XRP (XRP -2.24%) is down 15% during the past 30 days, and it might fall even further. With a trade war kicking in, it's reasonable to expect that digital coins focused on international commerce like XRP could take a severe beating that's only just getting started. Many are wondering if there's any hope for the coin, considering the bearish macro environment and the possibility of a recession looming.

But investors should definitely not dump their coins, because there's plenty of hope for XRP. In fact, now could be a great time to buy it. Here's why.

Stop focusing on the now and start focusing on the future

There are real reasons for XRP's recent struggles. Given that the coin is intended as a medium of exchange among financial institutions making international money transfers, the prospect of a trade war is a grim.

Tariffs, like the ones implemented by the Trump administration against Canada, Mexico, and China, increase the costs for trade goods. Per economics textbooks, higher costs for buying goods mean that fewer goods are purchased. Fewer goods being purchased means that there will be less money that needs to be transferred between buyers and sellers in different countries. If those players were using XRP before, they won't need to hold as much of it, and -- so the bearish argument goes -- they will have less incentive to adopt it.

However, there are also reasons to believe that XRP might see more widespread adoption as a result of a trade war. Increased costs related to tariff regulations will need to be recouped somehow. Fees related to exchanging currencies will be even more onerous. So, in the long run, there could be a more buying pressure for the coin if the tariffs stick around, which isn't a certainty at this point.

But the bigger reason XRP is nowhere close to being dead yet is that nothing about its investment thesis has been invalidated by a trade war, even if there might be a new set of headwinds in play -- or perhaps even tailwinds. It's still going to be a chain that banks and other financial institutions can use to lower their transfer costs -- and, soon enough, where they can track their tokenized real world assets.

The chances are still good that it will be used increasingly by the very users its targeting because the alternative for them is to pay much higher costs and experience slower transfer times with the legacy technologies they currently employ.

Plus, it could still get a boost soon from the approval of an XRP-holding exchange-traded fund (ETF). That would lead to more volume on its chain, which would enable it to capture more fees and fund its future development.

Be aware that the road ahead could be extremely bumpy

The current XRP price decline is an opportunity to buy the dip. That does not mean it will be an easy hold, nor does it mean you can expect a quick profit.

The fact of the matter is that presently, the U.S. is diving into what may be an exceptionally turbulent period economically. It is possible this period will be short. It is also possible that the turbulence will give way to a soaring economy.

If you are willing to buy your coins while they're cheaper than before and hold on to them for a handful of years, it does not particularly matter one way or the other what the price does this week or even this quarter.

What will matter is whether the core value-generating mechanism of the coin holds up, and whether the market recognizes it. The longer you wait, the more likely the second part is to happen.

Set up a dollar-cost averaging plan and slowly buy little bundles of XRP over the coming months and years. The more the price dips, the better the deal you'll get. This show is a long way from being over.