XRP’s Big Shift in 2025
The year 2025 has become a turning point for XRP. Its price reached a record high of $3.58 in July, helped by major legal wins. But beyond price, Ripple has launched a new stablecoin called RLUSD, which is quickly gaining traction, and XRP is moving deeper into the DeFi (decentralized finance) world.
Key Drivers Behind XRP’s Rise
- SEC Lawsuit Dropped: The U.S. SEC ended its lawsuit against Ripple, clearing a big regulatory cloud that had kept many institutions away.
- Supportive U.S. Policies: The Trump administration introduced crypto-friendly rules like the GENIUS Act, boosting the wider market.
- Institutional Revaluation: Big investors are now treating XRP as a serious financial asset, not just a speculative token.
Ripple’s Expanding Ecosystem
- RLUSD Stablecoin: Launched in late 2024, RLUSD quickly grew to a $600 million market cap, showing strong adoption.
- XRPL EVM Sidechain: Improves smart contract use and makes XRP more compatible with other blockchains.
- XRP ETF Hopes: Many are anticipating approval of an ETF, which could further increase institutional demand.
Institutional Growth & DeFi Adoption
XRP’s ownership is now dominated by large holders:
- Top 10 wallets = 41% of supply
- Top 20 wallets = 50%
- Top 100 wallets = 70%+
This shows that institutions—not small traders—are driving its growth.
Coinbase also boosted XRP’s role in DeFi by launching cbXRP, a wrapped version of XRP used for cross-chain transactions. Soon after, DeFi platform Moonwell added support, allowing users to lend and borrow cbXRP, opening new real-world use cases.
