XRP surpasses $3.0 for the first time since 2018: what’s next?

The native cryptocurrency hit a significant milestone days ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the much-awaited departure of Gary Gensler from the Securities & Exchange Commission of the United States.

XRP has now rallied close to 50% since the start of 2025 – a parabolic run that has triggered a wave of excitement among investors. But a key question remains: will this momentum sustain or could XRP crash back to the sub $2.0 level? Or is XRP ready to push the price on to new all-time highs?

Source: Brave New Coin XRP Liquid Index (XRPLX)

There’s ample reason to believe XRP will hit a new all-time high in 2025.

For one, the native cryptocurrency looks poised to retest its previous high of $3.40 recorded in 2018. From a technical perspective, a retest speaks volumes about the strength of a digital asset.

If bulls remain in the driving seat and push the price of XRP beyond that level, the momentum could extend further and see XRP print a high of as much as $10 in the coming months, according to crypto analyst Ali Martinez.

Source: X.com

Martinez based his view on the SuperTrend indicator that recently turned green for Ripple on the 12-hour chart. The last time that indicator turned bullish, the price of XRP soared close to 500% in the following weeks.

Investors have started referring to Ripple as a “sleeping giant” following its exceptional surge as excitement builds for the Trump Presidency.

There’s growing speculation about the potential approval of XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) under the new SEC led by Trump-nominated pro-crypto Paul Atkins. In fact, a bunch of asset managers, including Bitwise and Canary Capital have already filed for XRP ETFs as well.

According to experts, if the regulator approves these funds, significant institutional investments could find their way to XRP, resulting in a substantial increase in its market cap.

Legendary trader Peter Brandt, for example, expects Ripple’s market cap to hit $500 billion in 2025. His forecast based on “half-mast flag” formation in XRP’s price chart indicates potential for a more than threefold increase from current levels.

Source: TradingView

Ripple’s surge to the $3.0 level coincides with a key development for Bitcoin. On Wednesday, Oklahoma lawmaker Cody Maynard introduced legislation to set up a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. It’s a big move towards mainstream adoption that could boost the overall market sentiment and help the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap hit new price milestones in 2025.

Meanwhile, a Strategic Reserve and the related surge in the Bitcoin price could be influential for XRP. Whatever direction Bitcoin takes, the rest of the crypto market, including XRP, tends to follow.

Finally, the best part of investing in Ripple is its real-world applications. XRP is already being used to improve speed and lower costs associated with cross-border payments. Notable names like Hublot and AMC Theaters accept XRP payments as well.

XRP’s rally to $3.0 for the first time since 2018 marks a major milestone, reflecting renewed investor confidence and market enthusiasm. The current surge underscores Ripple’s resilience and potential in the fast-evolving crypto landscape. Looking ahead, market participants are closely watching regulatory developments, strategic partnerships, and technological advancements that could propel the price of XRP further in 2025.

Investors should know that Ripple’s XRP token has internal growth drivers as well as broader industry trends and macro tailwinds such as interest rate cuts working in its favor. XRP is set to perform well as an exciting digital asset investment this year.