XRP (XRP) Price Prediction 2023: Will the Ripple-Linked Token Reclaim Its 2018 Highs?

XRP began soaring after Donald Trump's election win last month, but the crypto's climb turned into a rocketship ride after Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler announced that he will resign effective January 20, 2025.

After Donald Trump's election victory last month, XRP began to rise, but the crypto's ascent turned into a rocketship ride after Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler announced that he will step down, effective January 20, 2025.

The Ripple-linked token reached its early 2018 highs amid rumors of impending regulatory clarity, which would pave the way for US-listed spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

A well-known analyst recently discussed XRP's price activity, suggesting that its rally is just getting started. The analyst, known pseudonymously as CryptoWZRD, compared XRP's current performance to its parabolic rally in 2017, predicting a repeat of the surge in the near future.

Could XRP Retrace 2017 Rally?

CryptoWZRD shared a chart on X, highlighting XRP's tendency to form long-term symmetrical triangle patterns, where resistance levels become strong support. This pattern is evident in the historical price action from 2017, which closely resembles the current setup.

The accompanying chart shows that XRP experienced an explosive breakout from a multi-year consolidation phase. After surging by over 280% in March of that year, the crypto experienced a 40% pullback in the first week of April 2017.

The downtrend continued until late April, with XRP recovering all losses and skyrocketing in May of the same year. The asset continued to rise, reaching its current all-time high of $3.40 in January 2018.

“I'm sorry if you think it's over, it's barely begun. It can't get any easier.. a 2017 style big boom is coming for $XRP,” wrote CryptoWZRD in his post.

Market Developments Fuel Bullish Market Sentiment

A wave of market participants are anticipating a major market rally for XRP, considering a range of bullish developments in the Ripple ecosystem. To provide context, the market anticipates a more favorable regulatory climate for cryptocurrencies following Donald Trump's election.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Ripple for allegedly violating securities laws, leaving XRP's future in the United States in the balance. However, the upcoming regime change has instilled investors with optimism that XRP will face fewer hurdles going forward, potentially being included in spot ETFs.

Additionally, some crypto pundits have argued that Ripple's upcoming launch of the RLUSD stablecoin will create several tailwinds for XRP, primarily by providing the San Francisco-based blockchain payments firm with a less volatile asset to expand its remittance and settlement services.

At the time of writing, XRP is still around 28.2% away from its record high of $3.40, but it's closer than it has been in about seven years.