Prediction: Ripple Will Soar Over the Next 3 Years. Here's 1 Reason Why.

Key Points

• Ripple has struggled for years to gain mainstream credibility.

• Ripple's reputation is changing fast, and so might adoption.

• 10 stocks we like better than XRP ›

It has been a terrific year for Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP). Since 2025 began, XRP has increased in value by more than 40%. This follows a spectacular 2024 performance that saw this crypto token nearly triple in value.

There's one reason to believe that even more gains are on the way.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

Mass adoption may finally be on the way

I have been skeptical of Ripple's long-term vision for years. From a technological standpoint, Ripple certainly makes sense as a use case. From a cost, speed, and transparency standpoint, Ripple's network is superior to most financial transfer protocols like SWIFT. The upside potential, too, has always been clear. The total value of the world's GDP -- roughly $111 trillion -- gets transacted over the SWIFT financial messaging network every three days. And despite a rapidly rising token price, Ripple's total market cap remains at just $300 billion.

The issue hasn't been fit or upside potential, but rather real-world adoption. The SWIFT network has been in operation for roughly 50 years and has been adopted by nearly every major financial institution on the planet. Ripple, meanwhile, was founded in 2012, after which it faced several major lawsuits and regulatory investigations. Getting centuries-old financial institutions to adopt a novel, crypto-backed network for global monetary transactions has been an uphill battle. But the next few years could change everything.

Image source: Getty Images.

On Aug. 8, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) formally ended its years-long investigation. The overall regulatory environment, meanwhile -- especially in the U.S. -- has improved considerably over the last 12 months. Lawmakers in the U.S. are looking to clarify and expand crypto regulations not to stymie the industry, but to reduce roadblocks and uncertainty in order to speed adoption and innovation.

For years, Ripple's Achilles' heel has been its inability to get buy-in from the traditional finance sector. An improved reputation and regulatory environment could finally be what the project needs to see real traction in its network's adoption.

Should you invest $1,000 in XRP right now?

Before you buy stock in XRP, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and XRP wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $681,260!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,046,676!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,066% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 186% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 8, 2025

Ryan Vanzo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.