The market doesn't lie. $127 billion. That’s as of June 15, 2025, XRP’s estimated market capitalization. Let that sink in. Forget the hype, the FUD, the never ending Twitter wars. That number screams louder than any headline: people are using XRP, and they're using it at scale. While meme coins rise and fall based on fleeting internet trends, XRP has built something enduring: real-world utility. Which is, in some ways, a pretty remarkable endorsement of the special power of solving a truly acute problem—even under threat of legal firestorm.
Utility Trumps Legal Battles Always
Let’s get real—the SEC lawsuit has been the ever-present black cloud hanging over XRP. It felt like for years, every other crypto conversation was overtaken by people trying to guess how the case would end. While the legal drama unfolded, something else was happening quietly in the background: Ripple was building. During this time they were actively building business partnerships, growing their tech network, and perfecting their technology.
Think of it like this: a construction company facing a zoning dispute. Or, they could stop everything, get caught up in legal wrangling, and see their project go up in smoke. Or, they could continue laying the foundation, securing permits where possible, and preparing for the day they can finally build to the sky. Ripple chose the latter.
That foundation is cross-border payments. We’re not discussing hypothetical use cases in this post. Ripple Payments, formerly called ODL, is rolling! They’re moving money across borders in 55+ countries already and are on track to move well over $50 billion transaction volume by 2024. That's not just impressive. It's transformative. It’s eliminating the middlemen, reducing transaction costs and accelerating the speed of settlement.
I need you to think about the human toll, especially to the people of South Asia. Remittance costs can take a big bite out of the money they send home to their families. XRP provides a practical alternative, enabling them to save their constituents’ hard-earned dollars. It’s not only because of profit margins, it’s because of the desire to improve lives. It's about financial inclusion.
Data Validates, Narratives Fade
The beauty of blockchain is its transparency. You can't fake transaction volume. You can’t just poof a $127 billion market cap into existence. The data speaks for itself. And the data shows that XRP is widely used, adopted and valued by a substantial part of the market. This isn’t about marketing or buzz, this is about quantified usage.
Ripple recently released RLUSD, a new stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. This announcement demonstrates their deep seriousness and determination to continue developing a truly vibrant ecosystem. Ripple has earned the approval of the NYDFS. Its dual availability on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum demonstrates that Ripple is not only playing the long game, but willing to take the regulatory high road. This is critical to attract institutional investors and promote broader adoption.
And it seems institutions are finally taking notice. Business development Although companies such as Trident Digital Tech Holdings and Weebus have made their intentions known to accumulate large XRP reserves. These are not fly-by-night operations. Their money. They’re smart to invest Their vision These are long live businesses What smart money sees in XRP Smart money Smart businesses Smart investment Smart prediction
Centralization Debate Is a Red Herring?
The centralization argument is probably the most cliched criticism thrown at XRP. No, it’s true that Ripple Labs owns a shitload of XRP and oversees the curation of the Unique Node List (UNL) of spokes. But is that necessarily a bad thing?
In the beginning stages of any new technology, centralization is key. It’s imperative to continue driving adoption and it’s comforting for the stability. Remember the wild west of the early internet. It wasn’t the wild west decentralized free-for-all it is now. There were not only market gatekeepers, but central authorities that contributed to its further development.
There’s much to like about Ripple’s compliance-first approach, you have to consider that, strategically speaking, this is a necessity. To earn the trust of legacy financial players, they need to prove that they’re acting consistently with the law. They have a responsibility to proactively combat potential illicit activity. This entails having an ownership stake in the network as well, at least for the time being.
The secret is finding a middle ground between decentralization and the need to regulate. As the ecosystem matures, I’d like to think I’ll see more decentralization as time goes on. As for the recent lowering of the required account reserve on the XRPL, it’s a step in the right direction. It has been cut down from 10 XRP to only 1 XRP.
Advance truly collaborative, the state of crypto regulation that is anarchy dependent on… Look, the way forward for crypto isn’t anarchy. To me it is about continuing to engage with regulators to build a common framework that balances the need to promote innovation with protecting consumers and preventing financial crime. Ripple appears to be one of the few entities that legitimately grasp this. As they built out their networks, they started to actively engage with policymakers and advocate for clear and sensible regulations.
We need more of that. We need to see more crypto projects that are willing and able to operate within established guardrails. Let’s create more bridges with the traditional financial system! Our intention here isn’t to blow up the traditional system. Our north star is a financial system that works better for all—more inclusively and more accessibly. XRP, even with all its regulatory hurdles, is showing that utility—not just ideology—is how you do it.
