According to blockchain researcher Edo Farina, XRP's next major re-rating won't come from retail traders chasing headlines. Instead, it will be driven by banks quietly adding the token to their balance sheets.
Farina, founder of Alpha Lions Academy, pointed out that in the past when Bitcoin traded near $50,000 and XRP was below $0.40, months later Bitcoin doubled from its cycle low while XRP surged past $3. This demonstration showed that XRP can significantly outperform without relying on Bitcoin's price action.
The real proof point is still ahead, Farina said, as the shift towards institutional adoption of XRP gains momentum. When institutions begin holding XRP as treasury liquidity or settlement collateral, valuation models will change completely.
Farina cited various indicators that support XRP's real utility beyond its role as a bridge currency, including Ripple's regulatory relationships across multiple jurisdictions and the XRP Ledger's native decentralized exchange running since 2012. He also noted rising bank interest in tokenized deposits and stablecoins, alongside discussions at the IMF and the Bank for International Settlements around tokenized financial markets.