XRP has slipped below a long-standing psychological support, just a week after Ripple and the U.S. SEC officially ended their nearly five-year legal battle. Many had expected the lawsuit’s conclusion to trigger an explosive rally. Instead, XRP has struggled to hold above the key $3 psychological level. This has left traders questioning what comes next. SEC Case Ends, But Momentum Fades For context, last week, Ripple and the SEC jointly filed to dismiss their appeal and cross-appeal in the Second Circuit, formally closing the case that began in December 2020. The legal development initially pushed XRP as high as $3.38, marking a double-digit rally. However, those gains quickly faded, with XRP retracing below $3 today. The sentiment suggests XRP’s price action followed the “buy the rumor, sell the news” pattern, where the final announcement merely meets the expectations of those already positioned for it, leaving little room for surprise. The public already knew Ripple and the SEC were due to update the court on the status of their appeal this month. As a result, the dismissal of the appeal was widely anticipated and not nearly as impactful as the July 2023 ruling that XRP was not a security—a surprise that sent the price surging 100% in a single day. “Now We Need More Than Speculation” Meanwhile, Humphries emphasized that speculation alone won’t drive XRP higher. He believes XRP’s next major move depends on real institutional support, particularly U.S. banks integrating Ripple’s solutions and the company delivering tokenization-as-a-service to financial institutions. Essentially, XRP’s sluggish performance suggests that legal clarity alone isn’t enough. To reignite momentum, Ripple will need to turn regulatory wins into adoption wins, securing partnerships with major financial institutions. Notably, the firm has been pursuing this strategy even before the lawsuit’s resolution. However, the impact on XRP’s price remains minimal so far. Bulls Still See Higher Targets Despite the muted reaction, analysts remain optimistic. Analyst Dark Defender dismissed skepticism about XRP’s prospects. He called it “naive” to assume the token will linger around $3 without eventually breaking higher. Other voices, such as Mario Nawfal and Ali Martinez, project targets of $10–$12 if broader crypto markets rally. Patrick Riley and Dustin Layton expect XRP to reach $30–$50 before the end of 2025. Some, like Versan Aljarrah, place long-term price predictions in the thousands of dollars.