In a recent commentary, Patrick Bet-David, host of the PBD Podcast and Valuetainment, has turned the spotlight on XRP, hinting at potentially significant events on the horizon for the cryptocurrency. Bet-David encouraged his audience to closely monitor XRP, suggesting the crypto market is approaching a period of transformation. His remarks were prompted by former President Donald Trump’s recent mention of XRP on Truth Social, where Trump outlined plans for a crypto strategic reserve. What particularly caught Bet-David’s attention was XRP’s precedence in Trump’s post, appearing before Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Bet-David’s analysis included a comparison of XRP and Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s transaction speed averages 10 minutes, while XRP processes transactions in approximately 3-5 seconds. XRP’s fees remain consistently low, unlike Bitcoin whose fees fluctuate. He also noted Bitcoin’s decentralized nature compared to XRP’s more centralized structure. Bitcoin is primarily utilized as a store of value and for person-to-person payments, whereas XRP focuses on cross-border transactions. Bitcoin has a supply of 21 million coins, while XRP has 100 billion. Bitcoin’s energy consumption is substantial, unlike XRP. Furthermore, Bitcoin has broader mainstream adoption compared to XRP’s more niche institutional usage. At the time of the video, Bitcoin’s value was approximately $86,000, whereas XRP was trading around $2.44. Looking back five years, Bitcoin has increased nearly sixfold from $17,000, whereas XRP’s price has declined. Bet-David suggests that the Ripple and XRP lawsuit, nearing its final stages, could play a major role in this disparity. Legal experts predict a potential resolution by spring or early summer of 2025, which Bet-David believes may trigger a major price movement for XRP.
Bet-David also explored XRP’s technological capabilities and its potential role in the market, especially when compared to SWIFT. He pointed out that Ripple’s technology, which uses XRP for its speed and cost-effectiveness, is already used by over 300 financial institutions, including Bank of America and American Express. He speculated that if XRP were to replace SWIFT as the primary platform for international payments, the demand for XRP would surge. Specifically, Bet-David posited that capturing even 5-10% of SWIFT’s daily transaction volume—currently $5 trillion—could send XRP’s price soaring to $100.
Bet-David, while urging the investing public to pay closer attention to the crypto space, cautioned against over-concentration in any single asset. He emphasized that his Bitcoin investment is significantly higher than his XRP holdings. In his closing remarks, he stated, “So, when President Trump posts about XRP, it’s worth paying attention to. In the next 3, 6, or 12 months, there could be big things happening. If you don’t do your own research, diversification is a good strategy.”
