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XRP Surges, Reaches Market Cap High as Memecoins Hit XRP Ledger
- XRP has shown remarkable growth in 2025, reaching a market cap of US$185.5 billion despite a December dip and remains below its 2018 all-time high of US$3.84.
- The anticipated SEC leadership change from Gary Gensler to Paul Atkins could benefit XRP through potential lawsuit dismissal and a more crypto-friendly regulatory approach.
- The XRP ecosystem is expanding with the RLUSD stablecoin and new memecoins like ARMY, which gained 161% before a recent pullback to maintain a US$84.8 million market cap.
XRP has gained a whopping 40% week-on-week, continuing the rally it had started in late 2024. The coin dropped some 23% in late December, but 2025 has been rather good for the crypto which now boasts the third largest market cap.
The market cap of XRP is now a staggering US$185.5 billion (AU$298.75 billion) as the price per coin has reached US$3.23 (AU$5.20), still short of its all-time high (ATH) from 2018 when it set the record at US$3.84 (AU$6.18).
Related: XRP Moves Past $3 for the First Time Since 2018, Ripple Says SEC Appeal ‘Noise’
The question on the mind of probably every XRP Army veteran is: wen all-time high?
Given that Gary Gensler is leaving the helm of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and making way for Paul Atkins – which is likely a much more crypto-friendly choice – things have never looked better for XRP.
Although the lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple is still in the appeals process, it might be dismissed under Atkins’ leadership, with reports suggesting the agency is considering reviewing current crypto cases.
Memecoins on XRPL See Surge in Popularity
This, and the positive court ruling, which stands for now, give XRP a clear path forward as a non-security.
There’s also the Spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the US which could be approved under new SEC management.
All this, combined with the RLUSD stablecoin and recent arrival of memecoins to the XRP Ledger (XRPL), paints a positive picture for one of the oldest altcoins.
Related: Fun No More: Law Firm Pursues Legal Action Against Pump.fun as Platform Cashes in Millions
One of the most prominent XRP-based projects, ARMY, a memecoin with an obvious nod to the XRP Army, has gained 161% over the past week, hitting an ATH of US$0.19 (AU$0.30) on January 16, but has since retraced some of these gains, currently down 24% from the top.
The token, with the supply of (fittingly) 589 million, currently has a market cap of US$84.8 million (AU$136.56 million).
Other notable memecoins on XRPL are PHNIX and LIHUA, with the former up 59% over the past week, but the latter losing 20% during the same time frame.
Author
Aaron Feuerstein
Aaron Feuerstein is a freelance writer based in Melbourne. His focus is on decentralised finance and the regulatory space surrounding blockchain. He holds a Master's in Accounting. When he is not studying the latest legal case, he enjoys his time as a modest but eager hobby cook.
