XRP entered the spotlight after Vice President JD Vance participated in a televised discussion about the U.S. national debt, where he was questioned about the government’s position on holding cryptocurrencies such as XRP to help address fiscal liabilities.
Government Policy and Official Statements
During an Aug. 20 Newsmax interview, host Carl Higbie directed attention to previous remarks from President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of a cryptocurrency reserve. Higbie recalled that Trump had referenced digital assets including bitcoin, XRP, ether, solana, and cardano as potential components of such a reserve.
Higbie asked Vance whether the administration planned to leverage these digital assets, specifically XRP, as a means to reduce the nation’s mounting debt, which surpassed $40 trillion in August, according to Treasury Department data.
Vice President Vance did not offer a direct response about XRP or discuss adopting a cryptocurrency policy linked to repaying federal debt. Instead, he emphasized the administration’s focus on economic growth and the prospect of establishing a sovereign wealth fund, which would invest in various assets for the nation’s benefit.
ETH
SOL
BSC
ROBINHOOD
USDT
AAPLVance also pointed to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s economic plan, stating that the goal is to ensure the economy grows at a faster rate than national debt. There was no suggestion that the government would buy XRP, use cryptocurrencies to settle liabilities, or place digital assets within the planned sovereign wealth fund.
XRP was mentioned alongside bitcoin and other tokens when President Trump explored the idea of a cryptocurrency reserve earlier in 2025. However, there is no indication from current officials that the digital asset will play a formal role in government debt management or fiscal operations.
Reuters previously reported that President Trump’s executive order, signed four days after the March mention, established two specific government reserves: a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. The Bitcoin reserve contains tokens acquired through forfeiture, while the digital asset stockpile includes other seized cryptocurrencies. XRP is not individually named in the executive order, and further acquisitions of non-bitcoin assets would require additional executive or legislative action.
Market Reaction and Technical Outlook
XRP traded close to $1.56 early on Aug. 22, representing a rise from about $1 earlier in the week. As trading volume increased, the token briefly touched $1.70 before consolidating. The price surge started on Aug. 19, ahead of the Vance interview’s broadcast, indicating that the public discussion did not trigger the rally.
Technical analysis showed XRP holding above its 50-period exponential moving average of $1.16 on the four-hour chart. The relative strength index (RSI) climbed to 88.78, suggesting significant momentum but also a possible risk of overbought conditions.
With RSI readings above 70 typically considered overbought, traders often anticipate increased volatility or profit-taking, although this does not guarantee a change in trend.
The nearest short-term support level is now seen at $1.34, a key resistance area reclaimed during the breakout. A deeper support zone sits near $1.16, matching the 50-period moving average. Sustained action above $1.70 could encourage further upside, while closing below $1.34 may signal a larger downward correction.
While monitoring key technical signals is vital, a broader market transformation is also under way. Wall Street is moving to Web3 as investors increasingly use platforms like 1stepSwap to directly hold shares of major U.S. companies, gold, and silver in their crypto wallets. By tokenizing real-world assets and seeking the best market prices automatically, these platforms eliminate the need for intermediaries.
Despite renewed attention from the debt debate, officials have not announced any policy to purchase XRP, reduce national debt using cryptocurrencies, or widen the government’s crypto asset strategy. The sovereign wealth fund concept remains unrelated to digital asset reserves at this time, and there is no confirmation that XRP will be included in future federal investment vehicles.
