Trump's XRP Inclusion in U.S. Crypto Reserve Was Not His Original Plan, Allegations Claim

The inclusion of XRP in the U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve reportedly wasn't President Donald Trump's original plan

A report by Coin Edition has revealed that renowned lobbyist Brian Ballard played a key role in influencing President Donald Trump’s decision to include XRP in the U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve, according to new allegations.

Emerging “truth” from crypto and political circles points to Ballard as the key figure who swayed the president's thinking to add XRP, while pivoting away from his original plan. This alleged lobbying backdrop casts a new light on President Trump’s crypto initiatives. After taking office, he first signed a January 2025 executive order, establishing the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. The US president then announced on March 2 via Truth Social that XRP, Solana, Cardano, Ethereum, and Bitcoin would comprise the official US Crypto Strategic Reserve.

Now, months later, political insiders claim Ballard’s efforts, driven by his ties with Ripple, were what landed XRP on that high-profile list. Documents confirm the lobbyist received at least $60,000 from Ripple in 2024, though the reasons for the payment remain undisclosed as of this report.

These revelations about Ballard’s alleged influence have ignited widespread controversy. Reports from certain quarters claim Trump has severed ties with Ballard after realizing the lobbyist misled him. However, analysts think it’s highly unlikely the president would remove XRP from the US Strategic Crypto Stockpile, considering his ties with Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who donated significantly to Trump’s campaign and inauguration funds.

As the dust settles on this lobbying saga, all eyes are on the next moves by President Trump and how they will shape the future of crypto in the U.S.

The post Trump's XRP inclusion wasn't original plan, lobbyist involvement alleged appeared first on Coin Edition.