[Digital Today reporter Yoonseo Lee] Crypto investor Mike Alfred has mentioned XRP’s long-term target price as “negative $5,” reigniting debate among the XRP community and market participants.

The Crypto Basic, a blockchain media outlet, reported on July 20 that the remark directly clashes with an existing bullish view that XRP could reach $5, highlighting differences in market perspectives.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Alfred said Bitcoin could reach $1.5 million in the long term and Ethereum $31,500. He offered a completely different view on XRP, calling it “negative $5.” Since a crypto price cannot actually fall below 0, the market appears to be taking it less as a literal price forecast than as strong skepticism or a satirical expression about XRP.

The remark has drawn attention because a $5 XRP target has been steadily spreading recently among the community and some analysts. In 2024, crypto analyst Altcoin Moe predicted XRP would reach $5 in the 2025 bull market. XRP rose strongly at the time, but its peak was about $3.65 and it did not break the $5 level.

This year, South Korean market analyst Nineindex pointed to the possibility of $5 based on XRP’s rising channel pattern. He also argued that a stronger breakout could open the way to $20. Separately, an internal community research document raised a scenario in which broader adoption of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin could spur large-scale XRP buying and indirectly increase demand.

The hypothesis linking RLUSD and XRP demand is not yet accepted in the market as an established mechanism. Against this backdrop, Alfred’s “negative $5” remark is read as an opposing signal to recent optimism. Many market participants see the figure not as a realistic valuation but as an intentionally exaggerated expression of skepticism.

Indicators cited to support the bullish view are also being discussed. XRP supporters are maintaining their bullish stance based on on-chain indicators. A decline in XRP held on centralised exchanges is often interpreted as a sign investors are choosing long-term holding over selling. Binance’s XRP holdings have recently fallen to 2.6 billion XRP, the lowest in 5 months, and Coinbase recorded a net outflow of 13,000 XRP, marking an extreme value on a 5-month basis.

Network metrics are also cited as a basis for optimism. The XRP Ledger has surpassed 8 million active accounts for the first time in about 13 years since its launch. The XRP community views this as a milestone showing an expanding user base, increased ecosystem activity and a longer-term adoption trend.

Ultimately, the XRP market is unfolding as a standoff between optimism around $5 and pessimism symbolised by “negative $5.” Going forward, key points to watch are whether the decline in exchange holdings continues and whether expectations of demand linked to RLUSD translate into actual market flows.

My long term target for Bitcoin is $1,500,000 per coin. My long term target for Ethereum is $31,500 per coin. My long term target for XRP is negative $5 per coin.