 
 
Crypto commentator Levi Rietveld lit up markets on Sept. 1, 2025, with a video-backed forecast that Ripple’s XRP could one day trade at $50,000. Rietveld’s X (Twitter) post carried the title “$50,000 XRP Prediction Shocks Wall Street!”
In the accompanying discussion, analysts tie this outlandish target to the rise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the massive new liquidity that has emerged since 2021.
Wall Street strategists and crypto investors alike are poring over the details of this analysis – and the reaction has been sharply divided.
CBDC Frameworks and XRP’s Role
The forecast hinges on the idea that a global shift to CBDCs will boost XRP’s value. A June 2023 study by the Atlantic Council noted 130 countries (about 98% of the world economy) are exploring digital versions of their currencies.
The video shared by Rietveld argues that once such CBDC networks exist, they will demand neutral, interoperable settlement layers.
 
XRP’s blockchain – via Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity service – is positioned as a prime candidate for that role. As one analyst phrased it, if governments “establish frameworks for digital currency interactions on a global scale, it would not be difficult to establish a set price for XRP.” In other words, in a CBDC era, some proponents say XRP could become a de facto bridge asset across currencies.
Importantly, the analysts note that earlier price targets already assumed a big role for XRP. In 2021, some XRP bulls were speculating on five-figure prices – roughly $25,000 to $37,500 per coin – based on its cross-border payment utility.
Those models were built when the global money supply was much smaller. Today’s forecast argues that the baseline has shifted dramatically.
Record Liquidity Fuels Upside
Since 2021, trillions of dollars have flooded global markets via stimulus and loose policy. As one speaker on the video points out, the “additional trillions of dollars in circulation today compared to 2021” create conditions for much higher asset prices.
For context, Reuters estimated that by May 2021, nearly $27 trillion had been injected into world markets since early 2020. All that excess liquidity has driven up stocks, real estate, and crypto alike.
By that logic, an XRP price that once seemed extreme might now be in play. A firm supporting Rietveld’s discussion even asks rhetorically: “If $37.5K was plausible in 2021, why not $50K today?”
The revised forecast is essentially a re-run of 2021 estimates on steroids. In the video, analysts detail the “Key Pillars of the $50K vision”: the global CBDC boom (130+ nations), XRP as a neutral bridge in cross-border finance, and the liquidity explosion (trillions added since 2021).
Taken together, they argue, these trends make a tenfold revision (from ~$5K to $50K) a logical extension of earlier cases.
As one analyst notes, the new estimate was “not [fully] modeled … but reflected a logical extension of earlier calculations once additional capital flows were factored in.” In short, proponents say the macro backdrop now supports a much larger XRP valuation than before.
Forecast Ignites Heated Debate
The $50,000 prediction has ignited debate in crypto circles. A Binance Square recap of the discussion points out that Rietveld’s headline has “turned a fringe idea into a mainstream financial discussion.”
Observers note this is not framed as a near-term price target – the analysis explicitly calls it a long-term vision of XRP’s role in a digitized monetary system.
A summary slide underlines: “This is not a formal price model or immediate expectation. It reignites the long-term vision of XRP as a global settlement standard.”
Still, many analysts and investors are skeptical. Critics argue that XRP’s market price and unresolved regulatory issues make $50K highly speculative.
The sentiment is split: some treat the forecast as a bold thought experiment, others as unrealistic hype. Even so, proponents point out that sky-high crypto price calls have been made before – for example, $100K Bitcoin sounded crazy in 2017, yet came within reach by 2021.
Rietveld himself underscores the message as a paradigm shift. He has used his platform to emphasize XRP’s growing importance in global finance.
In effect, this episode has refocused some investor attention on macroeconomic factors – such as CBDCs, M2 money supply, and de-dollarization – in valuing crypto.