Ripple President Monica Long recently shared her optimism regarding the future of an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), suggesting that it could become a reality sooner than many expect. Speaking to Bloomberg on Tuesday, Long expressed confidence that the changing U.S. administration could accelerate the approval process for such financial products, which would further cement XRP’s position in the market.
“I think we’re very close to seeing an XRP ETF,” Long stated. “With the shift in the administration, we anticipate that the approval of crypto spot ETFs, including XRP, will gain significant momentum, and we could see this happen in the near future, following the footsteps of bitcoin and ether.”
Ripple’s president also highlighted the positive regulatory environment for U.S.-based crypto firms under the new leadership, which she believes will benefit Ripple’s expansion efforts. Long specifically mentioned Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, which has seen significant adoption since its December launch on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger. RLUSD has quickly gained traction, with a market capitalization of $72 million as of Wednesday, and Ripple plans to roll it out across more exchanges soon.
In the same breath, Long noted Ripple’s recent partnership with Chainlink, which will enhance RLUSD’s utility within decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, further bolstering Ripple’s presence in the broader crypto ecosystem.
Looking at the broader picture, Ripple’s confidence is reflected in the company’s recent business growth. Long noted that Ripple signed more U.S. deals in the final six weeks of 2024 than in the previous six months, pointing to the business-friendly environment post-election.
Since Donald Trump’s victory, XRP has seen a dramatic price increase, rising more than 300%, largely driven by speculation about a more crypto-friendly regulatory landscape in the U.S. This growth outpaces that of other major cryptocurrencies, underscoring XRP’s potential in the market with a favorable regulatory outlook.