XRP's price dropped significantly, reducing its market cap and ranking.
The decline is attributed to increased selling pressure and market speculation, potentially linked to the delayed RLUSD token launch.
RLUSD is designed to enhance the XRP Ledger, not replace XRP, and may even contribute to XRP's future growth.
XRP recently saw a significant price drop, falling from $2.59 to $2.31 within just 24 hours. This 12% decline also reduced its market cap to $131.42 billion, causing XRP to lose its spot as the third-largest cryptocurrency, now behind Tether (USDT). Additionally, futures trading volume dropped from $32 billion to $16 billion, signaling a decrease in market activity.
Here’s everything you should know.
Why Did XRPโs Price Fall?
The price drop is mainly due to increased selling pressure and market speculation, especially after the delay of Rippleโs RLUSD token launch. This delay has sparked concerns in the community that RLUSD could negatively affect XRP, which was initially set to operate on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
However, many analysts dismiss these fears, and hereโs why theyโre not a major concern.
RLUSD Wonโt Replace XRP, It Will Enhance It
Vincent Van Code, a key figure in the XRP community, cleared up the confusion around Rippleโs RLUSD token. He confirmed that RLUSD will not replace XRP but will enhance the XRP Ledger. XRP remains the backbone of the XRPL, enabling efficient cross-border transactions and addressing the flaws of traditional forex systems.
Through XRP, currencies like AUD and USD can be paired directly with it, cutting costs and boosting efficiency.
A key feature of the XRP Ledger is its auto-bridging capability, which makes currency conversions easy. For example, sending RLUSD to someone in RLYEN is smooth due to XRPLโs decentralized exchange (DEX) and automated market maker (AMM) pools. These pools help stabilize prices and keep things running smoothly, even during market volatility.
XRP continues to play a central role in powering this system.
Rippleโs Strategy
Rippleโs CTO, David Schwartz, emphasized that XRP is vital to the XRPL because it is decentralized and doesnโt rely on a middleman. While RLUSD introduces new features to the ecosystem, it works alongside XRP rather than replacing it. Experts believe RLUSDโs launch could increase XRPโs value over time, with predictions ranging from modest gains to a potential high of $10 within a year.
Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse mentioned that RLUSD will mainly target large institutional players. He added that once RLUSD is available, Ripple will use both RLUSD and XRP in its cross-border payment solutions, improving the overall user experience.
Is RLUSD a Threat to XRP?
While itโs still unclear whether RLUSD poses a threat to XRP, XRPโs recent rise toward the end of the year shows it still has strong growth potential. The launch of RLUSD could provide a boost to this positive momentum, rather than acting as a setback.
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XRPโs resilience and its crucial role in the XRPL keeps it firmly in the spotlight.
FAQs
XRP fell from $2.59 to $2.31 due to increased selling pressure and speculation surrounding the delayed RLUSD token launch.
No, RLUSD complements XRP on XRPL. XRP remains core to cross-border transactions and auto-bridging features.
Yes, experts believe RLUSD’s launch could drive XRP adoption, with predictions of a potential price increase in 2025.