Buying the Dip: Can XRP Still Make You a Millionaire?

The dust has finally settled on the legal battlefield, and the path forward seems clear for the first time in years. Ripple secured a massive victory against the SEC last year and Wall Street finally opened its doors with spot ETFs.1 Yet the price of XRP is sitting at $1.92, leaving investors confused and asking a painful question. If good news cannot send this token to the moon, what will?

The Great Disconnect Between News and Price

It was supposed to be the catalyst we were all waiting for. When Ripple Labs agreed to pay a $125 million civil penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission last August, it was a massive win. The regulator had originally demanded $2 billion.12 That settlement removed the regulatory dark cloud that had hovered over the asset since 2020.3 Then came the approval of spot XRP ETFs in November, which allowed institutional money to flow directly into the cryptocurrency.1

Despite these headline-grabbing wins, the market response has been underwhelming. After a volatile year where the token gave up early gains to end 2025 down 9 percent, we are seeing a disconnect.1 The fundamental story has never been stronger, but the price action suggests the market has already priced in these victories.

Investors need to understand that buying the news often leads to a sell-off. The anticipation of the settlement drove prices up earlier, and now the reality is setting in. The question is no longer about legal survival. It is about actual utility and adoption in a competitive global economy.

Real Utility in a Slow World

The core value proposition of XRP remains its speed and efficiency.4 The XRP Ledger was built to move money around the world faster than information moves on the internet. In a world where cross-border payments still take days to settle via traditional banking methods, this technology is a game changer.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse made a bold prediction last June. He stated that the ledger could capture 14 percent of SWIFT transaction volume within five years.1 That is a target of roughly $21 trillion in value.1 To understand why this is possible, we have to look at the raw performance data compared to the alternatives.

This efficiency is why over 300 financial institutions have partnered with Ripple. They are not buying the token to speculate. They are using the network to solve a business problem. However, there is a new development that complicates the picture for the token itself.

Ripple Is Growing Bigger Than XRP

This is the part of the story that die-hard enthusiasts often overlook. Ripple, the company, is evolving into a comprehensive financial services giant. While XRP is the native token of their ledger, it is no longer the only tool in their shed.

The company recently launched Ripple USD, a U.S. dollar stablecoin.5 This digital dollar offers the same settlement speed as XRP but without the price volatility. For a bank transferring millions of dollars, stability is often more valuable than potential appreciation. If a bank can use Ripple’s network to move stablecoins instead of the volatile token, they might choose the safer route.

Ripple is also expanding into custody and brokerage services through its new division, Ripple Prime. They have even received conditional approval for a federal bank charter. It is entirely possible for Ripple to become a trillion-dollar company while XRP sees only modest gains.

The company is preparing for a potential IPO, which is rumored to happen later this year.67 When that happens, stock investors will own a piece of the company’s profits. Token holders, on the other hand, only own a digital asset that relies on demand for liquidity. This distinction is critical for your long-term strategy.

The Millionaire Math Reality Check

We need to be realistic about the “millionaire maker” narrative. Early crypto investors made millions because they bought assets when market caps were tiny. Today, XRP is a mature asset with a market cap of around $117 billion.

For a $1,000 investment to turn into $1 million, the price would need to increase 1,000 times. That would push the market cap to over $117 trillion. That is more than the entire global economy. It is mathematically impossible in the current financial landscape.

However, that does not mean it is a bad investment. If the project captures even a fraction of the global payments market as predicted, we could see substantial returns. A 5x or 10x return over the next decade is a reasonable, albeit optimistic, goal. That would outperform the S&P 500 significantly, but it will not turn pocket change into generational wealth overnight.

The era of easy money in this specific token is likely over. We are now in the phase of slow, steady utility growth. You are investing in a piece of financial infrastructure, not a lottery ticket.

Is It Time to Buy?

The current price dip offers an attractive entry point for investors who believe in the future of digital payments. The legal battles are over, the ETFs are live, and the technology works. But you must temper your expectations. The separation between Ripple the company and XRP the token is widening. While the company shoots for the stars with stablecoins and banking charters, the token will have to fight harder to prove its necessity in the system. Diversify your portfolio, keep your position size reasonable, and do not expect to retire next week on a small investment.

What do you think? Has the ship sailed on massive gains, or is the market sleeping on a giant? Share this article with your friends and let us know your thoughts!