Key Takeaways
- Ripple has invested in ZILO and Licuido as it builds an institutional tokenization and collateral stack around the XRP Ledger.
- Some XRP holders remain unconvinced that growing XRPL adoption will generate enough direct demand to lift XRP’s price.
- Crypto Bitlord expects XRP to reach a new all-time high by December.
Ripple is building out more of the infrastructure needed to issue tokenized financial assets on the XRP Ledger, but the expansion has done little to quell frustrated XRP holders.
The company’s investments in ZILO and Licuido, along with the launch of Aviva Investors’ tokenized fund, have given Ripple a broader role in the emerging institutional tokenization market.
However, some traders remain frustrated that Ripple’s payment infrastructure has not generated substantial demand for XRP itself.
Despite those concerns, prominent strategist Jake Claver has sparked debate after predicting that XRP could exceed $750 before the end of 2026.
Ripple Expands XRPL Push With ZILO and Licuido
Ripple announced strategic investments in ZILO and Licuido on Aug. 3, expanding partnerships aimed at bringing regulated fund issuance and collateral mobility to XRPL.
ZILO provides the digital record-keeping infrastructure needed to manage tokenized fund shares, while Licuido handles issuance and the planned movement of those assets as collateral.
The investments followed Aviva Investors’ launch of a tokenized share class for its US Dollar Liquidity Fund on XRPL.
The Central Bank of Ireland approved the new share class, which Aviva described as a regulatory first for tokenized fund structures.
According to investor Jake Claver, the emerging structure connects several parts of Ripple’s institutional strategy.
ZILO maintains the ownership register, Licuido handles distribution and collateral utility, Komainu provides custody, RLUSD can serve as the cash side of settlement and Ripple Prime could provide financing.
Claver described the result as a “working institutional lane” and said it showed Ripple becoming an infrastructure company, with XRPL operating as its settlement layer.
Ripple has previously spent heavily to assemble that infrastructure.
It acquired Hidden Road, now Ripple Prime, for $1.25 billion, bought GTreasury for $1 billion, and agreed to acquire stablecoin payments platform Rail for $200 million.
However, several parts of the wider tokenization vision are not yet operating at scale.
Claver noted that Licuido has not provided a launch date or named participants for its proposed collateral marketplace.
He also estimated that XRPL’s $4.06 billion of tokenized real-world assets included only $368 million issued and held directly onchain.
XRP Traders Question Whether Ripple’s Growth Benefits Price
The announcement elicited a mixed response among XRP holders, some of whom have grown frustrated by the token’s failure to keep pace with Ripple’s expanding institutional footprint.
One trader argued that the deals were positive for Ripple but “don’t play any big role in the XRP price,” pointing to the small amount of XRP burned through transaction fees or held in ledger reserves.
Another holder raised a similar concern, writing:
“These companies can use XRPL without XRP.”
XRP is the native asset of XRPL and is required for transaction fees and account reserves, but assets can move across the network without XRP being used as the settlement currency.
XRP can also serve as a bridge between different currencies and liquidity pools, but this is not required for every transaction.
Bitwise highlighted the same risk in its investment case for XRP, warning that XRPL could gain adoption while actual XRP usage lagged.
Therefore, a growing number of tokenized funds would not necessarily translate into a proportional increase in XRP demand.
Not every trader was concerned.
One commentator said Ripple was becoming the “genuine gorilla” of the market and was working toward a broader strategic goal that could eventually make its infrastructure difficult to challenge.
Jake Claver Predicts XRP Will Exceed $750 by New Year’s Eve
Jake Claver has issued an even more extreme forecast, predicting XRP will trade above $750 before the end of 2026.
Asked to describe how he expected the financial system to look on Dec. 31, Claver said he anticipated the launch of a BlackRock XRP ETF, the unwinding of a reverse carry trade, and the use of XRP to settle stock market transactions.
“I think XRP will be higher than 750 bucks on the day that you’re talking about,” he said.
Claver’s forecast is based on a “domino theory” involving Japan, institutional liquidity and the tokenization of traditional financial markets.
The bullish trader believes capital repatriation by Japanese investors could trigger a major liquidity rotation.
Under his theory, money would initially push stocks and cryptocurrencies higher before consolidating into a smaller group of digital assets capable of surviving the resulting market disruption.
He expects ETF products to provide the route through which some of that capital enters XRP.
Claver argued that XRPL could not settle trillions of dollars in daily institutional flows at XRP’s current valuation.
He believes a supply shock comparable to XRP’s 2017 rally could push the token into three- or four-digit territory, creating enough liquidity for large-scale settlement.
However, he acknowledged that several conditions would need to be met first.
Claver also identified events that would invalidate his theory.
He said he would reconsider the thesis if a BlackRock ETF launched and the reverse carry trade unwound without XRP repricing.
The prediction has faced significant backlash, but Craver has continued to double down.
After being questioned whether he was a “shock jock” or serious on Sept. 1, Claver wrote: “Serious. I have a public bet on it.”
Crypto Bitlord Predicts XRP ATH by December and $7 Price
Popular X account Crypto Bitlord has also pointed out that XRP’s price hit an “all-time high” in December.
“I have a feeling this coin is going to push past ATH rapidly into the $7 region,” he wrote.
The trader acknowledged that XRP would likely require a major announcement or catalyst to trigger such a move, but said he was “betting on ATH by December.”
His prediction came in response to Wall Street firms increasing their reported exposure to spot XRP exchange-traded funds.
Bloomberg reported that its second-quarter 13F filings placed Goldman Sachs at the top of the institutional holders table, with approximately $87.4 million invested in XRP ETF shares as of June 30.
Goldman’s exposure increased by roughly $83.1 million during the quarter.
The bank submitted its latest 13F filing to the SEC on Aug. 14.
Other major financial firms also appeared on the list.
Jane Street reported approximately $16.6 million in XRP ETF exposure, while Millennium Management held approximately $16.2 million, indicating that institutional participation extended beyond a single bank.
What Would XRP Need to Reach $750?
XRP was trading at approximately $1.38 at the time of writing, up around 27% over the previous 30 days but down nearly 7% over the past week, according to CoinGecko.
The token recently rallied 71.8% from $0.988 to $1.698 before surrendering approximately one-fifth of that move.
Clearing $1.86 could reopen the route toward $2 and $2.19, but those levels would represent only a fraction of the journey toward Claver’s target.
XRP’s existing all-time high is $3.65, recorded in July 2025. The token would need to rise approximately 165% from $1.38 simply to retake that level.
Reaching $750 would require an increase of more than 54,000%, making XRP approximately 543 times more valuable than it is today.
Even after breaking its existing record, XRP would still need to climb another 20,400% to meet Claver’s prediction.
Based on the current circulating supply of approximately 62.7 billion XRP. Its fully diluted valuation would reach approximately $75 trillion.
A move of that magnitude would require considerably more than additional XRPL partnerships.
Claver’s scenario depends on a severe global liquidity rotation, a major XRP supply shock and ETF-driven investment.
It would also require evidence that the adoption of Ripple and XRPL infrastructure is creating direct demand for XRP.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
