XRP has reclaimed its position as the third-largest cryptocurrency in the world after a surprise 10% price surge alongside a soaring market valuation of around $152 billion. At the time of writing, on May 13, 2025, XRP is trading hands at $2.49. This surge helped it overtake Tether (USDT), which currently has a market capitalization of approximately $150 billion.
The spike represents XRP’s largest 24-hour price fluctuation since March and is part of a rising sentiment across the market, following recent legal and corporate news surrounding Ripple, the organization backing XRP.
Deal With SEC Removes Legal Hurdle
Ripple’s protracted legal battle against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has come to a head. Together, the two parties settled for a combined $50 million, a far smaller sum than previous sanctions. The settlement, which is still pending final court approval, also allows Ripple to tap into $75 million in funds it had deposited in escrow.
Analysts have viewed the settlement as a significant reprieve for the future of the token. Regulatory uncertainty has frequently been named as one of the hindrances for XRP adoption. The news comes as investor sentiment improves and institutional buying power in XRP is strengthened.
Ripple-Biased Expansion Strategy for Institutions.
Ripple is filling in its new role as a second layer for money and value just like a pack of wild, poker-playing dogs. In April, the company said it had completed its acquisition of Hidden Road, a multi-asset prime brokerage, for $1.25 billion.
This acquisition will reportedly bolster Ripple’s enterprise financial services, and the Hidden Road team will help to fortify the XRP Ledger, which could further streamline and increase transaction efficiency and enhance liquidity.
Ripple also made a multi-billion-dollar bid to acquire the USDC stablecoin issuer Circle. There’s speculation that the offer was in the $4 billion to $5 billion range, but Circle passed, believing the valuation too low as it prepares for an initial public offering.
These are strategic moves that reflect Ripple’s aggressive stance in the digital finance ecosystem — and notably in stablecoins and institutional finance.
Price Analysis And Short-Term Predictions
Recent price action has also led to a significant increase in trading volume at leading exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, which now have 30% more trading volume in XRP than August 30, 2019. Technical indicators have turned positive; there should be resistance that comes into play near the $2.70 level.
XRP 5-Day Price Prediction Table:
| Date | Projected Price | Change from Today |
| May 14 | $2.51 | +0.80% |
| May 15 | $2.58 | +3.61% |
| May 16 | $2.63 | +5.62% |
| May 17 | $2.69 | +8.03% |
| May 18 | $2.64 | +6.02% |
Middle-term projections are cautiously optimistic. Enhanced activity in XRP wallets and institutional wallet inflows could help push the token into the $3 region by mid-year, but macro devices are likely to decide the direction of travel.
Social Platforms’ Reaction to Market
On Reddit, threads with greater optimism have gone up in subreddits such as XRP and CryptoCurrency, and top posts of the day are filled with comments about the SEC settlement and the story of a U.S.-listed spot XRP ETF once more. Conversations on X (formerly known as Twitter) have appeared under hashtags such as XRPArmy and XRP3rd, while market watchers have commented on the coin’s “comeback story” after years of legal limbo.
Final Outlook
And consider the bullish aspects of the situation—major acquisitions in addition to the legal resolution: Boom: XRP is an outstanding contender among the known digital assets. The price is 24% off its all-time high of $3.40 achieved in 2018 when things looked up, but the shitcoin has a pretty clear upside going into the months to come.
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FAQs
1. How did XRP exceed Tether’s market cap?
The 10% price jump experienced by XRP thanks to a big SEC settlement and some smart acquisitions instilled confidence in investors and, modestly, surpassed XRP’s market value above Tether’s.
2. What Ripple’s SEC settlement means for XRP: 3 main takeaways
The settlement, for which Ripple will pay a sum of \$50 million, eliminates a legal roadblock that will enable the company to access previously escrowed funds and potentially rope in more institutional and retail investment into XRP.
3. What does it mean for XRP Ripple buying Hidden Road?
The $1.25 billion purchase can potentially bring prime brokerage to the XRP Ledger and further the utility of the same in institutional finance, extending the footprint of the Ripple ecosystem.
4. Will XRP remain on the top and not give way to Tether?
Performance moving forward can hinge on the demand in the market, Ripple’s sentiment among investors, and its use of the institutional strategy after developments with the settlement and the acquisition.
Glossary of Key Terms
1. XRP
A digital asset built for blazing-fast, cost-efficient, cross-border payments on the XRP Ledger. XRP, created by Ripple, provides liquidity in cross-border payments.
2. Market Capitalization
The combined price of a cryptocurrency is calculated by multiplying its circulating supply by the current price. It’s a measure of ‘how large our assets are’ and ‘how big the market we are perceiving.’
3. Stablecoin
A cryptocurrency whose value is tied to a stable asset (e.g., USD) to avoid volatility. It is actually Tether (USDT) that is the most popular stablecoin in the world.
4. SEC Settlement
Resolution of litigation between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in which Ripple paid $50 million to resolve claims.
5. Institutional Finance
Relates to banking services offered to other companies such as banks, hedge funds, and asset managers. Ripple hopes to tap into this demographic with XRP-driven technologies.
6. XRP Ledger (XRPL)
XRP is used on the Ripple network, an open-source, decentralized system that enables transactions of the currency. It is a blockchain application with customizable tokens, DEX, and various financial application cases with low computation cost.
7. Prime Brokerage
BlockFi is also offering a suite of financial services for institutional clients; trade execution and custody are included. Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road will bring this capability into its ecosystem.
8. Spot ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) Subject to the approval of the Securities and Futures Commission, Hong Kong (“SFC”)
A vehicle that directly owns the underlying asset (in this case, XRP) and operates on stock exchanges. Spot XRP ETF approval is still all rumors.
