- Standard Chartered predicts XRP could soar to $12.50 during a potential second Trump presidency, driven by favorable regulatory conditions and strong adoption in cross-border payments.
- The forecast follows Ripple’s major acquisition of Hidden Road and the launch of a leveraged XRP ETF, signaling renewed momentum for the asset.
Standard Chartered has sparked bullish sentiment among XRP investors after projecting that the digital asset could skyrocket to $12.50 under a potential second term for Donald Trump. In a note released Tuesday, the bank’s head of digital asset research, Geoff Kendrick, said XRP could see gains of nearly 200% by the end of this year, and rise as high as $5.50 by the end of 2025.
Kendrick emphasized XRP’s unique position within the crypto ecosystem, particularly its use case in cross-border and cross-currency payments, a sector experiencing rapid growth.
We think XRP price gains can keep pace with Bitcoin in real terms,”
he wrote.
XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger developed by Ripple Labs, was trading at around $1.80 on Tuesday following a 6% dip over the previous 24 hours. Despite short-term price fluctuations, long-term optimism remains strong, especially as XRP solidifies its role in international finance.
Ripple has had a contentious relationship with U.S. regulators in recent years. The SEC sued Ripple in 2020, alleging the company conducted an unregistered securities offering via its XRP token. However, a landmark 2023 ruling by a federal judge stated that XRP’s programmatic sales to retail investors did not constitute securities—an outcome largely viewed as a win for the crypto industry.
Since then, Ripple has sought to rebuild its position, aligning more closely with pro-crypto elements of the incoming Trump Administration. With the SEC now under crypto-friendly leadership, Ripple is aiming to push forward several XRP-related financial products, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
On April 8, as earlier reported, Teucrium Investment Advisors launched the XXRP ETF—a 2x leveraged product tied to XRP—on NYSE Arca. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted the launch’s unusual nature, calling it “very odd (maybe a first)” for a leveraged ETF to debut before a spot ETF has been approved. Nonetheless, optimism remains high that a traditional XRP ETF will soon follow.
Adding fuel to the bullish narrative, Ripple recently announced the $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a crypto-friendly prime brokerage firm. The deal marks one of the largest in crypto history and underscores Ripple’s strategic expansion amid improving regulatory conditions.
XRP previously reached an all-time high of $3.40 in 2018 and nearly matched that in January 2025 ahead of Trump’s inauguration, briefly hitting $3.38. If Standard Chartered’s forecast plays out, the token would more than triple its all-time high, with potential support from favorable U.S. policies and a rapidly evolving global payments landscape.