Short-term charts paint XRP as an uncomfortably unstable and even profoundly disappointing token. Specifically, in a year that should have, thanks to the many positive external developments, led to new and ever-higher highs, XRP is 14.96% in the green.
Furthermore, the token’s press time price reveals that most of the gains were recorded before January 20 – the day the most crypto-friendly president in history was inaugurated and cryptocurrency hardliner Gary Gensler exited the SEC.
The subsequent performance was volatile yet ultimately stagnant.
Picks for you
XRP records stellar long-term gains despite short-term struggles
The long-term picture is, however, radically different. Even with the recent struggles, XRP is a staggering 277.50% above where it stood exactly 12 months ago and 385.54% above Donald Trump’s watershed re-election.
This rise is perhaps most dramatically showcased by the token’s market capitalization, which soared by approximately $107.6 billion from $34.7 billion to $142.34 billion at press time.
The dramatic effect of President Donald Trump’s November victory and its true bearing on XRP’s trend is further demonstrated by the fact that the difference between the November 5 valuation and the press time one is even greater – the token’s market capitalization soared by $113.7 billion from $28.6 billion.
The rapid rise was driven, above all else, by hope. Indeed, many believed that the Biden administration and Gary Gensler SEC were keeping the cryptocurrency industry depressed with the alleged operation ‘Chokepoint 2.0,’ with XRP being the poster child for the stranglehold.
Since it started, the Commission’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs has had a far more consistent impact on the token’s price than any of the international partnerships or technological developments made by the issuing company.
Should XRP traders worry despite the positive developments?
Still, the situation gave rise to a worrying setup. Cryptocurrencies as a whole have seemingly become far more reactive to external pressures than to the happenings within the industry itself.
This was showcased on multiple occasions with the performance of the world’s premier digital asset – Bitcoin (BTC) – which has repeatedly performed like a risk asset and not as digital gold.
It experienced much volatility – and substantial price drops – on weak industry and jobs reports of August and September, on Iran’s missile strike against Israel in October, and, more recently, on the DeepSeek-driven tech sector selloff and the trade war headwinds.
A similar, though possibly even more pointed phenomenon is observable with XRP.
Along with years of token inaction despite Ripple’s relentless global expansion, it provided major returns on the broad stock and cryptocurrency market enthusiasm for the President-Elect, while it rallied only briefly and rather timidly on the revelation that the SEC is abandoning its long-standing case.
Featured image via Shutterstock
