XRP Price Forecast 2028: Here’s Where Ripple Could Be Trading in Three Years

Brace for impact—XRP's next bull run could rewrite the rules. As Ripple's legal dust settles, the stage is set for a potential price explosion. But will institutional adoption outpace the crypto market's notorious volatility?

The $10 question: Can XRP defy gravity?

While Wall Street hedgies still can't tell a blockchain from a Excel spreadsheet, Ripple's payment corridors keep expanding. Liquidity pools are deepening. The SEC's regulatory chokehold? Slowly loosening. All ingredients for a perfect storm—or another 'wen moon' disappointment.

One thing's certain: In crypto, three years might as well be three lifetimes. Buckle up.

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Ripple's lengthy legal battle with the SEC ended earlier this month

Ripple is a financial technology company that uses the XRP blockchain (also called the XRP ledger) to support faster and cheaper cross-border transactions than the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) system. Consequently, Ripple is a key source of demand for XRP, and the price of any asset depends in part on demand.

Ripple for several years was locked in a legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The regulator sued Ripple in 2020, contending the company sold XRP as an unregistered security to institutional and retail investors. A federal judge handed the SEC a partial victory in 2023, saying the sales to institutional investors violated securities law.

Ripple was ordered to pay a $125 million penalty. The SEC initially appealed the decision, seeking a $2 billion fine, but the regulatory agency earlier this month withdrew the lawsuit, ending a yearslong legal battle. Few financial institutions use Ripple Payments today, but the number could increase with the removal of legal headwinds, especially because Ripple recently added a stablecoin to the XRP ecosystem.

Spot XRP ETFs could unlock demand among retail and institutional investors

Several asset managers, including Franklin Templeton, plan to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the spot price of XRP. In total, the SEC has received at least eight applications, all of which will either be approved or rejected no later than October. Eric Balchunas at Bloomberg puts the odds of approval at 95%.

Spot XRP ETFs could unlock demand among retail and institutional investors by eliminating the hassle and fees associated with cryptocurrency exchanges. Traders would no longer have to create separate accounts or pay high fees for every transaction but could instead add XRP to existing portfolios through traditional brokerages. The additional demand could push its price much higher.

Indeed, Bitcoin has advanced 160% since the SEC approved the first spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024. In fact, thewas the most successful ETF launch in history based on inflows, according to The Wall Street Journal. I doubt spot XRP ETFs will receive as much attention, but I think the cryptocurrency's price could double in the next three years.

As a caveat, investors should bear in mind cryptocurrencies are a volatile asset class. XRP has fallen more than 30% from a record high three times in the last five years, and similar volatility is likely in the future. Investors comfortable with that risk should consider owning a very small position in XRP. Personally, I WOULD limit exposure to 1% of my portfolio, and I would wait for spot XRP ETFs to win approval before taking a position.