Wealth Manager Says Final Hurdle to BlackRock’s XRP ETF Is Now Cleared

Nate Geraci, President of ETF Store and NovaDius Wealth Management, believes the final impediment to BlackRock filing for an XRP ETF may have dissolved. In a tweet, Geraci expressed that a BlackRock iShares XRP ETF could surface at any time as regulatory pressures ease. This follows the official end of the lawsuit between the U.S. SEC and Ripple. Ripple–SEC Lawsuit Officially Ends For context, on Thursday, Ripple and the U.S. SEC jointly filed to dismiss their appeals in the Second Circuit, marking the end of a nearly five-year legal battle. The motion came after an internal SEC vote in which most commissioners supported closing the case. Highlighting the development on social media, Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty declared that the company is now free to focus entirely on business operations. The legal fight, which began in December 2020, cost Ripple more than $150 million and led to a 2023 court ruling that XRP itself is not a security. This favorable outcome improved XRP’s standing among institutions and trading platforms. Following a final ruling by Judge Analisa Torres in August 2024, both parties entered an appeal. However, they have now agreed to withdraw it, bringing the case to a definitive close. BlackRock May Now File for XRP ETF Reacting to the news, ETF expert Geraci suggested that BlackRock may have been waiting for the Ripple lawsuit to conclude before filing for an iShares XRP ETF. He expressed strong confidence in this timing strategy, stating he would accept being proven wrong. Geraci argued that it makes "zero sense" for BlackRock to limit its crypto ETF offerings to just Bitcoin and Ethereum. According to him, such a move would imply that they believe only those two assets will ever hold value. ETF Race Could Heat Up Notably, other issuers such as Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and Grayscale are already seeking SEC approval for spot XRP ETFs. BlackRock’s entry could dramatically shift the competitive landscape. The SEC’s final deadlines for decisions on XRP ETFs are in Q4 2025, leaving a limited window for new applications. If BlackRock proceeds, its existing dominance in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs could expand into the broader crypto ETF market, a development many XRP investors see as a major catalyst for price growth. For context, BlackRock holds 738,170 BTC worth over $86 billion. During the period it accumulated this Bitcoin, the price surged from $45,000 to over $123,000. Given this precedent, XRP commentators like Zach Rector believe XRP’s price could 10X to $30 by next year.