The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has continued to delay decisions on multiple spot XRP ETF applications, pushing deadlines into late 2025, as reported by CryptoPotato_News on August 21, 2025. This includes extensions for filings from Franklin Templeton to November 15, 2025, and others from Bitwise, CoinShares, Grayscale, Canary Capital, and 21Shares to October 2025. These delays persist despite leadership changes post-Trump’s victory and Gary Gensler’s exit, raising questions about regulatory caution even under a more crypto-friendly administration.
John Squire, a vocal XRP Army member with over 500,000 followers on X, attributes the delays to the SEC’s deliberate pace to avoid appearing “too fast” in a politically charged year. Squire notes that the SEC typically delays first-round ETF filings to gather public comments and conduct internal reviews, as seen with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs before their 2024 approvals. For XRP, the agency seeks clarity on custody, settlement, and surveillance-sharing agreements to mitigate risks like market manipulation. Squire argues that approving XRP ETFs would signal institutional demand for the asset, adding political weight amid ongoing Ripple-SEC litigation remnants. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart echoes this, stating delays allow the SEC to “check every box” before approval.
The XRP Army views these delays optimistically, emphasizing they are procedural rather than rejections. Squire highlights that neither Bitcoin nor Ethereum ETFs were approved on first review, yet both succeeded after similar extensions. He asserts XRP ETFs are “inevitable,” driven by Wall Street’s demand for exposure, with Polymarket odds at 90%+ for 2025 approval. Nate Geraci from the ETF Institute aligns, estimating near-100% chances by year-end. Community sentiment on X reinforces this, with users like @XRPcryptowolf calling delays a “strategic pause” for robust compliance.
XRP’s price dipped below $3 to $2.29 post-delays, down 0.86% with 46% lower volume at $2.64B, but held above key support. Approvals could drive $8B in first-year inflows, per JPMorgan and Standard Chartered forecasts, potentially pushing XRP to $3.50–$5 by year-end. Risks include further SEC scrutiny on altcoin ETFs beyond BTC/ETH. Investors should track SEC filings on sec.gov and XRP flows via CryptoQuant. Dollar-cost average with stop-losses below $2.20, or diversify into USDC/ETH ($4,070), per TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. With 90%+ odds, XRP ETFs could catalyze a rally, but delays underscore regulatory caution.
