Ripple’s pursuit of full banking status is a major topic of discussion within the XRP community, with some analysts and enthusiasts speculating whether this regulatory milestone could propel XRP to unprecedented price levels. The company’s financial standing, its expanding institutional presence, and developments within the XRP Ledger (XRPL) infrastructure are fueling ambitious forecasts, including a target of $25 per coin.
Ripple’s Banking Approval: A Key Factor
In December 2025, Ripple received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national bank charter, a first for a crypto-native company. This charter paves the way for the establishment of Ripple National Trust Bank, which will handle custody and manage reserves for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin.
A viral post on X from the XRP enthusiast account KingXRP claimed that Ripple had “officially obtained a banking license,” with its valuation exceeding $120 billion. While this statement reflects the excitement surrounding the development, it lacks crucial context. The OCC conditionally approved Ripple’s application to establish Ripple National Trust Bank. However, Ripple has also applied for a Federal Reserve master account, which would allow the trust bank to directly access FedWire and FedNow systems and hold dollar reserves at the central bank. Gaining this access would integrate Ripple into the core infrastructure of the U.S. payments system.
What XRP Needs to Reach $25
Ripple’s most recent publicly reported private valuation was approximately $40 billion following a $500 million strategic investment round. However, Ripple holds an estimated 42 billion XRP on its balance sheet. Approximately 4.5 billion to 6.4 billion XRP are held directly in company wallets, while roughly 33 billion XRP are locked in cryptographic escrow accounts. If Ripple holds 40 billion XRP and the price returns to $3, those holdings alone would be worth about $120 billion on paper.
A move to $25 would require XRP to become more than just an asset reacting to news headlines, and its banking approval would need to contribute to a wider adoption cycle. With a current circulating supply of about 61.9 billion XRP, a $25 price would place its market value above $1.5 trillion. According to KingXRP, if XRP surpasses $25, Ripple’s balance sheet alone could exceed $240 billion, potentially positioning the company among the top 10 banks globally.
Supporting the idea of banking approval driving broader adoption, infrastructure is being built on the XRP Ledger. One notable development involves RealFi Payment Solutions, which recently announced a partnership with Shopify to develop the first XRP Ledger-powered payment rewards application for global e-commerce.
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