XRP, the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, skyrocketed nearly 20% in the past 24 hours, reaching its highest level in over six years at $3.66 (on Coinbase).
The XRP price surge has ignited a fresh discussion about XRP’s true all-time high (ATH), a topic that has long divided traders, analysts and holders.
The discussion gained traction on X after a user claimed that XRP is now in price discovery, implying that the token had surpassed its historical peak. Another user pushed back, stating that XRP "will be in price discovery once it breaks $3.84," citing Jan. 4, 2018, as when XRP reached that high on Coinbase.
This prompted further clarification, with another user referencing a previous comment from Ripple CTO David Schwartz. Back in April 2023, Schwartz suggested that prior ATH estimates, like the often-quoted $3.84, may be inflated due to exchange rate conversions. He then estimated XRP's ATH to be around $2.80, discounting price figures from exchanges that used inflated local currency-to-USD conversions.
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But now, Schwartz appears to have updated his stance. Responding to the resurfaced tweet, Schwartz stated, “I think my $2.80 number was wrong though. The real ATH was higher than that."
Real ATH here, Ripple CTO says
XRP is currently changing hands at $3.46 and has surpassed the $200 billion market capitalization for the first time, now at $204.88 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.
This historic milestone has led Ripple CTO and one of the XRP Ledger architects, David Schwartz, to conclude that XRP's real ATH might finally be here.
Well, I'm pretty sure the real ATH is now, but you know what I mean.
— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 18, 2025
"Well, I’m pretty sure the real ATH is now, but you know what I mean," Schwartz stated. This comment suggests that XRP's current price action may have eclipsed all previous highs in terms of true market value.
Several platforms, including Arkham, have already indicated that XRP has reached a new all-time high, lending weight to the idea that XRP may have achieved or surpassed its previous all-time high, depending on which exchange or parameter is used as a reference.
