Ripple USD (RLUSD) and Ripple Ecosystem Developments

Current Market Position

  • Close price (28 Oct 2025): $0.999158
  • 52‑week high: $1.02041 (20 Dec 2024)
  • 52‑week low: $0.991147 (20 Dec 2024)
  • Market capitalization: $897 843 817.30

Expanded Payment Acceptance

SwissBullion.eu has added Ripple’s XRP and Ethereum (ETH) to its list of accepted payment methods for precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The move is aimed at providing faster, borderless settlements for international clients and reflects growing client demand for cryptocurrency payments.

Focus on Utility versus Price

On 30 Oct 2025, crypto expert Scott Melker questioned the ongoing utility of XRP in an ecosystem that has become dominated by fiat‑backed stablecoins. His comments reignited debate over whether XRP’s value is driven primarily by its price rather than a defensible use case within a broader financial ecosystem.

Growth of the RLUSD Stablecoin

  • Milestones: RLUSD has reached new market milestones, with an attestation report released on 30 Oct 2025 that confirms its regulatory compliance and operational integrity.
  • Banking License Pursuit: Ripple is pursuing a banking license for RLUSD‑backed instruments (XRPRLUSDNYLA), a development that could significantly increase the stablecoin’s institutional visibility.
  • Record Adoption: Institutional firms have allocated $11 billion to XRP and RLUSD, indicating a shift toward broader institutional adoption within the past quarter.

Market Analysis and Forecasts

  • Elliot Wave Prediction: An analyst forecasts that XRP could reach $10 in the near to medium term, citing the second phase of an Elliot Wave pattern and recent robust ETF inflows.
  • Recent Price Trend: XRP has moved sideways in recent days, trading at $2.6290 on 29 Oct 2025, a 50 % increase from its lowest point that month.

XRP Ledger Expansion

  • Q3 2025 Performance: The XRP Ledger recorded a market cap of $364 million in tokenized real‑world assets, up from $131.6 million in Q2.
  • Total Value Locked: The decentralized finance ecosystem on the XRPL grew to $90 million.
  • Market Ranking: Ripple (XRP) finished Q3 2025 as the fourth‑largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with a quarterly close of $170.3 billion.

Academic and Research Initiatives

Ripple launched the University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) Advisory Council and allocated over $1.5 million in RLUSD to academic institutions. The initiative supports university partnerships and validator projects, strengthening Ripple’s engagement with the research community.

The latest developments indicate that Ripple is broadening the utility of its native token XRP and its stablecoin RLUSD through expanded payment options, regulatory compliance milestones, and institutional partnerships. While expert opinion remains divided on the intrinsic utility of XRP, market activity suggests increasing acceptance of Ripple’s products across both retail and institutional segments.