Forbes, one of the most influential financial media outlets, has made a stunning pivot on Ripple and XRP. In June 2024, the magazine branded XRP a 'zombie blockchain'—a dead project kept alive by speculation. By early 2025, however, Forbes began publishing articles praising Ripple's momentum, marking a complete reversal.
Three Catalysts Behind the Shift
The primary driver of Forbes' new stance is institutional adoption. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has been actively engaging with the White House, positioning the company as a key player in compliant cross-border payments. Even more significant, the U.S. government decided to include XRP in its official digital asset reserves—a move widely seen as the ultimate seal of approval.
Market analyst The Modern Investor highlighted Ripple's strategic acquisitions and a surge in on-chain activity as concrete evidence of growth. These factors, he argues, suggest that Forbes' earlier dismissal was premature.
Ripple's Ecosystem Gains Traction
Beyond headline news, Ripple has been expanding its technology foothold. The company sponsored SwissHacks 2026 to foster XRP Ledger innovation. Its GTreasury unit joined the SWIFT directory, signaling deeper integration with traditional finance. Additionally, a United Nations webinar recently listed Ripple and Stellar as key pillars of future global payment systems.
Market reaction was modest but positive: XRP rose 0.92% on the news, trading around $1.23 at press time.
Implications of Media Reversal
Forbes' about-face reflects a broader trend of legacy media reassessing crypto projects as regulatory clarity improves. The resolution of Ripple's SEC lawsuit removed a major overhang, and institutions are now pouring capital into XRP's use case as a bridge currency. Analysts believe this media shift could attract more mainstream investors.
Still, caution is warranted—media narratives often lag the market, and investors should conduct their own due diligence before acting.