Now more than ever, the five-year SEC lawsuit against Ripple and XRP appears to be nearing its ultimate conclusion.
Amid these high hopes, the XRP community has been actively speculating about what could come next for the digital asset. Some members have resurfaced an old video featuring Yoshitaka Kitao, Chairman and CEO of Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings, where he expressed strong confidence in XRP’s future once the SEC lawsuit is resolved.
In the resurfaced video, Kitao stated that the long-running legal battle with the U.S. SEC was nearing its end. He cited comments from Ripple’s leadership suggesting that a final court ruling was coming within weeks.
Context of the Price Prediction
It is worth noting that Kitao originally made these statements in June 2023, just weeks before Judge Torres’s ruling. The court confirmed XRP’s status as a digital asset, which temporarily sent its price soaring.
However, that momentum quickly faded, and XRP’s price dropped back to pre-ruling levels. For over a year following the court decision, XRP remained in a narrow range, mostly around $0.50 to $0.60.
Another breakthrough for XRP occurred in November 2024, after former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler announced his resignation. This marked a significant turning point, as XRP broke through multi-year resistance and surged from under $0.50 to over $3.
Following that rally, XRP entered a six-month consolidation phase, from which it is currently attempting to break out. Meanwhile, Ripple leadership has recently announced plans to withdraw its appeal in the lawsuit to permanently resolve the case.
At this moment, the XRP community is awaiting an official statement from both the SEC and Ripple confirming the final closure of the lawsuit.
Amid this anticipation, XRP enthusiasts have revisited Kitao’s earlier video, which forecast a major price surge once the legal case definitively settles.
‼️CEO OF SBI HOLDINGS YOSHITAKA KITAO: AFTER THE SEC CASE ENDS, XRP WILL BE A VERY HIGH PRICE‼️
Watch.😶🌫️ pic.twitter.com/uXY9yQHPPU
— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) July 13, 2025
IPO Plans Could Follow SEC Ruling?
In the same video, Kitao also hinted that Ripple’s management might move forward with going public once the lawsuit is over. However, more recent updates suggest that Ripple is currently prioritizing mergers and acquisitions over an IPO.
SBI’s Deep Ties to Ripple
SBI Holdings has long been one of Ripple’s strongest international allies. Through its joint venture, SBI Ripple Asia, the companies have promoted XRP-based payment systems across the Asian market.
As for Kitao himself, he has been a vocal advocate for XRP and the broader adoption of blockchain in financial infrastructure. He believes in XRP’s potential for cross-border settlements and remittances.
Recently, SBI Holdings received a shareholder proposal encouraging the company to adopt an XRP treasury strategy, similar to MicroStrategy’s approach with Bitcoin, by making consistent investments in XRP.
