XRP is back in the spotlight as traders price a near‑certain chance of an ETF approval and launch in 2025. Prediction market Polymarket currently places the odds of a Ripple spot ETF being approved next year at over 99%, reflecting growing investor optimism about a potential SEC green light and a new on‑ramp for mainstream capital.

Despite the bullish market sentiment, a leading industry figure has offered a contrarian outlook on the long‑term role of ETFs in crypto. Hugo Philion, co‑founder of the Flare Network, told listeners on the Paul Barron Podcast that while ETFs serve as an important gateway for legacy investors today, their relevance is likely to fade within five years. He pointed to generational differences: baby boomers and Gen X — who control a large share of current wealth — gravitate toward familiar instruments like spot crypto funds, which helps explain strong demand for ETF products. In contrast, younger investors are increasingly comfortable holding assets directly on blockchains, and that preference could fundamentally change how capital flows into digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Philion also argued that macroeconomic pressures could accelerate the shift to blockchain‑native finance. Unfunded retirement liabilities, rising government debt, and broader financial uncertainty may push both retail and institutional investors to adopt on‑chain ownership and DeFi solutions more rapidly than expected. From this perspective, the market’s current celebration over ETF approvals may be short‑sighted: ETFs can broaden access now, but the future may favor direct, on‑chain custody and decentralized finance rails over traditional wrappers.