Could XRP Be Excluded from the US Cryptocurrency Reserves? This Is the Expert's Opinion

A recent post on X by Coin Bureau has drawn attention to the political maneuvering surrounding XRP and the exclusion of XRP from recent U.S. policy considerations regarding cryptocurrency reserves. According to the post, Senator Cynthia Lummis, a supporter of digital assets and the head of the Senate Digital Assets Subcommittee, recently canceled a meeting with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse without any public explanation. This development has raised concerns about the senator's impartiality towards various cryptocurrency projects, especially regarding XRP.

Allegations of Personal Bias in Policy Decisions Coin Bureau emphasizes that the XRP community has discovered the online activities of Will Cole, Lummis' son-in-law, which seem to draw attention to a strong negative stance against both Ripple and the related digital asset. Cole is said to have reposted content describing XRP as a "fake token" and calling Ripple a "centralized joke of a scam." The re-emergence of these claims has raised questions about whether personal bias could influence Lummis's decisions on digital asset policy. Interest in Bitcoin in Discussions About US Reserves This oversight is particularly relevant given Lummis's prominent role in advocating for the establishment of the United States' strategic Bitcoin reserve fund. This proposal, stemming from her 2024 legislative initiative, includes a clear emphasis on Bitcoin as a digital asset of choice for national strategic interests. Coin Bureau emphasizes that such an association with Bitcoin could be seen by critics as bias, sidelining other projects, including XRP. Coin Bureau also noted that speculation about XRP being considered for inclusion in reserves previously emerged from a post on Truth Social allegedly by Donald Trump. In that post, several major cryptocurrencies were mentioned — specifically Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, and XRP. However, when the executive order was officially issued later, only Bitcoin was referenced, with no mention of XRP or any other altcoin. This omission has led many to question whether XRP was intentionally excluded. Regulatory Delays and Legal Uncertainty Put Pressure on XRP The Twitter post also mentioned the larger institutional barriers that XRP faces in the United States. Among them is the ongoing delay in the approval of exchange-traded funds (ETF) based on XRP. Applications from entities like 21Shares and Grayscale have yet to be approved, with some analysts suggesting that approval may not occur until the end of the year. These regulatory delays further complicate the possibility of XRP being officially recognized or integrated into federal cryptocurrency strategies. Coin Bureau concludes that the likelihood of XRP being included in any cryptocurrency reserve fund in the United States in the future currently seems low. The combination of unresolved legal issues, obstacles in ETF approval, and currently political and personal bias signs contribute to creating a challenging environment for XRP within U.S. regulatory and strategic circles.