XRP briefly topped $3 in early US trading for the first time since early January 2018 before easing gains slightly. It was trading at $2.95 at press time, up 11 per cent in the past 24 hours. Santiment data shows that Whale has added 1.40 billion XRP worth about $3.80 billion in the past two months and continues to add to its holdings as prices consolidate since their highs in early December. Monica Long, president of Ripple, said in an interview last week that she expected spot ETFs to be approved "very soon" because of the accelerated efficiency of approvals under the Trump administration.