The SEC Just Handed XRP a Massive Win. Here's Why $3 Is Back On the Table.

By Alex Carchidi – Mar 23, 2026 at 1:30AM ESTKey PointsRegulators declared that XRP is a digital commodity.That means the coin's holders and users have clear legal ground to stand on.In XRP's niche, that's a big win.When the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple in 2020, alleging that XRP (XRP 2.10%) was an unregistered security, the coin's aspirations of being adopted by financial institutions were one step away from falling through a legal trapdoor. Even after the lawsuit was resolved in Ripple's favor in 2025, regulatory clarity remained incomplete. That changed on March 17, when the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published a new regulatory plan classifying XRP as a "digital commodity" alongside most other leading cryptocurrencies. Now, XRP enjoys a place in a clean framework that its target users will feel comfortable engaging with. The coin is currently priced at $1.44, but $3 is now firmly back on the table. Here's why. Image source: Getty Images. What the new classification unlocks After the SEC's lawsuit was settled, the outcome was that XRP was not to be considered a security in the eyes of the law. That's important because securities are subject to SEC registration requirements and disclosure rules, not to mention requirements governing how management may communicate with investors. But for risk-averse actors like financial institutions, which are XRP's target users, a lack of a certain classification for an asset is not the same as having a clear classification in hand. XRP now has that clear classification as a digital commodity. Commodities, overseen by the CFTC, receive lighter oversight than securities. In short, the SEC and CFTC both agreed that XRP's value derives from its network's operations and supply-and-demand dynamics. ExpandCRYPTO: XRPXRPToday's Change(-2.10%) $-0.03Current Price$1.38Key Data PointsMarket Cap$85BDay's Range$1.38 - $1.4152wk Range$1.14 - $3.65Volume1.6B That's key, as it gives Ripple the green light to continue building demand for XRP by making it part of its financial infrastructure and services stack. Thus, the new classifications also give financial institutions the confidence that participating in XRP's ecosystem won't put them in legal trouble. The path to $3 At today's price of $1.39, reaching $3 would mean growing by slightly more than double. Considering XRP's prior all-time high was $3.65, and was set in 2025, it's fully plausible that this new regulatory clarity will create the conditions for the coin to surpass $3 again. The first signs that the coin is going back toward its all-time high will likely show up as capital inflows into the XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). They currently have $1.2 billion in assets under management (AUM), with $4.6 million in net inflows occurring on March 17, when the new guidance was published. Notably, those inflows broke a streak of big outflows, so the tide may have just turned. But don't rush to bet the farm on XRP hitting $3 in the short term. It's quite volatile, and the currently bearish macro conditions could still weigh it down for a while.Read NextMar 22, 2026 •By Chris NeigerCould Buying XRP Today Set You Up for Life?Mar 21, 2026 •By Dominic BasultoPrediction: XRP Will Be Worth This Much in 5 Years, and the Math Might Surprise YouMar 20, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiBetter Investment to Buy Now With $2,500 and Hold for 10 Years: XRP vs. Gold or SilverMar 19, 2026 •By Bram BerkowitzCould Investing $10,000 in XRP Make You a Millionaire?Mar 18, 2026 •By Ryan VanzoWhere Will Ripple (XRP) Be in 10 Years? (Hint: A $1 Trillion Valuation Is Possible If This Happens).Mar 17, 2026 •By David Jagielski, CPAXRP Is Crashing, but Here's Why It Could Get Back to Over $2 This YearAbout the AuthorAlex Carchidi is a contributing Motley Fool healthcare and cryptocurrency analyst covering biotech, pharma, cannabis, and digital asset companies. Previously, Alex was a bench scientist and science writer at several biopharma companies and began his career as a researcher at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston University and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.TMFacarchidiX@alexcarchidiStocks MentionedXRPCRYPTO: XRP$1.38(-2.10%)-$0.03*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.