American investing advice company Motley Fool recently assessed where $XRPcould be in the next few years amid the ongoing downturn.

While Ripple has made progress in its operations, $XRPhas continuedto move in line withthe broader crypto market’s decline, down 28% this year alone. As the market continues to underperform, Motley Fool explored where $XRPcould stand over the next five years.

cto meaning crypto - American Investing Firm Discusses Where XRP Could Be in 5 Years

Key Points

  • Motley Fool argued that $XRPmay struggle to keep up with the crypto market over the next five years due to a disconnect between Ripple’s growth and the token’s value.
  • According to them, $RLUSD’s introduction gives institutions a more stable option than $XRP.
  • Ripple executives, including Brad Garlinghouse, have repeatedly affirmed that $XRPremains central to the company’s strategy.
  • Ripple continues to expand the $XRPecosystem through initiatives like decentralized funding programs, AI-driven security upgrades, and new treasury tools.

Weak $XRPPrice Momentum Despite Major Catalysts

Accordingto Motley Fool, Ripple’s growing success may not necessarily translate into gains for $XRPinvestors. The firm pointed outthat $XRPhas droppedmore than 60% from its peak near $3.65 lastJuly and now trades around $1.30.

cto meaning crypto - American Investing Firm Discusses Where XRP Could Be in 5 Years

This puts it roughly at the same level it held before the U.S. SEC settled its case with Ripple and before spot $XRPETFs launched in the United States. Motley Fool stressed that these two major events, which many expected to boost the price, have passed without creating lasting momentum.

The investing advice company claimed that $XRPmay continue to struggle in the short termand could fall behind the broader crypto market over the next five years.

They clarified that this opinion does not mean Ripple itself is underperforming. Instead, they believe that Ripple’s business growth and $XRP’s price do not always move together, and as more investors beginto understand this, the excitement aroundthe token could fade.

Ripple’s Two-Part Business

The firm noted that Ripple’s business has two main parts. The first is a settlement messaging system used by major banks and financial institutions. They argued that this system does not rely on $XRP. According to Motley Fool, these institutions generally prefer not to deal with a volatile asset.

The second part serves smaller institutions and uses$XRPto help move money across bordersby converting funds into $XRPand then into another currency.However, Motley Fool noted that the first segment handles much more volume, while the $XRP-based segment is still too small to have a strong impact on the token’s value.

$RLUSD’s Introduction

Motley Fool also calledattention to changes in Ripple’s strategy that could affect$XRP’s role going forward.Notably, the blockchain payments company has startedpromoting its stablecoin, $RLUSD,as an important partof its payment solutions.

Since $RLUSDcan serve the same purpose as $XRPin cross-border transactions, institutions now have a choice between using a stable asset or a more volatile one. According to Motley Fool, this showsRipple is tryingto keep up withthe risingdemand for stablecoins.

The firm noted that Ripple’s website now highlightsstablecoin payments as a key featureof its platform.While this approach could strengthen Ripple as a company, Motley Fool argued that it may not benefit $XRPholders, since Ripple can succeed regardless of which asset is used.

Ripple’s Continued Commitment to $XRPin 2026

Despite these claims, Ripple has continued to show support for $XRPthroughout 2026. In February, CEO Brad Garlinghouse said on X that the $XRPcommunity remains a top priority for the company. Within the same month, during the opening of $XRPCommunity Day 2026, he called$XRPthe North StarbehindRipple’s long-term plans.

The event, held from Feb. 11 to 12, 2026, featured leaders, including President Monica Longand former CTO David Schwartz. They spoke about several developments, including regulated $XRPinvestment products, wrapped $XRP, and new features to expand its use.

Later, on Feb.26, 2026, Ripple shared plans to grow the $XRPLedger ecosystem through more decentralized funding, including initiatives likeXAO DAO, new accelerator programs, and institutional efforts.

Ripple also introducedpotential AI-based security upgrades in March 2026 to improve the safety and reliability of the $XRPLedger. Earlier in the year, in January 2026, Garlinghouse had already highlighted $XRP’s ongoing role in cross-border payments alongside $RLUSD.

More recently, Ripple launchedDigital Asset Accounts and Unified Treasury as part of its Ripple Treasury platform. The system allowsfinancial managers to handle$XRP, $RLUSD, and traditional currencies togetherin one place.