Edward Farina, the founder and CEO of various crypto-focused initiatives, is confident that XRP is a better “investment” in early October than it was before July when the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claimed that the coin was an unregistered security.

In a post on October 9, Farina asserted that the coin was declared not a “security,” but was bothered by the fact that prices are at “the same level” as before the July 13 ruling. 

XRP, the native coin of the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain that recently supported smart contracts, remains one of the most liquid crypto assets. Looking at price data from CoinMarketCap (CMC), the coin is lodged at fifth in the market cap leaderboard, trailing Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), BNB, and USDT–the stablecoin.

At this level, the coin is one of the most liquid and has managed to shake off bear pressure since the SEC lodged a lawsuit against some of Ripple’s top brass, including Brad Garlinghouse. In the lawsuit filed in late 2020, the agency said Ripple conducted an illegal crowdfund, raising over $1 billion by selling unregistered securities. With the allegations, XRP prices fell by 78%, crashing from around $0.77 to $0.17 in days.

XRP found reprieve in 2021 when it shook off losses, rallying to as high as $1.95 despite the ongoing lawsuit where Ripple lawyers defended the company against claims put forward by the regulator. Prices fell in 2022, reversing gains before stabilizing in the better half 2023. 

In July, XRP prices rose sharply, briefly reaching $0.92 before cooling off, peeling back all gains in mid-August. Prices have stabilized, but bears wiped gains from the rally induced on July 13 when a United States court ruled that XRP is not a security when sold to the general public on an exchange. Still, it is when sold to institutional investors. 

In early October 2023, Judge Analisa Torres barred the SEC from appealing the decision made in July, stating that there was no “substantial ground for difference of opinion.” The trial is not set for April 2024.

Following the Judge’s decision barring the agency from appealing, XRP prices have been relatively firm but at pre-July 2023 levels. Farina believes that XRP ought to be higher at spot rates, a reason why the market “makes absolute zero sense and price manipulation is real.” 

Whether XRP prices are manipulated or not is not clear at spot rates. However, the broader crypto market, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, is suppressed, having cooled off from July 2023 highs.

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