A Chainlink ambassador has presented three catalysts he believes could still trigger an XRP rally in 2025 despite current price struggles.

For context, XRP experienced a volatile journey in Q1 2025, rising to impressive highs before struggling amid a broader market downturn. After surpassing $3 in January, it has since dropped to the lower $2 range. Despite this decline, analysts expect massive gains before the year ends. 

Amid these expectations, market commentator and Chainlink ambassador Ito Shimotshuma recently outlined three major catalysts that could drive XRP’s resurgence. 

According to him, these factors include the potential approval of an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), the rapid growth of Ripple stablecoin RLUSD, and the possibility of Ripple launching an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States.

XRP ETF

Notably, one of the most bullish developments for XRP could be the introduction of an ETF. The U.S. SEC has acknowledged multiple applications for XRP-based ETFs from major firms such as Bitwise, 21Shares, Grayscale, and CoinShares. 

While approval is not a guarantee, market analysts predict a strong likelihood of success, with probabilities ranging between 65% and 87%. On Polymarket, the odds recently fluctuated but currently stand at 77% for approval by the end of the year. 

Moreover, the changing regulatory atmosphere under the Trump administration, combined with Ripple’s legal victories, could improve the chances of ETF approval. Some experts believe an XRP ETF could receive approval as early as the third or fourth quarter of 2025, which could bring increased institutional investment into the asset. 

Interestingly, Nate Geraci, president of ETF Store, hinted last month that industry giants like BlackRock and Fidelity may consider filing their own applications once the legal uncertainties surrounding XRP completely subside.

RLUSD Growth

For the second factor, Shimotshuma highlighted RLUSD’s growth. Notably, the progress of RLUSD could bolster XRP’s rally. Since launching in December 2024, RLUSD has rapidly gained traction on multiple platforms, including Uphold, Bitstamp, and Mercado Bitcoin. 

Its market cap has surged past $240 million, and at one point, trading volumes spiked by over 220% in a single day. Currently, CoinMarketCap data confirms that trading volumes have steadied at $43 million. 

RLUSD’s adoption has been bolstered by integrations with platforms like Zero Hash, as well as a partnership with Chainlink that bolsters its usability in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. 

The stablecoin’s primary use cases include liquidity provision in DeFi pools and cross-border transactions. Ripple executives anticipate that RLUSD could rank among the top five stablecoins by the end of the year.

Ripple IPO

Meanwhile, a third factor that could massively influence XRP’s trajectory is Ripple’s potential IPO. Although Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse previously ruled out an IPO in the U.S. due to regulatory uncertainty, recent developments suggest a shift in stance may be possible. 

In mid-2024, reports confirmed Ripple was looking to repurchase $1.4 billion in shares. Garlinghouse later stated that an IPO was not an immediate priority but suggested that if they were to move in that direction, it could take about a year to materialize. 

Most recently, legal expert Fred Rispoli suggested that the SEC’s decision to drop an appeal against Ripple could indicate ongoing negotiations to lift a regulatory restriction on XRP sales to institutions. 

If this barrier goes away, Ripple will have greater flexibility to raise capital and proceed with a public offering. A Ripple IPO would likely increase investor confidence in XRP and boost its market valuation.

XRP price could soar to the two-digit region if the XRPL processed just 30% of the volume handled by brokerage company Hidden Road.

Ripple’s recent $1.5 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a multi-asset prime brokerage, is one of the largest steps it has taken toward expanding its institutional reach.

Notably, the development brings Ripple deeper into the TradFi scene, as Hidden Road facilitates $10 billion in transactions each day. Interestingly, the company’s CTO, David Schwartz, suggested that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) could begin processing a portion of these transactions.

Following this disclosure, media analyst and crypto commentator Zach Rector discussed what kind of effect such a transaction volume might have on XRP price. He proposed several scenarios based on the XRPL handling different percentages of Hidden Road’s daily flows.

According to Rector’s breakdown, if XRPL processed 10%, 30%, or 50% of the $10 billion daily liquidity, it would equate to $1 billion, $3 billion, or $5 billion per day, respectively. On an annual basis, that’s anywhere from $300 billion to over $1.5 trillion.

ChatGPT Presents Foundational Assumptions

However, despite these bullish projections, the actual impact on XRP price remains unclear. This is because transaction volume alone doesn’t guarantee a corresponding price surge, especially in a market where factors like token velocity, supply lock-up, and speculative interest play crucial roles. 

To better understand how a $3 billion daily volume on the XRPL might translate into XRP price movement, we turned to OpenAI’s ChatGPT for a hypothetical assessment.

Interestingly, ChatGPT’s analysis presented some important assumptions. Specifically, the chatbot assumed that XRP would serve as a settlement asset for a substantial part of the $3 billion processed daily through the XRPL and that the token would turn over roughly twice per day. 

For instance, if the XRPL settles $1.5 billion worth of transactions daily using XRP (representing 50% of the $3B volume), then about $750 million in XRP liquidity would be required. With XRP trading at around $2.14, this would mean nearly 350 million tokens necessary in circulation purely for settlement purposes each day.

Further, ChatGPT noted that if institutions begin accumulating XRP to provide liquidity for such settlements, and if this demand represents just 5% of the circulating supply, it could create substantial upward pressure on the asset’s value. 

XRP Price Prediction if XRPL Processes 30% of Hidden Road’s Volume 

The chatbot considered an XRP circulating supply of about 54 billion tokens. With this, a 5% accumulation translates to 2.7 billion XRP being held or locked up, leading to a tightening supply, especially if the network also burns coins over time.

Notably, this scenario, where demand increases while supply tightens, would lead to what ChatGPT calls a “repricing cycle.” The chatbot presented XRP price predictions for the short term (6 to 12 months) and longer term (2 to 3 years).

In a conservative bullish setting for the short term, ChatGPT says XRP price could climb to a range between $5 and $7 due to increased institutional demand and speculation. However, within a more aggressive market environment, XRP could rise to $10 or even $15 within the short term.

Meanwhile, over a longer period of two to three years, ChatGPT believes this volume could push XRP to a price of $20 to $30 or more. However, this is if institutional usage expands, regulatory clarity improves, and Ripple’s ecosystem grows through partnerships by Hidden Road.

CryptoGuard COO Matthew Brienen expresses confidence in XRP, emphasizing that he expects it to reach an ambitious target of $1,000. 

Matthew made the disclosure during the first edition of the ‘Ask Matty Show,’ demonstrating his strong conviction for the fourth-biggest cryptocurrency by market cap. 

During the interview, the CryptoGuard COO provided an insight into his crypto holdings, noting that 50% of his portfolio is in XRP. However, he did not reveal how much XRP he holds. 

According to him, he has been stacking XRP since 2020. This accumulation strategy usually helps investors smooth out volatility and reduce their entry price through dollar-cost averaging (DCA).  

Matt’s Vision for XRP 

The CryptoGuard COO disclosed that he has short- and long-term visions for XRP. In the short term, Matthew intends to sell most of his XRP holdings over the next few years. This could be part of his efforts to lock in profits after the 2024/2025 bull cycle and reduce his exposure to the asset. 

He intends to keep some of his XRP stash over the next 5 – 10 years. The crypto stakeholder hopes that XRP’s utility in cross-border settlement would drive its value upwards. 

Matthew believes that XRP has strong potential in remittance and cross-border payments. He highlighted XRP’s payment prowess, asserting that it settles transactions in less than five seconds, with fees costing ‘a fraction of a penny.’

XRP to Hit $100 – $1,000 in 10 Years 

Given his convictions about XRP, Matthew predicted that the asset’s price would hit audacious targets of $100 – $1,000 over the next 10 years. 

With XRP currently trading at $2.05 per coin, it must soar 4,778% from the current price to clinch the $100 target or 48,680% to achieve the $1,000 milestone. 

To demonstrate the significance of these predictions, a portfolio of 5,000 XRP, currently worth $10,250, would be valued at $500,000 if the price rises to $100. At a target price of $1,000, this portfolio containing 5,000 XRP will be valued at $5 million. 

Despite the hefty growth required for these predictions to play out, the CryptoGuard COO emphasized that reaching the $1,000 target for XRP is within the realm of possibility. 

At a target price of $100, XRP’s market cap would stand at $5.84 trillion, assuming its circulating supply remains stable. On the other hand, XRP’s market cap would skyrocket to $58.39 trillion. 

XRP to $100 – $1,000 Predictions 

Meanwhile, Matthew is not the only expert who believes XRP could reach three to four figures in the near future. As previously reported, top crypto pundit Javon Marks predicted that XRP would soar to around $100 this year. 

Last year, market analyst Moonshilla speculated that XRP would surpass the $100 mark if Bitcoin clinches the ambitious target of $350,000. 

Further, experts at Changelly predicted that XRP would trade around the $1,000 target by July 2040, over 15 years from now.  According to their forecast, XRP would reach a maximum target of $1,078. 

Even though these experts seemed confident in their forecasts, it is imperative not to rely on these predictions as financial advice. 

XRP price predictions for 2030, 2035, and 2040 have emerged from the exchange platform Changelly and AI models ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok.

Despite the current bullish sentiment sweeping across the cryptocurrency market, XRP’s price action has lagged, remaining under pressure around the lower $2 range. This is in contrast to Bitcoin, which recently surged from $84,000 to $95,000 within the same week. 

However, analysts remain optimistic about XRP’s long-term prospects, citing its increasing utility in the global payments ecosystem. While short-term projections suggest the potential for rallies to $8 and $13, long-term XRP price predictions remain largely uncertain.

To better understand the altcoin’s future potential, The Crypto Basic recently gathered XRP price predictions from platforms like Changelly and AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and xAI’s Grok.

XRP Price Predictions from Grok

According to Grok by xAI, XRP’s price trajectory by 2030 could range significantly. It noted that estimates show potential values from $4.67 to $26.97, with some more bullish forecasts placing the price between $15.02 and $29.85. Notably, the most optimistic scenario projects XRP hitting $48.03 by 2030. 

Looking further ahead to 2035, Grok’s XRP price predictions suggest the asset could trade within a lower range compared to 2030, from $6.44 to $14.95. Another source analyzed by Grok suggests a more elevated spectrum between $23.39 and $27.04. 

However, by 2040, Grok called attention to the widest spread in XRP price predictions. Particularly, some speculative forecasts see XRP soaring as high as $1,450, with possible lows at $1,160. Others see a range between $15.02 and $91.93, while some optimistic models foresee a top at $179.83. 

ChatGPT and Google Gemini Present Their Forecasts

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s ChatGPT shares a similarly positive outlook, though with much more conservative figures. For 2030, ChatGPT forecasts XRP reaching between $10 and $15, assuming there is massive growth in cross-border transactions and institutional collaborations. 

By 2035, should Ripple’s payment service gain broader recognition for international liquidity and settlements, XRP could trade between $25 and $40. 

Then, for 2040, the AI model sees a bullish scenario placing XRP’s value between $50 and $100 or more, particularly if XRP cements its role in a tokenized global economy while staying technologically and regulatorily relevant.

Turning to Google’s Gemini, the chatbot provides a more bullish stance than ChatGPT. For 2030, Gemini suggests a possible XRP value range of $35 to $64, supposing Ripple secured massive expansion in the global payments sector and reached greater market adoption. 

By 2035, this figure could rise to between $71 and $150, contingent on further integration into new financial scenes like tokenization. Come 2040, Gemini sees XRP possibly trading from $76 to as high as $1,868. Notably, this would materialize in a scenario where the market sees global institutional adoption and regulatory clarity.

Changelly’s XRP Price Predictions

Meanwhile, crypto exchange Changelly presents specific year-by-year forecasts. For January 2030, their analysts anticipate XRP starting at $11.4, climbing to $16.22 by mid-year, and potentially hitting $18.73 by December. 

While they provide no 2035 projections, their expectations for 2034 show a useful benchmark. In that year, they believe XRP could begin at $52, rise to $74.36 by June, and reach a high of $88 by year’s end.

For 2040, Changelly’s forecast is among the most bullish. They project XRP to open the year at $162 and jump to $769 by mid-year. By December 2040, they expect XRP to reach an astounding $1,450, aligning with some of the most optimistic predictions from other sources.

The last time gold made an ongoing parabolic run, XRP price saw a massive upsurge immediately after. Can the altcoin repeat this pattern?

The broader crypto market has in the past two months witnessed sideways movement, with Bitcoin (BTC) battling the bears at the lower end of the $80,000 price mark and XRP grappling to maintain its position above the $2 region.

Gold Outperforms Crypto

This challenging period emerged on the back of macroeconomic factors such as trade tensions between the United States and other countries. However, as the crypto market consolidated, gold, the ultimate macro hedge, has continued to see impressive gains, reaching new heights.

For context, since October 2023, gold has been on a massive uptrend, overlooking prevailing macro conditions. Between October 2023 and April 2025, the precious metal surged 89% to claim a new all-time high of $3,500. Meanwhile, this year, the crypto market has underperformed.

However, it appears gold could be seeing a mild pullback, having dropped 5% from its all-time high to trade at the $3,300 mark.

Interestingly, this gold correction has coincided with an impressive recovery in the crypto market, as Bitcoin reclaims the $95,000 price level amid an 11% increase this week. If history is any guide, a more substantial rally could be on the horizon, with XRP potentially benefiting. Recall that Fundstrat’s Tom Lee recently projected this uptrend for crypto.

A Historical Perspective 

Particularly, historical data suggests this pattern played out in the last market cycle, and the crypto market eventually recovered, with XRP rallying by more than 1,000% despite the SEC case. Notably, with gold already seeing mild exhaustion, the crypto market is already looking to replicate the previous run.

For context, from October 2018 until the COVID-19 period, gold witnessed a similar uptrend. The precious metal spiked 72% to reach a new all-time high of $2,075 by August 2020 before it saw a pullback and subsequent consolidation.

During gold’s upsurge, the crypto market saw bearish price action, and this also impacted XRP. However, as gold started observing a correction by August 2020, XRP and the rest of the market saw a parabolic uptick. Specifically, XRP rose from $0.1751 to a high of $1.96 in April 2021, representing a 1,019% increase. 

Another indicator suggesting a repetition of the previous cycle’s run is the monthly gold RSI. Notably, during gold’s uptrend from 2018 to 2020, its RSI rose from 40 to an overvalued mark of 84, indicating the uptrend would reverse. Currently, gold’s RSI has spiked from 50 to 85.

Could XRP Record Another 1,000+ Uptick?

Now that gold is witnessing another pullback from its extensive rally, crypto is again gaining strength, and XRP might benefit from this rotation of capital. The altcoin appears to be late to the party, with its price action failing to reflect the recovery in the broader market. 

However, currently trading for $2.18, XRP is still in a position of strength for its next upsurge. Specifically, if the asset replicates the 2020/2021 cycle’s 1,000+ upsurge, such a rally would push its price to the $24 mark. 

Interestingly, Bitcoin advocate Davinci Jeremie, who has persistently criticized XRP, believes the altcoin could hit $24 this year. Meanwhile, market analysts such as EGRAG expect a rally to $27. It bears mentioning that XRP’s 1,000% rise in 2021 came despite the SEC’s case. With the lawsuit potentially ending, the asset could see more substantial gains this time.