Ripple – the company behind the cryptocurrency XRP – once again became the focal point of debate in the crypto community after veteran finance expert Caitlin Long issued a series of sharp criticisms. As the founder of Custodia Bank and one of the prominent figures in the Bitcoin space in the U.S., Long did not hesitate to raise significant questions about Ripple's operating model, decentralization, and even its long-term potential.
Caitlin Long: “Ripple's problem is not just with the SEC”
In a recent interview, Caitlin Long asserted that the legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is just the tip of the iceberg. According to her, the core issue lies in the “centralized network design” and the distribution structure of the XRP token that Ripple has chosen from the beginning.
Long points out that XRP was created through a form of pre-mining, and the majority of the initial supply has been under the control of Ripple and its founders. She believes this creates a lasting negative impression in the eyes of traditional financial institutions, causing Ripple to lose points when compared to blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum – which have a more public issuance mechanism.
“Ripple is not the right candidate if the U.S. government wants to choose a blockchain network to tokenize treasury bonds or national assets,” Long asserted. “They are more likely to choose Ethereum, or even Bitcoin.”
The XRP community retorts: “Lack of understanding and misinformation”
Caitlin Long's remarks quickly faced backlash from the XRP community and other industry experts.
A prominent analyst in the blockchain space shares:
“It is surprising that an influencer like Long would speak so confidently about Ripple while completely misunderstanding the project.”
Critics emphasize two key points:
Ripple did not hold an ICO – unlike many other projects, 100 billion XRP were created at launch with no initial value. The distribution of tokens was not through public fundraising like Bitcoin with Ethereum, so comparisons with ICO models are inaccurate.
XRP Ledger is entirely an open and decentralized network – currently with over 1,000 active nodes and more than 100 validators, many nodes operated by independent individuals and organizations worldwide. XRP Ledger allows anyone to run a node, verify transactions, or fork the network.
Although Ripple has made its mark with successes such as partial victory against the SEC and developing many real-world applications in cross-border remittance, controversies surrounding decentralization, token structure, and long-term direction continue to arise.
XRP rises 70% in July: 5 factors investors cannot overlook
The crypto market has witnessed a spectacular comeback of XRP, with an increase of over 70% in just July 2025 – a notable turning point after a prolonged period of gloom. The price surge did not come randomly but was driven by a series of factors from on-chain data, institutional movements, to progress in the ongoing legal battle between Ripple and the SEC.
Here are 5 highlights investors need to watch as XRP is regaining attention.
1. Expert's target of $7: The game isn't over yet
Crypto King, an analyst who accurately predicted the breakout at the end of 2024, is currently setting a price target of $7 for XRP, which is an increase of over 150% from the current level of around $3.
According to him, XRP has escaped the long-term downtrend that has lasted since mid-2023 and is entering a new growth phase after completing a technical correction cycle. This is a signal indicating that intrinsic strength is returning to this token.
2. 700 million XRP leaves Binance: Selling pressure is easing
Data from CryptoQuant recorded: over 700 million XRP were withdrawn from Binance in just two weeks (24/7–7/8), causing the exchange's reserves to drop from 3.02 billion to 2.3 billion XRP.
This is usually a positive sign, indicating that investors are shifting to long-term holding, significantly reducing selling pressure. Lower supply on exchanges may support a more stable price increase, especially during periods of positive news.
3. NVT ratio rises 44%: Mixed signals from the network
In just 24 hours, the NVT ratio of XRP surged by 44%, reaching 225. This ratio compares the market value to on-chain transaction volume – a high index indicating that the market value is far exceeding network activity.
Despite the price increase, the actual usage on the XRP network has not correspondingly risen. This raises the question of whether the uptrend is sustainable or is being fueled by short-term speculation.
4. The Ripple–SEC lawsuit: A legal turning point is approaching
The legal battle between Ripple and the SEC is nearing its conclusion. The SEC is expected to respond to Ripple's motion to withdraw the appeal on August 7, and a final ruling could be announced in mid-August.
If Ripple wins, XRP may be confirmed as not a security in the United States, thereby paving the way for official participation from U.S. financial institutions. More importantly, $125 million that was frozen will be released, allowing the company to fully restart its business operations and announce over 1,700 partnership contracts.
5. Institutional inflows are returning: Is XRP being used as treasury assets?
Japanese financial group SBI Holdings has applied to launch an XRP ETF – a major institutional advancement. Additionally, there are reports that companies are planning to buy up to $1 billion in XRP to use as treasury assets, similar to how some major companies accumulated Bitcoin.
If confirmed, this would mark one of the strongest institutional inflows into XRP in history and could push the token price to new highs.
The resurgence of XRP is not only a result of short-term speculation but reflects a profound transitional phase in legal matters, institutional trust, and user behavior. However, investors still need to closely monitor legal developments and network data to assess the sustainability of this price increase.
Can XRP maintain its upward momentum and reach the $7 target as expected? The market is waiting for an answer – and it seems that the decisive moment is approaching very soon.