A prediction that XRP could reach the astounding value of $18000. This prediction, which generates as much enthusiasm as skepticism within the crypto community, deserves a thorough examination.

This document, prepared by several financial experts, presents five different valuation models to estimate XRP's future price.

A collective of financial analysts specializing in cryptocurrencies has published a study suggesting that XRP could reach the astounding value of $18,000. This prediction, which generates as much enthusiasm as skepticism within the crypto community, deserves a thorough examination.

A report predicts an XRP at $18,000

In June 2023, a month before the historic ruling by Judge Analisa Torres declaring that XRP was not a security, Valhill Capital released a white paper titled “A comprehensive approach to determining the fair market value of XRP.”

This document, prepared by several financial experts, presents five different valuation models to estimate XRP’s future price. Among these models, the “XRP Valuation Model No. 4” stands out particularly for its extreme optimism, suggesting a potential price of $18,036 per token.

This analysis rests on the assumption that Ripple, the company behind XRP, would manage a substantial share of global financial transactions over the next decade.

The model uses the discounted cash flow (DCF) method and relies on several ambitious parameters: an estimated baseline global transaction volume of $104 trillion, a 2% economic growth rate over ten years (2023-2032), and a discount rate of 10%.

In this ideal scenario, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) would gradually replace traditional systems like SWIFT, thus becoming the backbone of international money transfers.

The model calculates a total current value of transactions of $915 trillion, which, distributed over a circulating supply of 50.7 billion XRP, leads to this estimate of $18,036 per token.

The reality of the market against optimistic forecasts

Since the electoral victory of Donald Trump, the price of XRP has seen a significant increase, approaching its all-time high of $3.41. This progression has fueled overflowing optimism within the investor community, with increasingly ambitious predictions circulating on social media over the last three months, ranging from $100 to $1,000 per token.

However, upon closer examination of the conditions necessary for such a value explosion, it is clear that the current reality is quite different from the projections. As of February 28, 2025, there is no official confirmation to assert that XRP has been fully integrated by a major U.S. bank for cross-border payments or internal transactions.

While RippleNet, Ripple’s payment network, maintains connections with several large American financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase or Wells Fargo, only PNC Bank and Bank of America have established verifiable partnerships.

Conflicting information is also circulating. A viral clip shows David Stryzewski, CEO of Sound Planning Group, stating that Bank of America has used RippleNet and XRP for “100% of its internal transactions” for two years.

However, this statement is questioned by XRP ledger transaction statistics, which do not show a volume corresponding to the 1.2 to 1.5 million daily transactions that an institution of this size would conduct.

Similarly, Vittorio DiBenedetto, an employee of Wells Fargo, has categorically denied rumors regarding the adoption of XRP by his bank, labeling this information as “fake news.”

The future of XRP, between legitimate hopes and necessary realism

If XRP has indeed seen notable progress over the past twelve months, particularly following the filing of several spot ETF applications for XRP by various fund managers in February 2025, the reality of its adoption remains well below the projections put forward in the Valhill Capital white paper.

For XRP to reach a value of $18,000 by 2030, RippleNet and its native token would need to become the dominant system for global value transfers, replacing financial infrastructures established for decades.

Although Ripple’s technological innovation presents undeniable advantages in terms of transaction speed and cost, the probability of such a radical transformation of the global financial system within such a short timeframe remains, according to experts, “infinitesimal.” Will XRP eventually dethrone Bitcoin? This scenario seems more like fantasy than reality.

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