A claim that XRP could rise to $10 without broader real-world use is fuelling debate within the community.

On Oct. 24, blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that XRP influencer Jack Lector (잭 렉터) said investors focus too much on utility when assessing XRP's price potential. He argued a sharp rise is possible on speculative buying alone.

XRP is currently priced at $1.27. To reach $10, it would need to rise about 687 percent, or roughly eightfold. The core dispute is whether such gains are possible without a real expansion in network use.

XRP previously surged rapidly in a bull market that ran from 2017 through early 2018. At the time, it rose from about $0.006361 in January 2017 to $3.84 in January 2018, logging a gain of more than 60,000 percent. That period is being cited again because institutional interest and ecosystem expansion were not as significant as supporters stress today. Some investors say that is why they expect another wave of speculative buying.

Still, many doubt the same pattern will repeat. XRP also rose nearly 700 percent in the 2024 to 2025 bull market, climbing from $0.5 to above $3.66. That performance has increased expectations that $10 is possible in the next few years, but others argue a major rise has already been priced in.

Community reaction is sharply divided. Some XRP investors say it would be difficult to push past $3 on speculation alone. They cite the burden of more than 60 billion XRP already in circulation. X user White Pang (화이트 팽) questioned why such price action has not already appeared if speculation alone can drive a major rally.

Another X user, Wall-E Santana (월-E 산타나), voiced frustration that XRP has not risen as much as expected despite institutional partnerships, exchange-traded fund inflows, and the end of the legal dispute between Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He said factors cited by XRP bulls have not sufficiently translated into actual price gains.

The launch of RippleUSD (RLUSD) has also prompted renewed scrutiny of how XRP Ledger is used. XRP supporters say token demand could rise if XRP Ledger is used more widely for payments, tokenisation and financial services. Critics counter that an increase in network activity does not necessarily translate directly into higher demand to buy XRP.

Numerically, reaching $10 is not an impossible target. Assuming circulating supply of 60 billion to 65 billion tokens, XRP's market capitalisation would grow to about $600 billion to $650 billion. That would further strengthen XRP's position among the top cryptocurrencies by market value.

The issue is the conditions. Even if a $10 target is theoretically possible, it would require a favourable market environment. In a bull market such as the one seen in 2025, overheated sentiment can boost speculative demand and lift prices. The key variable remains whether the next major XRP rise comes from speculation, from broader real-world use, or from both factors working together.

Speculation alone could take XRP to double digits. I know we like talking about "utility" but we don't need to overcomplicate this setup...