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It is safe to say that the vast majority of cryptocurrency investors are looking to find the next unicorn. The “unicorn” in question is, of course, Bitcoin. Those who have held onto Bitcoin all these years are now seeing unheard-of heights that could have never been imagined.

While it may be a bit lofty to look for that level of success, there are investments worth pursuing. Many are wondering if XRP is one of those. What is the XRP price today? Is it worth getting involved in? Despite recent performances, now may be the best time to start investing in XRP.

Trending Down, But Not for Long?

Whether it comes to running a business or investing, it is important to remember that not everything can be a linear rise. Even majorly successful tokens like Bitcoin have had challenging periods with massive drops. Just because XRP is down now doesn't mean that it isn’t an investment to pursue.

Though it has come down since August, XRP is actually up substantially from this time a year ago. Consider that it was trading for $0.54 per token in October 2024 and is now at roughly $2.37 per token. That’s a good sign for the long-term viability of XRP and its potential as an investment.

Cross-Border Payment System

One of the reasons to be high on XRP as an investment is because of its potential as a cross-border payment system. When it was created, it was initially meant to be the “bridge currency” that facilitates international money transfers using the XRP Ledger. These payments are substantially cheaper and at a higher speed than traditional payment systems like SWIFT.

Given the expensive transaction fees – sometimes $20, $30, or $40 per transaction – it is easy to see how XRP could be an enticing option. Transaction fees are, on average, roughly a fraction of a cent. That is unbeatable and can swing momentum toward XRP as a trusted payment method that saves users a substantial amount of money on every transaction.

Improving Regulatory Clarity

There is little doubt that regulatory issues were a major hang-up for potential investors of XRP. Ripple, the company that created XRP, had a multi-year battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States. The latter was filed based on the claim that Ripple was selling XRP as an unregistered security.

That suit has since been resolved, and it appears that the door is open for clearer regulations as it pertains to XRP. Coupled with the fact that the current presidential administration has been very vocally pro-crypto, it is easy to get the feeling that XRP could be on an upward trajectory in the near future. There is also the fact that it has been around since 2012, showing that it has staying power even in the face of regulatory challenges.

ETF Potential

Finally, there is the matter of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In early 2025, we saw the potential of crypto ETFs realised with spot Bitcoin ETFs. Ripple has filed for approval of XRP ETFs, though the U.S. government shutdown has put a pause on that process for the time being.

ETFs have been incredible for crypto in that they remove some of the more traditional barriers that kept investors from getting involved. They buy, sell, and trade in the same manner that traditional investments do, making it possible for less experienced investors to get involved without needing the technical knowledge that comes with crypto. Those lower barriers mean potentially greater investor involvement, which means a potentially massive influx of assets staked in XRP.