XRP breaks all-time high across major exchanges

XRP has smashed through its previous record, hitting an all-time high of $3.37 on major exchanges Binance, Kraken, and Bitfinex, setting the crypto community ablaze.

The explosive rally came through a combination of factors—whale activity, bullish market sentiment, recent wins in Ripple’s ongoing fight with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), coupled with the new leadership at the agency.

It’s no wonder “XRP Army” is blowing up on X (formerly Twitter)—they’re partying like it’s 2017. Ripple Labs, based in San Francisco, got slapped with an SEC lawsuit back in 2020 when the regulator said that Ripple is an unregistered security.

Fast forward to 2025. A U.S. court ruled that XRP is a security when sold to big institutional investors but not when sold to everyday people. That split decision was a massive “W” for the crypto crowd.

The SEC has made attempts to appeal. However, with a Trump-backed pro-crypto SEC chair stepping in, who knows if that appeal will even get off the ground?

Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, took to X and said the Trump administration’s moves are giving crypto a serious glow-up. He even threw out the phrase, “The ‘Trump effect’ is already making crypto great again.”

Now, a crypto-friendly SEC could mean green lights for a wave of new crypto ETFs. Brad said that an XRP ETF isn’t a matter of if—it’s when. With institutional money pouring into crypto, the train’s already leaving the station.

Whales make waves as XRP soars

Whale Alert spotted a massive transfer of 30 million XRP, worth roughly $76.1 million, from South Korea’s Upbit exchange to an unidentified wallet. Big moves like these raise red flags for analysts, who interpret them as potential market-shifting plays.

This isn’t just about one big transfer, though. Whale activity across the board has spiked, and the market is responding. Open interest for XRP derivatives shot up 22.66% to hit a jaw-dropping $7.7 billion, according to Coinglass data.

Positive funding rates are adding fuel to the fire, showing that traders are overwhelmingly betting on XRP’s upward momentum.

Former SEC official John Reed Stark believes most of the agency’s crypto investigations could grind to a halt under the new administration.

Speculation is even swirling about a potential U.S. Bitcoin reserve. Reports suggest the incoming administration might stockpile seized tokens and even purchase assets like XRP, Solana, and USDC. While unconfirmed, the rumor is the biggest catalyst right now.