XRP News Today: ETF Delay Stirs Settlement Rumors as XRP Retakes $2.20; BTC at $94k

XRP-Spot ETF Delay Fuels Market Speculation

XRP faced selling pressure on Wednesday, April 30, as investors continued reacting to the SEC delaying Franklin Templeton’s XRP-spot ETF review. The token dropped from Monday, April 28’s high of $3.3621 to a Wednesday low of $2.1269 before steadying.

XRP enthusiast and social media influencer John Squire offered a speculative take on the delay, suggesting that the SEC might be preparing to accept XRP as a form of payment. He stated:

“What if the SEC actually accepts XRP as payments? There’s a hot theory going round: If the US Government settles with Ripple and accepts XRP instead of cash, that could explain why ETF approvals are being delayed.”

Squire elaborated that if the SEC were to approve XRP-spot ETFs, institutional money would flood in, XRP’s price would rally, and the government would receive a pricier asset in any settlement. He added:

“If the SEC is considering accepting XRP as payment, the last thing they want is a price rally triggered by ETF hype. Delaying the ETF gives them time to finalize a cheaper settlement, then unleash the ETF afterward.”

Ripple Settlement and Appeal: Key to XRP ETF Prospects

Another plausible reason for the delay in approving XRP-spot ETFs is the SEC’s appeal against the Programmatic Sales of XRP ruling. The SEC and Ripple jointly filed a motion to pause the appeal, citing a potential settlement agreement. The agreement reportedly includes vacating the injunction against institutional sales and reducing Ripple’s $125 million penalty.

If the SEC and Ripple settle, the SEC may drop its appeal, with Ripple withdrawing its cross-appeal. An end to the Ripple case would likely pave the way for an XRP-spot ETF approval.

Pro-crypto lawyer Bill Morgan remarked on the SEC delaying Franklin Templeton’s XRP-spot ETF review, stating:

“Oddly, the delay of the ETF approval to 17 June 2025 is to a date that falls just after the expiry of the 60 day period by which a status report must be filed by the SEC in the SEC v Ripple appeal pursuant to the court order dated 16 April 2025.”

John Squire added:

“Eyes on June 17. That could be the day we see the true direction of XRP’s future. Until then, every delay might just be a piece of the strategy.”

XRP Market Outlook: Legal and ETF Factors in Focus

XRP dropped 2.12% on Wednesday, April 30, following Tuesday’s 2.43% loss, closing at $2.1918. The token underperformed the broader crypto market, which fell 0.20% to a total crypto market cap of $2.9 trillion.

Over the near term, several factors will influence XRP price trends:

• Developments in the Ripple-SEC settlement and appeal process.
• XRP-spot ETF progress.
• Broader macroeconomic forces, including Federal Reserve policy and US-China trade relations.

XRP finds support at $2.10, with a break above $2.50 potentially paving the way to $3.00 and a retest of its all-time high at $3.5505.

See our full XRP forecast here.

Bitcoin Dips as US Economy Contracts in Q1 2025

XRP’s retreat coincided with bitcoin (BTC) briefly falling below $93,000 after Q1 GDP data showed a 0.3% contraction in the US economy. Economists had expected the economy to expand by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter after growing 2.4% in Q4 2024.

US BTC-Spot ETF Market Inflow Streak at Risk

Rising fears of a US recession impacted demand for BTC-spot ETFs. According to Farside Investors, key flow trends for April 30 included:

• Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) saw net outflows of $137.5 million.
• ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) had net outflows of $130.8 million.

Excluding pending data from iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), US issuers reported $323.3 million in net outflows. IBIT would need another substantial haul to keep the eight-day streak alive.

Despite a potential end to the inflow streak, it was an impressive April for ETF issuers, which logged total net inflows of $2,675.1 million. The US BTC-spot ETF market reversed outflows of $704 million from March, driving BTC’s April recovery.

BTC Price Outlook: Policy and Legislation in Focus

BTC slipped 0.19% on April 30, extending Tuesday’s 0.70% decline to close at $94,160. Despite the pullback, BTC ended April up 14.12%.

Key drivers for BTC’s near-term direction include:

• Bearish Scenario: Deteriorating US-China trade ties, hawkish Fed signals, soft economic data, legislative delays, and ETF outflows.
• Bullish Scenario: Improved trade relations, dovish Fed stance, strong US data, crypto-friendly legislation, and continued ETF inflows.

Notably, Senator Cynthia Lummis reintroduced the Bitcoin Act, proposing the US acquire one million BTC over five years with a 20-year lock-up. If passed, the bill could ignite strong BTC buying momentum.

Separately, Arizona passed a Bitcoin Reserve bill allowing up to 10% of public funds to be invested in digital assets like Bitcoin. The legislation now sits on Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’ desk. If signed, this would signal growing bipartisan support for crypto investment policy.

What to Watch

Crypto markets remain sensitive to developments in the Ripple case, ETF flows, macroeconomic signals, and central bank policy. A favorable settlement could drive renewed XRP momentum, while broader crypto trends depend on investor sentiment and global economic shifts.

Read analysts’ insights on what could drive cryptocurrencies to new highs.