Ripple's DEX Surpasses $1 Billion in Swap Volume, XRP Soars Amid Trump's Crypto-Friendly Regulatory Shift

The XRP Ledger's decentralized exchange (DEX) has achieved remarkable success since its launch in 2024, amassing over $1 billion in swap volume. As of January 2025, the DEX has recorded a total swap volume surpassing $1 billion since its inception, with approximately $400 million in swap volume achieved in January alone, averaging around $17 million daily. This substantial activity underscores the platform's increasing adoption and popularity among traders.

The XRP ecosystem has historically been known for its transaction speed and cost efficiency. Ripple's focus on providing an enabling infrastructure for financial institutions has positioned the DEX as a viable alternative in the growing decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple's CEO, highlighted that this momentum is not just attributable to market forces but is also driven by Ripple's strategic innovations, including its upcoming U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, which could further enhance liquidity on the DEX.

Market sentiment surrounding XRP has increasingly been influenced by political developments, particularly the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Garlinghouse noted that the election has created a ripple effect in the crypto sector, facilitating a more favorable regulatory environment for digital assets. This sentiment aligns with the significant price fluctuations of XRP, which has witnessed over a 500% increase in value following Trump's victory on November 5, 2024. With a current market capitalization exceeding $180 billion, XRP is positioned as one of the top cryptocurrencies. Analysts suggest that Trump's commitment to fostering a supportive crypto industry could pave the way for regulatory changes that benefit all cryptocurrencies, but particularly XRP.

Amidst the evolving regulatory landscape, the prospect of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to XRP has captured the attention of investors and analysts alike. Garlinghouse mentioned that estimates from reputable institutions suggest that proposed XRP ETFs could attract upwards of $8 billion in inflows. The anticipation of an eventual U.S. approval for XRP ETFs has fueled investor enthusiasm, with current prediction markets indicating a 73% probability that a spot XRP ETF will receive approval by 2025, sparking optimism for further institutional adoption and mainstream integration of XRP as an asset class.