Banks Sleep, Crypto Doesn’t: Jerald David Says as XRP Price Hovers at $2.10

Stablecoins have become a cornerstone of the crypto economy, and according to Arca Labs president Jerald David, it’s not by accident. Speaking at TokenizeThis 2025 in New York, David argued that the limitations of the U.S. banking system are what gave rise to the dominance of dollar-pegged stablecoins. Restricted banking hours and a lack of seamless, round-the-clock payments have pushed users toward crypto-native alternatives that don’t stop at five o’clock. The message was clear: crypto solved a gap that traditional finance couldn’t.

Stablecoins Thrive Where Banks Lag 

Jerald David laid out a blunt case: stablecoins didn’t explode in popularity because they were novel; they took off because traditional U.S. banking was too limited. At TokenizeThis, he pointed to rigid banking hours and the absence of non-dollar trading pairs as critical weaknesses that crypto stablecoins stepped in to solve. In a market that never sleeps, a banking system that does is an apparent mismatch.

He also spotlighted the evolution of stablecoins into yield-bearing assets, allowing users to earn while holding. This has transformed how people use stablecoins, from simple payment rails to income-generating tools. Still, he cautioned that regulation and identity checks could unlock new use cases or stifle innovation.

On the same panel, the discussion turned to Know Your Customer (KYC) rules. While KYC is necessary in certain areas, Arca Labs president David argued that using a stablecoin for basic payments shouldn’t require heavy compliance. He and others suggested that trust-based systems could simplify identity verification without creating user fatigue. Let’s look at XRP price prediction to see how this development impacts the price of XRP.

XRP Price Prediction for April 17, 2025

The XRP network is showing signs of consolidation after a bullish rally, currently hovering near the $2.10 support level. This level previously acted as resistance, and now it’s retested as support is critical. XRP price has struggled to break above the $2.22 resistance, suggesting a potential range-bound scenario between $2.10 and $2.22. The RSI is at 43.63, reflecting slight bearish momentum but no immediate sign of extreme conditions. It recently rebounded from an oversold region, hinting at possible accumulation or a minor bounce. 

Chart 1: Analysed by vallijat007, published on TradingView, April 17, 2025

However, a further decline to the next support at $1.95 or $1.75 without substantial bullish volume remains possible. The MACD indicator is flat, with a weak bearish bias as the signal line crosses above the MACD line; this recent death cross supports the current sideways to a slightly bearish trend. In summary, the XRP network is in a consolidation phase. Holding above $2.10 could lead to a bounce toward resistance, but a breakdown could see the price test deeper supports. Momentum is neutral to slightly bearish.

Stablecoins Succeed by Doing What Banks Won’t 

Jerald David’s argument is simple: stablecoins didn’t disrupt; they filled a void. As long as U.S. banks stay tethered to legacy systems and limited hours, crypto-native alternatives will thrive. The rise of yield-bearing stablecoins and frictionless transfers proves the demand is there. The next step is regulatory clarity, smart, adaptive frameworks that don’t kill innovation with red tape. Until that happens, stablecoins will keep winning, not because they’re revolutionary but because they’re more helpful in a broken system.