The cryptocurrency market is once again in full swing as the altcoin season returns, opening up new prospects for traders and investors. XRP is hitting multi-year highs, and projected updates and rumors of ETFs are further fueling interest in the token. However, will XRP holders finally be able to seize the moment and make money? Let’s dive into the trends, risks, and forecasts.
Is the altcoin season back?
As of December 3, the altcoin season index achieved 83, setting a record since January 2024. This shows that most of the top 100 cryptocurrencies have outperformed bitcoin over the past 90 days. About the start of the alt-season hinted even the founder and former CEO of the Binance crypto exchange Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ.
The main leaders in terms of growth:
- Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT),
- Hedera (HBAR),
- Stellar (XLM),
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Ripple (XRP).
Usually, the decline in bitcoin’s dominance opens the way for other cryptocurrencies. That is why the popularity of stablecoins and fiat trading pairs attracts new capital.
Most analysts predict that the coins will continue to grow. The total market capitalization is expected to exceed $1.45 trillion. If this happens, many altcoins could exceed their historical highs (and we can already see the first bells ringing). However, the founder of the analytical platform CryptoQuant, Ki Young Ju warnedthat the current alt-season will be filled with surprises and will be completely different from what most people expect.
«It will be strange and complicated. Only a select few will be able to win this game. The market sentiment is positive, but there is almost no fresh liquidity. Bitcoin is gradually moving away from the crypto ecosystem. It has created its own «paper» ecosystem 
This refers to the financial infrastructure that is related to bitcoin but functions outside the direct use of the bitcoin blockchain itself.of the second level through ETFs, MSTRs, funds, and other instruments. In this paper-based Layer 2 Bitcoin ecosystem, switching to other altcoins is not possible. Altcoins used to move with Bitcoin because of their correlation, but this pattern has broken down. Only a few of them are beginning to show independent trends, attracting new liquidity,» the expert said.
Well, while token prices are gradually rising, and bitcoin is stuck between $90 thousand and $100 thousand, let’s look at an interesting example — XRP.
The value of Ripple’s XRP has reached a 6-year-high. What’s next?
XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a technology launched in 2012. It is open, without access restrictions, and decentralized, which means that it can be used by anyone without the need for permissions. David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto created XRP Ledger with their own cryptocurrency, XRP, as a faster and more energy-efficient alternative to the Bitcoin blockchain. Later that year, together with Chris Larsen, they founded the company that is now called Ripple. Ripple focuses on facilitating real-time cross-border payments and using XRP Ledger technology to globally improve financial transactions.
On December 2, the XRP Ledger an important update was implemented — lowered basic reserve requirements. This will reduce barriers for new users and reserve requirements. Activating an XRP account now costs 1 XRP instead of 10 XRP, and holding a Trustline Token costs only 0.2 XRP.
In addition, the company Ripple is about to launch Ripple USD stablecoin (RLUSD).
XRP price forecast
According to CryptoQuant, the movements of large XRP holders (the so-called whales) have reached an unprecedented level, indicating significant purchases and sales. Although the outflow of whales on the exchange often precedes price peaks, their activity also indicates high liquidity and increased interest in the market.
The critical day for XRP is December 4. It is on this day that the court may put an end to the case between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which could significantly affect the future of the token.
- If Ripple wins, XRP could reach new historical highs.
- If the SEC wins, the price of XRP may decline, and Ripple will be forced to change its business strategy.
- A settlement or appeal may delay the final decision, causing uncertainty in the market and price fluctuations.
On the other hand, today, December 4, a new head of the SEC is also expected to be introduced, who will replace Gary Gensler.
In addition, rumors are circulating that the SEC will drop the lawsuit against Ripple-XRP altogether. Such a potential decision supported Chris Giancarlo, the former chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), known as the «Crypto Dad». By the way, he is considered the main contender for the role of «Crypto Czar» of the White House in the second Trump administration.
What’s next? XRP holders need to follow the news closely: set price alerts in apps so as not to miss any sharp changes in the rate; prepare strategies for all possible scenarios.
If there are no shocks in the market, XRP will confidently move towards $18.22 after the coin managed to gain a foothold above the $2.13 level. This forecast was made by Dark Defender analyst.
The famous trader Peter Brandt predicted XRP at $24. But his technical analysis depends on XRP’s liquidity, acceptance, and sentiment, factors that can cause exponential price movements under favorable conditions.
However, macroeconomic and other global events also have a major impact on the cryptocurrency market. Just remember what happened on December 3 after South Korea declared martial law. Bitcoin and altcoins plummeted, although they almost recovered their previous price. On the South Korean exchange Upbit, BTC dropped below $72,000. However, later, MPs were able to get into the parliament building and voted to lift martial law.
Therefore, investors should always exercise caution, diversify their portfolios, and make decisions based on data and risk tolerance. And please remember the golden rule: do not invest more than you are willing to lose.
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