XRP Price Rises. 2 Things That Could Decide the Crypto's Future Under Trump. — Barrons.com

By George GloverThe price of cryptocurrency XRP was edging higher on Wednesday, but its muted gains likely reflected investors wanting more clarity on how regulators will approach it under President Donald Trump.The token, used to facilitate and settle transactions on Ripple Labs' digital-payments platform, was up 1.7% to $3.16 over the past 24 hours, according to data from the crypto exchange Kraken. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, rose 1.8% over the same period.XRP has surged about 500% since Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November, with bulls hopeful his return to the White House will create a more friendly regulatory environment for crypto.But investors will have to wait and see if the 47th president follows through on his campaign promises. On Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unveiled a new crypto "task force" that will develop a regulatory framework for digital assets, but that doesn't guarantee the agency will take a looser approach from day one.In addition to the general regulatory environment, XRP's growth depends on if the SEC shifts its approach to the token's issuer Ripple. The regulator charged the tech company with selling an unregistered security in 2020, kick-starting a long-running legal feud.Bulls hope Trump's pick to head the SEC, the crypto-friendly Paul Atkins, will drop the agency's battle with Ripple, although he will need Senate approval before he can take up his position.Write to George Glover at george.glover@dowjones.comThis content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.