Cardano Founder Says XRP Rally Is Only a Return to Where It Belongs, Signals More Upside Move

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, recently weighed in on XRP price action, pointing to a key factor behind its most recent major rally.

For context, XRP has sustained a strong bullish trend since the start of the year, with its price climbing to $2.41 earlier today. This move represents a 36.15% surge from its December low of $1.77.

Main Factor Behind XRP Rally

More specifically, Hoskinson linked the rally to the exit of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler. His aggressive regulatory approach toward the crypto industry—particularly Ripple and XRP—had dampened investor sentiment for years. As a result, XRP underperformed many other large-cap cryptocurrencies throughout much of the previous market cycle.

Although Gensler inherited the Ripple lawsuit from his predecessor, Jay Clayton, he pursued the case vigorously and even sought an interlocutory appeal on rulings the SEC had lost. However, weeks before his departure in January 2025, the pressure on XRP eased as the token began posting strong upside moves.

Following Gensler’s exit, the Ripple lawsuit moved toward resolution, clearing a significant hurdle for XRP. This development ultimately paved the way for the rally that pushed the token’s price to $3.65.

A Return to Historic Highs

From Hoskinson’s perspective, the move merely brought XRP back toward its historic highs. At the same time, he underscored XRP’s longevity and scale, noting that it has consistently ranked among the top five cryptocurrencies.

He also emphasized the depth of XRP’s community, stressing that a large and committed user base continues to support the ecosystem.

More Upside for XRP

Meanwhile, Hoskinson’s remarks indicate that XRP’s impressive performance may not signal the end of its upside. Instead, his perspective suggests that the asset could still be in a catch-up phase, particularly when compared with major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Although XRP pulled back sharply after its July rally, sliding to around $1.50 in October 2025, the token has since staged a modest recovery. Since the start of this year, XRP has surged by 30.43%, climbing from $1.84 to $2.40. At its current price, the asset is up 12.62% over the past 24 hours and 29.1% over the past week.

In the meantime, growing demand for XRP ETFs and expanding utility, particularly in decentralized finance, where Hoskinson has signaled plans to contribute, are strengthening the bullish case. Consequently, proponents argue that XRP could revisit its July 2025 high or even surpass it.