Dr. Jim Willey, a financial analyst with a PhD in statistics, said that large banks and private equity firms are intentionally keeping XRP prices low.
He shared this view on a podcast with Black Swan Capitalist founder Barsan Aljara. Willey suggested that XRP price fluctuations are not due to normal market forces, but rather a strategy by institutions to quietly buy XRP before the price rises significantly.
“Please help us by paying less than $3.”
Specifically, Willey said major banks such as Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon are trying to keep XRP below $3 so they can buy in bulk before the price rises.
According to Willey, these institutions are intentionally suppressing the price in order to stockpile XRP before the market catches up to its true value.
Willey went further and claimed that these banks may be working directly with Ripple. He believes that instead of paying $7-8, they want to accumulate XRP for less than $3, which is closer to its true value.
NDA and Exchange Wallet Shrinkage
Willey also pointed to the shrinkage of exchange wallets holding millions of XRP as a sign of hidden accumulation. For example, Coinbase’s XRP holdings declined from about 1 billion tokens to only about 32 million XRP in September.
He argued that the lack of explanation from exchanges suggests that many exchanges may have non-disclosure agreements in place. He said the NDA may be masking the actual flow of XRP into private custody or institutional pipelines.
Interestingly, Willey tied this to comments made during a panel discussion that included BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. When asked directly about BlackRock’s plans for an XRP-based ETF, Fink said, “I can’t say.” Willie interpreted it as a subtle confirmation of limited information.
Hydrodynamics, ETFs, and future pressures
Furthermore, Willey compared future XRP price fluctuations to a hydraulic system, saying that funds flowing out of Bitcoin and Ethereum will amplify the price of XRP..
In his analogy, moving liquidity from a wide “tube” like Bitcoin to a narrow “tube” like XRP creates an exponential pressure effect. He believes the XRP ETF will accelerate this movement, especially as OTC supply dries up.
Willy: XRP will reach trillions of dollars and rival the dollar
Meanwhile, Willey dismissed concerns about XRP’s market cap cap, calling the idea “false.” In fact, he believes that XRP’s long-term role could go beyond payments and replace the primary function of the US dollar.
“I believe XRP will replace the dollar as a global reserve currency in functions related to trade payments such as Treasury bills at ports, and as a stablecoin like RLUSD to replace government bonds.” Willie said.
He also pointed out that as XRP’s role in global trade becomes more established, XRP’s market capitalization could reach $100 trillion without much difficulty.
Willey described the current situation as a quiet shift in global finance. Banks that once opposed Ripple are now positioning themselves as partners. He speculates about a future where companies like JPMorgan could use Ripple’s technology to save billions of dollars in payment costs.
Although Mr. Willey makes bold statements about banks suppressing XRP, such views are common within the XRP community and have no basis beyond the belief that XRP should be worth more than its current price of $2. Critics claim there is no concrete evidence of price suppression.
