After nearly six years of back-and-forth, Ripple’s (XRP) long-running lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) came to a close, removing one of the biggest clouds hanging over the project. With that chapter behind it, XRP’s new narrative is quickly taking shape.
Market analyst Jake Claver has been outspoken about the pitfalls awaiting unprepared investors.“When we see some major price action come for XRP, I’ve got uncomfortable news for you… a lot of exchanges won’t have the liquidity to let you exit at market value. With the supply shock, institutional buyers dominate OTC, and retail will get stuck fighting for exposure through ETFs and DATs.”
Claver stresses that simply holding XRP isn’t a guaranteed path to wealth. Many investors assume their holdings alone will make them rich, but without preparing with secure custody, smart tax planning, and proper wealth structures before the market shifts, they risk losing out on long-term gains.
Just as most lottery winners eventually go broke, Claver believes many newly minted crypto millionaires could face the same fate if they don’t plan ahead.
He urged investors to set clear target numbers in advance and avoid letting fear dictate when to exit. Custody is a top priority, since cryptocurrency exchanges can freeze assets at any time, leaving holders as creditors rather than true owners. That’s why Jake recommends moving funds into secure institutional custody solutions or, at the very least, into hardware wallets like D’Cent.
Just as important is building wealth infrastructure early: forming single-member LLCs in Wyoming, using capital contribution pages to list wallet addresses without triggering taxable events, and setting up asset protection trusts that need years to mature.
He points out that investors need to understand what will truly fuel XRP’s next leg up. This isn’t about retail FOMO driving a quick surge anymore; it’s about banks settling transactions, derivatives moving under smart contract governance, and stablecoins relying on a neutral bridge asset. Institutional demand is different; it’s now steady, disciplined, and far less prone to dumping than retail speculation.
“Banks are realizing they can’t analyze risk across $400B+ in derivatives without distributed ledger technology. Project ION has been running in tandem with DTCC since 2022, just waiting for enough liquidity in a digital asset with regulatory clarity,” Claver explained.
Institutional demand for XRP is happening now. Recently, CNF reported that Thumzup Media, backed by Trump-aligned investors, has added XRP and other tokens to its treasury. In Japan, gaming and blockchain firm Gumi announced a 2.5 billion yen ($17 million) purchase of XRP, further underscoring the asset’s appeal to institutions
On the infrastructure side, Ripple has integrated bridges with over 11,000 SWIFT-connected banks worldwide, positioning XRP as a potential challenger to SWIFT’s dominance in global cross-border payments. So far, XRP has climbed 9.66% in the past week and an impressive 463% over the past year.
Currently trading around $3.03, the token faces short-term resistance at $3.30, with potential downside support at the $3.150 and $3.20 zones if it fails to break higher.