For years, XRP has been underestimated, dismissed, and overshadowed by Bitcoin. Yet, those who truly understand its role in global finance know that XRP is poised to become the dominant digital asset for institutional liquidity. As Ripple’s escrow runs dry and adoption accelerates, the supply-demand equation will drive XRP’s price into five-digit territory.
Some will call this prediction unrealistic, just as they did when Bitcoin was $100. But the fundamentals are clear: XRP is the future of global settlements, and a $10,000 valuation is inevitable. Here’s why
1. Institutional Adoption Will Drive Unprecedented Demand
XRP is not a retail-driven asset; it is designed for banks, payment providers, and financial institutions. With Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) expanding globally, the demand for XRP as a bridge currency will outpace anything seen before in crypto
- Financial giants need high-liquidity assets that can move value instantly
- XRP’s speed, scalability, and regulatory clarity position it as the best option for institutions
- As more financial institutions integrate XRP into their settlement infrastructure, demand will reach levels unseen in crypto markets before
Related: 3 Reasons Why Market Cap Doesn’t Matter for XRP
2. Escrow Depletion Will Create a Supply Shock
There’s just under 100,000,000,000 XRPs. Ripple holds approximately 42% of that in escrow, releasing a chunk of XRP every month, but this is temporary. By 2035, all XRP in escrow will be fully distributed, and there will be no more scheduled supply injections
- Once escrow depletes, institutions and whales will have to acquire XRP either from the open market or through OTC deals
- This will create a supply squeeze causing price to skyrocket
- But even prior to that, there’s still not enough XRP in circulation to satisfy the trillions of dollars of liquidity that financial institutions require at scale. This alone results in a massive price surge within just 1 or 2 years from now
By comparison on the basis of escrow depletion alone, Bitcoin halvings occur every four years whereas with XRP, escrow depletion is a complete supply cutoff, a far bigger event than any BTC halving
3. XRP Will Flip Bitcoin as the #1 Crypto Asset
Bitcoin’s dominance is based on first-mover advantage, not technological superiority. XRP, however, is a faster, cheaper, and more scalable asset, making it the perfect solution for global liquidity
- Bitcoin’s energy consumption and slow transaction speeds make it impractical for global finance
- XRP’s utility as an instant settlement bridge will push it into the top spot
- When XRP surpasses BTC, institutional money will flood into XRP, pushing it toward $10,000
4. Retail Investors Will Front-Run the Supply Crunch
Smart retail investors don’t wait for institutions to buy. They accumulate early in anticipation of demand
- Once investors recognize the inevitability of XRP’s supply shock, they will buy aggressively before demand drive’s the price up
- This is the same front-running behavior seen with Bitcoin, where early adopters accumulated before institutions like BlackRock and MicroStrategy entered the market
- The result? A self-reinforcing price explosion as FOMO kicks in and late buyers scramble for supply
5. Tokenization & CBDCs Will Supercharge XRP’s Liquidity
The future of finance is tokenization, with real-world assets (RWAs) moving onto blockchain networks. XRP Ledger is perfectly positioned to facilitate this transition
- Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) will rely on high-liquidity bridge assets like XRP
- Real estate, commodities, and securities will be tokenized on XRP Ledger
- As trillions of dollars move through XRP-powered networks, demand will skyrocket, solidifying a $10,000+ price floor
Also Read: How XRP Eliminates Nostro/Vostro Accounts and Streamlines Correspondent Banking
Bottom Line
A $10,000 XRP is not price hype, it’s the logical outcome of fundamental economic forces. Institutional adoption, escrow depletion, Bitcoin’s decline, retail front-running, and a tokenization boom will drive XRP to become the dominant digital asset