The asset manager T. Rowe Price received approval for an active crypto exchange-traded fund, dubbed TKNZ, that will hold XRP and Dogecoin alongside other digital assets. The nod came June 15, just weeks after executive actions this year opened up 401(k) plans to alternative investments — a shift that could channel retirement dollars into the very tokens the new ETF tracks.
The TKNZ fund
Unlike passive crypto ETFs that simply track a benchmark, TKNZ is actively managed. That means T. Rowe Price will decide when to buy, sell, or hold the fund's crypto positions, including XRP and Dogecoin. The approval signals that regulators are warming to more complex crypto products aimed at mainstream investors, especially in the wake of the 2026 retirement rule changes.
XRP's long-term math
XRP trades near $1.34 today. Conservative projections see it around $3.13 by 2035. At that price, hitting a $1 million portfolio would require roughly 319,000 tokens — a buy-in of about $428,000 at current levels. A more bullish scenario puts XRP between $9 and $10 by that same year, needing 100,000 to 105,000 tokens for a $1 million target. And the most aggressive forecast sees XRP hitting $20 to $40 per token. In that case, 25,000 XRP (currently valued at around $33,000) could do the trick.
It's not just price projections that matter. XRP is tied to traditional banking infrastructure through ISO 20022 messaging standards, giving it a use case beyond speculation. That connection has kept the token on the radar for long-term institutional adopters.
Retirement risks to weigh
Mainstream financial advisors still recommend capping crypto exposure at 5% to 10% of a diversified portfolio. The core holdings should remain index funds, bonds, and low-volatility instruments. And for good reason: XRP has suffered multiple drawdowns greater than 50% over its trading history. Investors who piled in at previous peaks waited years just to get their principal back — a timeline that doesn't work if you need liquidity within the next decade.
The regulatory picture adds another layer. While the 2026 executive actions opened the door for crypto in retirement accounts, a future administration could reverse those frameworks. Competition from stablecoins and central bank digital currencies also poses a long-term threat to XRP's role in the payments ecosystem.
The big unresolved question is whether the current regulatory window stays open long enough for the projected 2035 prices to materialize — or whether political shifts close it before most retirement savers can cash out.
