According to data from CoinDesk, XRP trades at $1.33, roughly 62.5% below its January 2018 peak. Bitcoin has gained +314% from that same benchmark. Ethereum is up +66%. BNB sits at +2,818%. The gap between XRP and its peers is stark, and it is generating pointed commentary from analysts across the industry.
Digital Asset Investor, the crypto commentator behind the @digitalassetbuy account on X, addressed this disparity in a recent tweet. He cited XRP’s unique status among major digital assets: “The only digital asset on that list to undergo a 5 year SEC lawsuit is XRP.”
He added that XRP had surpassed Ethereum in price and was closing in on Bitcoin before what he described as coordinated attacks on the asset. He also reported a message he received at the Evernorth listing on NASDAQ from conversations with Ripple: “All roadblocks have been removed.”
Bill Morgan Pushes Back on the Lawsuit Narrative
Australian lawyer and digital asset commentator Bill Morgan responded with a more critical take. Morgan argued that the SEC litigation no longer holds up as an explanation for XRP’s price performance.
“The lawsuit cannot be an excuse all the time for XRP’s current price,” Morgan wrote. “That excuse is getting quite old.”
Morgan noted that XRP has fallen 45% over the past 12 months and approximately 60% since Ripple and the SEC resolved their legal battle on 7 August 2025. He said the settlement produced no lasting price recovery.
“It seems the settlement of the lawsuit caused no lasting positive effect on price,” Morgan wrote.
He acknowledged that positive lawsuit developments did lift XRP’s price in the short term but said those gains were consistently erased. He noted that expectations of a settlement drove more market activity in the months before August 2025 than the actual resolution did. However, most of those gains have since been erased over the past 13 months.
The lawsuit cannot be an excuse all the time for XRP‘s current price. That excuse is getting quite old. XRP price has fallen 45% in the last 12 months and about 60% since the litigation with the SEC was finally resolved on 7 August 2025. The lawsuit was always an overrated and… https://t.co/TduMk4XFvM
— bill morgan (@Belisarius2020) October 18, 2026
A Maturing Market Demands More Than Legal Wins
Morgan described the lawsuit as “always an overrated and exaggerated excuse” in his view. His position is that XRP’s price performance must now stand on fundamentals, adoption, and utility rather than on legal outcomes.
The data supports his skepticism. While much of the crypto market has recovered and surpassed its 2017–2018 cycle highs, XRP remains the only major token on CoinDesk’s comparative chart still trading well below its peak from that period.
Whether the removal of the legal obstacles identified by Ripple will translate into a sustained price recovery remains uncertain.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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