XRP – the third largest cryptocurrency in the world – has had an impressive growth journey since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States last November. In just one year, the price of XRP has increased by about 400%, clearly reflecting the impact of the pro-cryptocurrency policies of the Trump administration and the emergence of more market-friendly regulators.

With important cryptocurrency bills being considered by the US Congress, the entire crypto market is poised to benefit. The question is: Can XRP, currently trading around $3.10, continue to break through and reach double digits by 2027?

Big Boost: SEC Closes Case Dragging On for Over 4 Years

The most important factor that could help XRP explode is the decision of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to withdraw its appeal in the lawsuit that lasted over 4 years with Ripple – the company behind XRP. This lawsuit had been a 'cloud' hanging over the future of XRP, causing many investors to be wary. The situation changed when President Trump appointed Paul Atkins as the new chairman of the SEC, opening up a softer approach to the cryptocurrency sector.

New Prospects: Spot ETF for XRP

A notable catalyst this year is the potential launch of a spot ETF for XRP.

A spot ETF directly reflects the price of the underlying asset by actually buying that asset, then allocating shares to investors. This both increases real buying demand and enhances liquidity, attracting cash flow from large financial institutions.

According to Polymarket's forecasts, the likelihood of the SEC approving a spot ETF for XRP this year is up to 86%. However, part of this expectation may have already been priced into the current XRP price.

Real Potential: Cross-Border Payments

Many experts believe that the biggest opportunity for XRP to continue to break through lies in the area of cross-border payments.

The XRP network can handle 1,500 transactions per second (TPS) at a low cost, making it an attractive option for international money transfers. Ripple has currently partnered with many traditional financial institutions and recently spent $1.25 billion to acquire the major brokerage firm Hidden Road – which processes about $3 trillion in transactions annually with over 300 institutional clients.

Ripple could also integrate XRP and the stablecoin RLUSD into its services, expanding its applications for traditional finance.

Challenges: Competition and Market Reality

CEO Ripple – Brad Garlinghouse – believes that XRP could capture 14% of the international payment market from the SWIFT system by 2029. SWIFT is currently the backbone of global payments but still has an error rate of about 6%.

Nevertheless, achieving this goal is not easy. XRP will have to compete with many other blockchain networks that are capable of processing transactions equivalently or even faster.

Conclusion and Investment Strategy

Long-term price predictions for cryptocurrencies are always risky because crypto does not generate cash flow or profits like stocks. Instead, investors should focus on the technology platform and the practical application capabilities of the project.

XRP has a strong network, extensive relationships with banks and financial institutions, and a clear vision for expanding the international payment sector.

However, high competition and uncertainty in capturing market share have led analysts to recommend:

  • Can buy and hold XRP for the long term

  • But should keep a small proportion in the portfolio to reduce risk