Is There a Future for XRP?

It's easy to be bearish on XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) right now. At a recent price of $2.55, the world's fifth-largest cryptocurrency is down 30% from its 52-week high of $3.65 from mid-July. And some investors are now predicting that XRP might slide past the $2 mark soon.

But now is no time to give up on XRP. Here's why.

Real-world use cases

Unlike many cryptocurrencies, there are legitimate, real-world use cases for XRP. In other words, it offers real utility. XRP is a bridge currency used to transfer value within the Ripple payment network. Simply stated, it's faster and cheaper to move money with XRP blockchain technology than with existing technology.

This has enormous implications for cross-border payments, which is why banks and other financial institutions have embraced XRP. Over 300 financial institutions use the Ripple payment network, and 20 major institutions specifically use XRP for faster, low-cost cross-border payments. That's why XRP is sometimes referred to as "the banker's coin."

As long as Ripple (the company that created the token) can find new use cases for XRP and continue to integrate it into existing financial architecture, then XRP very much has a future.

Where does XRP go from here?

In August, Ripple wrapped up its long-running SEC lawsuit, freeing it up to get back to business as usual. Moreover, the pro-crypto agenda of the Trump administration ensures that creative use cases for crypto will continue to be embraced by major banks and Wall Street institutions.

While it might be asking too much for XRP to double in value this year (as many expected earlier this year), there's a case to be made that XRP should be trading closer to $4 than $2 by the end of the year. That's the type of upside that should be worth a closer look.

Dominic Basulto has positions in XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.