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Versan Aljarrah, founder of Black Swan Capitalist, has added his voice to the ongoing discussion about the psychological challenge of holding $XRP.
In a recent post, he emphasized that the market tests investor conviction at every stage of $XRP’s cycle, making patience the most difficult yet most valuable trait for long-term holders.
Why Holding $XRP Is So Challenging
Aljarrah noted that holding $XRP is hard because it forces investors to confront their emotions during every major price swing. This mirrors commentary from pro-$XRP engineer Vincent Van Code, who previously argued that it takes “serious conviction — or mental illness” to resist selling during rallies or crashes.
Notably, the fundamentals supporting $XRP include Ripple’s ongoing work in building global liquidity and settlement infrastructure, as well as $XRP’s role as an asset that powers the next phase of cross-border settlement.
According to Aljarrah, once market participants grasp these fundamentals, holding $XRP stops being an act of blind faith and becomes a strategic position.
History of Lagging Before Explosive Moves
Notably, $XRP’s pattern of lagging during market rallies, followed by sudden and sharp breakouts, is well-documented.
In the 2017 bull run, $XRP underperformed for months before exploding by over 70,000%. Meanwhile, a price crash of over 95% followed this run.
Also, in 2024, $XRP lagged for most of the year before skyrocketing dramatically by over 500% by the end of the year. Since the momentum cooled off, the coin has been struggling to stage a comeback, which appears to have stirred the ongoing frustrations among holders.
This rhythm of “long patience, fast payoff” makes holding $XRP uniquely difficult. Investors often capitulate right before the strongest part of $XRP’s move begins.
This is why Aljarrah and others argue that $XRP tests patience more than any other major asset.
Can You Hold to $1,000?
Across the community, many hope they’ll hold $XRP to $1,000 or higher, but the majority won’t. Van Code illustrated this through the Bitcoin example:
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Many claim they would have held Bitcoin from under $1 to $110,000
- Yet most people would have sold at $100
Essentially, the hardest part of holding is not the volatility but resisting the urge to sell when life-changing amounts appear on the screen. As Van Code said, some investors only succeed because they mentally “write off” the investment entirely.
Ultimately, as $XRP trades at $2.2, down 23% over the past month, proponents believe the coin will eventually have its moment again, and when it does, it will be explosive.