flowing into high-risk assets like cryptocurrencies, while high inflation may push some investors to seek alternatives like XRP. Additionally, the state of global financial markets (stock volatility, investor confidence) indirectly affects XRP's performance.
In summary, during this period, a changing regulatory framework was available: on one hand, new rules were emerging (such as the commencement of MiCA regulation in Europe in mid-2024) and supportive actions from some governments, while on the other hand, the potential for stricter legislation remains a potential risk for digital assets. These changing environments remain among the most significant factors affecting the XRP market.
Expert opinions and future predictions
Expert and analyst predictions about XRP's future and target price varied:
• Bullish predictions: Optimistic analysts believe that resolving Ripple's legal status and clarity in regulations will unleash institutional growth for XRP. Surveys (like Finder) have shown that the average expert forecast for the end of 2025 hovers around $3.06. Some experts discussed a bullish scenario where XRP could reach $5 or more if network adoption continues and regulatory bodies approve XRP investment funds.
• Balance or stability: Some expect the price to stabilize in a moderate range without significant changes. Half of the analysts (50%) in the Finder survey recommend holding the coin for 2025, expecting the price to stabilize around $1.80–2.50 if no significant progress occurs in agreeing on investment funds or increasing institutional adoption.
• Bearish predictions: Some analysts believe that ongoing regulatory uncertainties or slow adoption by financial institutions will keep XRP under pressure. Experts indicated that the failure to establish XRP as a standard option in bank payments could narrow the price range, potentially dropping below significant support levels.#XRPPredictions
Overall, observers agree that resolving the SEC case gives XRP positive momentum, but the extent of its benefit depends on broader factors such as the expansion of the RippleNet network and major institutions' adoption of the currency, in addition to macro market dynamics.