## The XRP Misunderstanding That Market Still Gets Wrong

**Why XRP Remains Underestimated in 2025**

There's a persistent misconception plaguing the crypto community: XRP is yesterday's story. This narrative couldn't be more misguided. The recent GENIUS Act legislative push has fundamentally reframed how compliant payment assets should function in the digital finance ecosystem. Unlike speculative tokens, truly regulated payment-type cryptocurrencies now have clear regulatory pathways forward.

**Ripple's Compliance Strategy and XRP's Role**

Ripple's steady rollout of RLUSD demonstrates this shift in action. With federally custodied reserves and strict compliance mechanisms, the stablecoin framework is reshaping institutional adoption. Here's where XRP fits as the critical piece: it functions as the settlement intermediary connecting RLUSD and real-world assets within Ripple's ecosystem. This isn't speculative positioning—it's infrastructural necessity.

**The Actual Use Case Behind the Hype**

From cross-chain liquidity distribution to institutional payment flows, XRP is being positioned as the settlement mechanism for on-chain dollar movements. The current price sits at $1.85, reflecting early-stage institutional positioning rather than peak euphoria. Each regulatory alignment strengthens XRP's moat as a payment-layer asset, distinguishing it from countless non-functional tokens.

**Why This Wave Differs**

This isn't FOMO-driven momentum. Institutional liquidity entering the space is fundamentally different from retail speculation. The misconception that XRP's potential has expired ignores the massive infrastructure buildout still underway. Whether this represents the beginning or an intermediate phase remains to be seen, but the directional thesis appears increasingly grounded in regulatory reality rather than hype cycles.