Versan Aljarrah, co-founder of Black Swan Capitalist, believes an XRP supply shock is only a matter of time.
In a recent podcast, he warned retail investors not to sell their holdings. He argued that major financial institutions like JPMorgan and BlackRock have been quietly accumulating XRP for years while retail traders are shaken out of the market.
However, there is no concrete evidence of this, with Aljarrah admitting he is merely speculating. Nonetheless, he insists that speculation is not only natural but necessary to stay ahead of the curve. He stresses that the big players will not sit idle and watch the next phase of financial innovation pass them by.
David, a co-host on the show, highlighted that Robert Mitchnick—now leading BlackRock’s blockchain department—previously worked at Ripple. To him, this is an indication of something deeper.
Building on this speculation, Aljarrah argues that BlackRock and JPMorgan are likely suppressing XRP prices to accumulate more tokens at lower levels. According to him, these firms are using Bitcoin and Ethereum as an “ulterior motive” to attract regulated capital into crypto markets, which could later be redirected into XRP. However, these remain unconfirmed.
“Evidence of Market Manipulation”
Supporting Aljarrah’s claims, David called attention to JPMorgan’s history of market manipulation. He noted that in 2020, the bank paid a $920 million fine for manipulating the precious metals market.
“Do you know how many billions upon billions they made doing that? That $920 million is just a cost of doing business,” David speculated. “Do you think they’re not involved in this space and part of the manipulation?”
To him, it would be no surprise if they were deploying similar tactics in the crypto space to influence XRP’s valuation.
David also highlighted that market sentiment is one of the biggest tools for manipulation, noting it can easily distort perceptions. For him, the key is to focus on fundamentals, and one of the biggest fundamentals is understanding what XRP truly represents. “Know what you hold,” he said.
Silence Around XRP Speaks Volumes
Aljarrah further shared a conversation with a JPMorgan branch manager, who confirmed that the bank plans to allow borrowing and lending using digital assets as collateral. Interestingly, the bank’s report mentioned Bitcoin and Ethereum but was silent on XRP. Aljarrah views it as a strategic omission.
“When they made that report, they said Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets. The thing is—the silence around XRP speaks volumes,” he said.
He believes that by the time mainstream headlines finally confirm institutional involvement with XRP, it will be too late for retail investors to capitalize.
According to Aljarrah, the biggest institutions are “years ahead of retail speculators”. Based on this, he urged early accumulation before the coming supply shock takes effect.
Stablecoins, SBI, and Ripple
Furthermore, Aljarrah highlighted that Ripple’s 2022 partnership with Japan’s financial giant SBI is resurfacing with fresh significance. Reports indicate that SBI plans to use Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin in early 2026.
In parallel, David noted that SBI has been an early Ripple investor and could hold some of the tokens in escrow, reinforcing its deep ties to Ripple’s long-term plans.
He stressed that many investors underestimate XRP’s role, calling it the “literal backbone of the new digital economy”. To him, XRP is beyond a speculative asset.