XRP Twist: Founders’ Lobbying Secured Sell-Only Stockpile

Ripple and its co-founders had a grand vision: spending millions on political donations, they hoped to see the US government scoop up XRP for its crypto reserve. But that dream crashed down at 7:11 pm yesterday, as their lobbying efforts reached a devastating conclusion.

The moment of truth arrived when “Crypto Czar” David Sacks tweeted the actual text of the signed executive order. For Ripple and its devoted “XRP Army,” the news was crushing: despite Donald Trump’s explicit promise, the US government wouldn’t be buying XRP.

Back on March 2, Trump had boldly declared he’d create a Crypto Strategic Reserve *including* XRP. But the reality, as revealed yesterday, was starkly different. Instead of inclusion, Trump signed an order that effectively sidelined XRP, placing it in a separate stockpile designated only for holding or selling.

So, forget about XRP joining the prestigious ranks of a US Strategic Crypto Reserve. Instead, it’s been designated, quite disappointingly, as a mere ‘Stockpile Asset.’ This means the US government is barred from purchasing any XRP; they can only hold what they already have or sell it off.

The official document Trump signed is crystal clear, stating in no uncertain terms: “the United States Government shall not acquire additional Stockpile Assets other than in connection with criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any civil money penalty imposed by any agency without further executive or legislative action.”

When Trump first made that promise about XRP on March 2, the market reacted instantly, sending its price soaring 36% within a single hour. However, that surge proved short-lived; XRP has since given back almost all of those gains, retaining only a meager 10%.

The ‘no-buying-allowed’ US Digital Asset Stockpile

And it’s not just XRP facing this ‘hold-or-sell’ fate. The US stockpile for digital assets also includes other non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies like Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Ethereum (ETH) – all tokens Trump initially pledged to incorporate into a reserve. But here’s the crucial distinction: Bitcoin (BTC) is currently the *only* digital asset the US government is permitted to purchase. All other cryptocurrencies are relegated to that separate stockpile, strictly for holding or selling.

Trump established a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve – exclusively for BTC. This reserve will initially be stocked with Bitcoin the government already possesses, largely acquired through criminal and civil asset forfeitures. And to put that in perspective, the US government currently holds around 200,000 BTC, though a significant portion is earmarked for disbursement to Bitfinex.

In a stark contrast to the altcoin stockpile, Trump has given the green light to the Treasury and Commerce secretaries to actively *acquire* more BTC, using what he terms ‘budget-neutral strategies’.

Even the US Treasury Secretary is confused

Adding another layer of intrigue, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made a CNBC appearance this morning to discuss the executive order. However, in a puzzling twist, Bessent seemed to suggest that the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’s scope would soon broaden to include altcoins – directly contradicting the explicit wording of the document itself.

Considering Bessent is one of the two officials – alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick – personally tasked by Trump to devise acquisition strategies *specifically* for BTC, his seemingly contradictory statement today adds a significant and confusing footnote to this whole saga.