XRP Holders’ Fury: ATH Disappointment

The XRP Army, known for its fervent dedication, reacted with mixed feelings to the latest market surge.

While XRP, the cryptocurrency linked to Ripple, achieved a new peak value last Thursday – its first in over seven years according to CoinGecko data – many XRP advocates expressed more anger than joy to Decrypt.

This sentiment stems from the extended legal conflict with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which a segment of the XRP Army claims suppressed the cryptocurrency’s growth.

“After waiting SEVEN YEARS, we’re absolutely furious, what did you expect?” said MackAttackXRP, an anonymous member of the XRP Army, in a statement to Decrypt. “This delay was caused by political interference via the SEC. Do you understand?”

The XRP Army is a strong community of XRP investors dedicated to advocating for XRP as a cost-effective, fast, and equitable payment method. Its members frequently highlight XRP in their online presence and vigorously promote the cryptocurrency across social media.

MackAttackXRP stated that virtually all cryptocurrencies within the top 20 (excluding stablecoins) have reached record highs, with some (like Bitcoin) hitting multiple new benchmarks during the past seven years.

John Squire, another XRP Army participant, told Decrypt, “The issue isn’t about achieving a new ATH – it’s about sitting on the sidelines while others thrived. The XRP community’s anger is mainly aimed at the SEC for hindering the asset’s progress, impacting retail investors most severely.”

Since late 2020, Ripple, the entity behind XRP, has been engaged in a court case with the SEC after the firm and a couple of its top executives were charged with conducting a $1.3 billion unregistered securities offering via XRP sales.

A judge decreed three years afterward that XRP transactions were not considered securities sales, except in cases where funds were being raised from organizations.

Subsequently, the SEC appealed the decision, leading to Ripple submitting a cross-appeal, prolonging the legal procedures. Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple CEO, asserted the matter concluded in March 2025.

James Rule, another XRP Army member, remarked to Decrypt, “We had to deal with considerable problems during the last several years. Those who sold before Trump came into power are now experiencing remorse.”

“I’m not angry,” he further commented, “because I held onto my investments.”

While the worst of the lawsuit appears to be behind Ripple, the battle still has yet to officially come to a close—following two failed attempts to reduce a $125 million penalty. Ripple has said that it will drop its cross-appeal, however, suggesting an imminent conclusion to the saga. Even so, hard feelings linger among the XRP faithful.

Squire stated, “There’s also frustration towards crypto publications and extremists who belittled or dismissed XRP throughout the years.”

XRP has often become a subject of ridicule within the crypto space. A popular joke implies all XRP holders are Uber drivers, giving rise to an inundation of Uber-related memes online since the cryptocurrency reached its peak.

Rule chuckled, sharing evidence of his wealth and declared, “I’m not an Uber driver. I’m a retired crypto millionaire, plain and simple.”

The group of investors’ unique characteristic, as their members claim, is the XRP Army’s commitment to retain the token throughout the period of jokes and SEC scrutiny. Because he has faith in the coin’s foundations, Squire said he wasn’t inclined to leave.

“I didn’t follow hype,” he stated.

MackAttackXRP said that what distinguishes the XRP Army is their constant “fight back” mentality. When asked how the group does it, he sighed and responded with a flood of sleep emojis.

“How does an army fight back? What are you not getting?” MackAttackXRP said. Before Decrypt could reply, he continued, “By standing for honesty and eradicating injustice. That’s our identity. We are honest, sincere fighters who believe that XRP will be the top solution for the financial world’s future.”

“We need a fast, inexpensive, and equitable coin that delivers on its promise to eliminate those slow and expensive banks, because there’s already plenty of conflict and suffering in the world,” MackAttackXRP added.

Rule informed Decrypt that he welcomes the all-time high and that he intends to begin selling XRP once it reaches $5, which is roughly a 44% gain from its current price of $3.48. That strategy stands in stark contrast to MackAttackXRP’s way of thinking.

“We won’t be satisfied until XRP hits $27,” he remarked, a figure that he calculated in 2023 using technical analysis that he shared on X. “We have consistently said that because technical analysis is always right. Only the timeframe is sometimes questionable, he added, citing external influences and changes in sentiment.

MackAttackXRP disagrees, even though some may argue that technical analysis is not perfectly accurate. He will keep his tokens until the forecast value of $27 is reached, which is a 675% increase over the current price.

It helps to explain why some XRP Army members are so unhappy that the coin has only recently reached its all-time high for seven years, given how far it has to go to reach his objective price.

“The XRP Army is still NOT HAPPY,” he concluded. “We are angry, VERY angry about what happened.”