With inflation nibbling away at savings and stocks delivering modest returns, many investors are looking elsewhere. A $500 investment in the S&P 500, for example, could earn just $50 a year if the average 10% return holds up. For those willing to accept more risk, cryptocurrency continues to draw interest—especially XRP , which is now being called one of the smartest crypto buys by analysts. New Law Gives Crypto A Boost On July 18, US President Donald Trump signed the Genius Act , Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins. The new legislation establishes a legal regime for stablecoins that are backed by the US dollar. It’s something that could attract more businesses and institutions into the world of crypto by providing them with clearer guidelines to abide by. XRP is the smartest cryptocurrency to buy with $500 right now https://t.co/t4rop0MKDt — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 2, 2025 Ripple Labs, the entity behind XRP, was among several that were hurt by previous regulatory ambiguity. The 2021 lawsuit by the SEC against Ripple caused MoneyGram to abandon XRP-based payment solutions. But now that XRP is no longer considered a security when sold to retail buyers, some of the pressure has dissipated. Ripple can still expect fines related to prior institutional sales, but the landscape is now decidedly changing. This report is based on an opinion piece by Will Ebiefung of The Motley Fool, published on USA Today . In his view, XRP might be one of the smartest cryptocurrencies to buy today, thanks to its real-world utility and recent legal clarity. XRP Targets Real-World Use, Not Hype While many cryptocurrencies are used in highly speculative apps, XRP sticks to what it does best: moving money fast and cheap. Transactions cost just 0.00001 XRP and are completed in seconds. That makes it ideal for international payments, where delays and fees are common. Ripple took things further in 2024 by launching RLUSD , a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. RLUSD runs on the XRP Ledger and uses XRP to pay network fees, which are then burned. That means every RLUSD transaction could help reduce XRP’s overall supply, supporting its value over time. For users sending money between countries, XRP can act as a bridge. Dollars can be quickly converted into yen or other currencies without relying on traditional banking rails. RLUSD makes that process even smoother while keeping XRP in play. XRP is currently trading at $2.89 and holds a market cap of $170 billion, making it the third-largest cryptocurrency by size. It may not see the wild gains of its early years again, but analysts – like Will Ebiefung – believe the “smartest crypto” still has room to grow. Featured image from RooM RF, chart from TradingView
