The XRP Token has recently become one of the hottest cryptocurrencies. It’s interesting to look back at a fundraiser organized by Madonna in 2018. This event brought a lot of attention to XRP and Ripple.
Right now, the XRP Token (XRP/USD) from Ripple is gaining ground. This is mainly due to excitement around a new stablecoin. Six years ago, XRP played a role in a fundraising effort led by Madonna. This shows how much investors could have gained by jumping in at that time.
In 2024, the price of XRP has shot up. This surge is driven by filings for XRP ETFs, the upcoming launch of a stablecoin, and hopes that a new administration in the White House might help Ripple with its ongoing SEC lawsuit. Despite a strong start this year, XRP reached an all-time high of $3.84 back in early 2018. It hasn’t been able to hit that mark again in the past six years.
In 2018, XRP got a boost when actor and tech investor Ashton Kutcher surprised everyone on "The Ellen Show." He announced a donation to Ellen DeGeneres' charity. Another notable charity event was Madonna’s birthday fundraiser, which ran from July 30 to August 31, 2018.
Madonna wanted to celebrate her 60th birthday by raising funds for Raising Malawi, a non-profit she co-founded in 2006. This organization helps support the Home of Hope orphanage in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, according to Coindesk. Ripple matched donations during this effort, raising over $1 million for Madonna's birthday.
“Every dollar donated to my birthday fundraiser for Home of Hope will be matched by Ripple. Thank you, Ripple, for doubling our impact! Let’s Raise Malawi, let’s Raise Home of Hope! Let’s show these beautiful children that we care,” Madonna tweeted at the time.
Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, invested in Ripple in 2018 with his business partner, Kutcher. In a video shared with her tweet, Madonna emphasized Ripple’s mission. “Ripple is on a mission to make money more accessible to people all around the world,” she said. She pointed out that international payments can be costly, and Ripple aims to change that.
On July 30, 2018, the XRP Token traded at a high of $0.4545, which was the first day of the fundraiser. If you had invested $1,000 back then, you could have bought 2,200.22 XRP at that price.
Today, that $1,000 investment would be worth $5,874.59, based on the current price of $2.67 for XRP. That’s a potential return of 487.5% over the last six years. Madonna’s fundraiser not only raised money but also increased awareness of Ripple and the XRP Token. Many investors may have first learned about cryptocurrency through this event.
XRP has risen over 300% year-to-date in 2024. Recently, Benzinga asked its readers what they think about XRP’s future in 2025. They wanted to know if any cryptocurrencies would outperform XRP next year.
The survey results were interesting:
- Bitcoin: 28%
- Solana: 15%
- Dogecoin: 13%
- Ethereum: 10%
- Shiba Inu: 10%
- Hedera: 1%
- None of the Above: 24%
Bitcoin came out on top, with 28% of readers believing it will outperform other options in 2025. The second choice was “None of the Above,” indicating that 24% of respondents think XRP will outperform the other six cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, next year.