Recently, Ripple has once again clarified that it has no plans to go public, while its valuation has soared to the $50 billion mark. This stark contrast is quite interesting. Is it truly unnecessary to raise funds through an IPO, or is there another purpose behind it?

As an observer of this ecosystem, I took a closer look at the financial logic to understand the underlying considerations. Ripple's current situation is quite simple—it's not short of money. Having just completed a $500 million funding round in 2025, its valuation has already reached the $40 billion level. Plus, with four recent acquisitions, its cash flow on the books is very sufficient. In this context, what reason is there to go for an IPO? After all, funding channels are already smooth and unobstructed.

More importantly, the regulatory environment has shifted. The lawsuit between Ripple and the SEC has finally reached a conclusion, making policy expectations for this track clearer. Since legal risks have significantly decreased, the company can instead focus all its energy on business expansion. Frankly, this is a strategic choice of "not rushing to go public, but first perfecting the ecosystem."

Looking at what Ripple has been doing recently makes this clear. RLUSD, this USD stablecoin, has already entered the top ten by market cap. Transaction volume in payment services is approaching the trillion-dollar mark. Cooperation with Mastercard is also progressing, and the corporate reserve fund has reached $1.1 billion. The ecosystem layout is becoming more substantial. Meanwhile, institutional funds continue to flow in, with net inflows of $1.25 billion into spot ETFs, all signals that the ecosystem is truly delivering value.

The performance of XRP itself also reflects this change. From the holder's perspective, returns are indeed being realized. Major staking platforms frequently launch incentive programs, offering an additional 5%-10% rewards for holding coins. Invitation mechanisms also provide participants with extra income. Most importantly, as the ecosystem improves, XRP's role as Ripple's core asset becomes clearer, directly supporting its long-term value.

From a price perspective, XRP is currently around $1.87, while analysts at Standard Chartered see it reaching $8 by 2026, which means more than a threefold increase. The logic supporting this expectation is quite clear: a friendly regulatory environment, genuine institutional investment, decreasing exchange balances indicating increasing long-term holders, and a supply-demand relationship that is clearly tilted in favor of the bulls.

Of course, there are voices warning of risks, such as influential figures cautioning that the price might fall back to the $1 level. But if you believe in the ecosystem's development and trust institutional investors' judgment, then returning to the previous high of $3.65 should only be a matter of time, and the possibility of reaching $8 is not just wishful thinking.

Currently, Ripple's strategy is to proceed steadily and meticulously, refining every link in the ecosystem. For participants, all they need to do is follow the rhythm, enjoy the benefits brought by ecosystem improvements, and wait for the next market wave. Under this model, the assets in hand are relatively more controllable in terms of risk.