As of Sunday, Ripple’s XRP, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is riding a wave of excitement. U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on March 2, 2025, via Truth Social, that XRP would join the U.S. Crypto Reserves triggered a 30% price surge, pushing it to $2.60 and swelling its market cap, according to CoinMarketCap. This rally coincides with Ripple’s routine unlock of 400,000,000 XRP tokens on March 3, 2025, valued at $1.1 billion. Trump’s Crypto Reserve Announcement Trump’s post on March 2, 2025, claimed the reserve would “elevate this critical industry after years of corrupt attacks by the Biden administration.” The inclusion of XRP, alongside other cryptocurrencies, sparked immediate market interest. By March 3, 2025, XRP’s price had jumped 30% in 24 hours to $2.60, per Trading View data. This pushed XRP’s market cap, solidifying its rank, with a circulating supply of around 57.6 billion tokens out of a total 100 billion, per CoinMarketCap. The surge likely reflects heightened investor interest, possibly tied to the reserve’s promise of attracting big players. Ripple’s Monthly Unlock On March 3, 2025, blockchain tracker Whale Alert reported Ripple unlocking 1 billion XRP from its escrow accounts, a standard monthly event. The first batch saw 500 million XRP split into two transfers: 100 million and 400 million were sent to the wallet ‘rGKHD…2Bdh.’ Minutes later, another 500 million XRP moved in a single transaction to ‘rHGfm…sbQr.’ However, Ripple re-locked 700 million XRP into escrow shortly after. The first wallet, holding 500 million, sent 300 million to another wallet on March 1 and locked 200 million back. The second wallet transferred its 500 million to a Ripple wallet, which secured it in escrow. Per Whale Alert, this left 300 million XRP in circulation from the unlock. The routine unlock, typically unnoticed, gained attention due to its timing with Trump’s announcement, amplifying market reactions. XRP Price Surge and Technical Analysis The market didn’t wait long to react. XRP price climbed 10% intraday on March 3, 2025, reaching $2.18 according to trading data. Over the past 72 hours, the total gain hit 10%, reflecting strong buying pressure. Technical analysis from traders indicates XRP now faces resistance at the $3 level, a psychological barrier slowing its climb. If buyers break through, the next target could be January 2025’s high of $3.40, based on historical price charts. The $150 billion market cap milestone reinforces XRP’s position, but the locked 700 million XRP, worth $1.82 billion at current prices, remains out of circulation, signaling Ripple’s cautious approach to supply management.
