The prospect of an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) is looking brighter than ever according to Ripple president Monica Long, as favorable regulatory shifts in the US pave the way for the next major crypto investment vehicle. In a recent Bloomberg interview, Long expressed confidence that XRP is “likely to be next in line” for ETF approval following the pioneering bitcoin and ethereum products.
Ripple Rides Regulatory Tailwinds Under Crypto-Friendly Administration
Long attributes much of her optimism to the changing of the guard in Washington, with the Trump administration expected to accelerate the pace of crypto ETF approvals. The regulatory environment has already been warming to Ripple, with the firm reporting more US partnerships in the final six weeks of 2024 than the entire previous six months combined. As one of the most prominent US-based crypto companies, Ripple is well-positioned to benefit from any further easing of restrictions.
XRP ETF Contenders Line Up
Anticipation has been building since major asset managers like Bitwise, WisdomTree, and 21Shares filed S-1 registrations for XRP ETFs in late 2024. While the SEC has yet to greenlight any of the proposals, the growing roster of contenders reflects a wider belief that XRP is on deck for an ETF breakthrough.
“We think, especially with the administration change, the approvals of those filings will accelerate.”
Monica Long, Ripple President
RLUSD Stablecoin Gaining Steam
Long also highlighted the early traction of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, which launched on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger in December. She expects RLUSD to become a “major part” of the firm’s payments business as it rolls out to more exchanges and integrates with DeFi protocols via Chainlink oracles. The $72M market cap stablecoin could add another compelling use case for XRP as gas fees on its native chain.
XRP Outpaces Crypto Rivals on ETF Excitement
The XRP price has already been on a tear since Trump’s victory, soaring over 300% to dramatically outperform other major cryptocurrencies. Traders appear to be betting that Ripple’s US roots and newfound regulatory momentum will translate into an ETF approval sooner than rivals like Uniswap’s UNI token. An influx of institutional and retail capital into a listed XRP product could supercharge the rally.
- Over $1B in XRP options open interest is betting on an approval-driven breakout to new all-time highs in 2025
- Social media mentions of “XRP ETF” have surged 250% since election day
With bitcoin and ethereum ETFs already trading, all eyes are on which cryptocurrency will be the third to secure the coveted prize in the US. Ripple has long been a leading contender, and Monica Long’s latest comments will only fuel speculation that XRP’s moment may finally be at hand. As regulatory dominoes continue to fall in Ripple’s favor, the countdown to an XRP ETF is well and truly underway.
