XRP Leader Says Whale Manipulation Won’t Decide Crypto’s Long-Term Future

A senior executive at Ripple has said that expectations for XRP reaching $100 should be viewed with caution, arguing that large price jumps become less likely as crypto assets mature.

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David Schwartz, made the comments while responding to questions from XRP holders comparing XRP’s future price potential with Bitcoin’s early rise.

Focus on Multiples, Not Price Targets

Schwartz said the probability of XRP reaching $100 depends less on the number itself and more on the size of the price increase required. He explained that a 10-times move in XRP today is about as unlikely as a similar 10-times move in Bitcoin or Ethereum at their current sizes.

According to Schwartz, as crypto assets grow larger and more established, achieving large multiples becomes increasingly difficult.

Markets Tend to Price in Expectations

Schwartz said crypto markets are generally rational over the long term, even if individual traders are not. He argued that enough well-funded and rational participants exist to create effective price ceilings and floors.

In his view, the current prices of major cryptocurrencies already reflect a market-wide estimate of their future value, adjusted for the likelihood of those outcomes.

On Claims of Market Manipulation

Addressing concerns about whale manipulation, Schwartz said short-term price moves can sometimes be influenced, particularly in smaller markets. However, he said he does not believe manipulation can sustainably control long-term price trends in major cryptocurrencies such as XRP.

He acknowledged that this view is not widely shared and added that he does not have definitive evidence to settle the debate, noting that many investors believe manipulation plays a larger role.

“While I do thing some crypto markets are sometimes manipulated, I cannot get myself to believe that this could affect long-term prices and price trends. But I will admit that I don’t really have good evidence to support this view and many others believe otherwise,” he said.