The excitement around XRP exchange-traded funds lifted hopes for a big price breakout this year. Analysts talked about double and even triple-digit rallies, and many expected XRP to at least surge past $3 once the ETF wave arrived. But the reality has been far more restrained. Even with five XRP ETFs now trading, the token is still stuck close to the $2 range, pressured by the broader crypto downturn.
This has raised a key question for investors: Can XRP still hit double-digit prices, and what would it take to get there?
In an interview with Coinpedia, Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder and CEO of Pi42, addressed the growing belief that ETF inflows could push XRP into the $10-plus zone. He said many people assume that ETF demand alone can drive XRP into double digits, but the picture is more complex.
According to Shekhar, ETF inflows can boost liquidity, improve price discovery, and create short-term upside. But this alone cannot support a sustained rally to $10 or above. He explained that a long-term, stable rise in valuation depends on real-world demand, not just financial flows.
Shekhar said XRP needs stronger adoption in areas where it was originally designed to operate, such as payment rails, remittances, and commercial settlements. Growth in these sectors could increase transaction volume, institutional use, and real liquidity — the kind that supports higher price ranges without creating bubbles.
He warned that relying only on ETF hype raises the risk of fast reversals if market sentiment weakens or macro conditions shift. Crypto inflows can change quickly, and without fundamental utility, XRP could struggle to maintain any major breakout.
“If ETF inflows are paired with durable increases in payments volume and institutional use cases, higher price brackets become plausible,” he said.
A move into double-digit territory becomes more realistic if two factors happen at the same time:
- ETF inflows keep building, improving liquidity and market depth.
- Real adoption grows, especially in remittance corridors and enterprise payment systems.
