I have seen a lot of positive developments over the last few months.
I do not think anyone can say with certainty what is moving the price, but I would assume that at least part of it relates to the above.
- Earthport partnership
- Fidor bank
- CBW Bank + Cross River Bank
- Astropay Intrabank network
- Shift Payments Card
- SnapSwap SmartyCard
- Noted in NACHA Future of Corporate Payments white paper
- GBI Gateway - and many others
- Codius smart programs/contracts
I do not think anyone can say with certainty what is moving the price, but I would assume that at least part of it relates to the above.
Just some of the VC's that are invested in Ripple. They obviously love Ripple enough to invest in it, so I don't get why some people are not giving it a chance.
Andreessen Horowitz
Andreessen Horowitz is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management. The firm invests in entrepreneurs building companies at every stage from seed to growth.
The Bitcoin Opportunity Fund
The Bitcoin Opportunity Fund is managed by Barry Silbert, the founder of SecondMarket and the Bitcoin Investment Trust. The fund invests in bitcoin and other math-based currency companies, including Gyft, Coinbase and Tradehill, among others.
Google Ventures
Google Ventures is a radically different kind of venture-capital fund. The Google Ventures design, marketing, recruiting, and engineering teams work full-time with portfolio companies. Google Ventures also offers Startup Lab, a dedicated facility and educational program where companies can meet, learn, work, and share.
Google Ventures will invest over $1B in the next five years. Founded in 2009, the firm has invested in over 200 companies, including Uber, Nest, Kabam, HomeAway, Parse, ngmoco, and RetailMeNot. Google Ventures is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in Seattle, New York, and Cambridge, Mass.
IDG Technology Venture Investment Fund
IDG Technology Venture Investment Fund is managed by IDG Capital Partners, which, as a leading China-related investment team, was among the first to introduce foreign venture capital investment into China in early 1990s. Since then the funds under its management have invested in around 300 diverse and successful portfolios, such as Baidu, Sohu, Tencent, Soufun, Ctrip, Tudou, Qihu360, Home Inns, Hanting and Kanghui. Over 70 portfolios have successfully completed IPO or M&A.
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a leading venture capital firm with over $2 billion of committed capital under management and investment professionals and advisors in Silicon Valley, India, Israel and China with Lightspeed China Partners. Over the past two decades, Lightspeed partners have backed more than 200 consumer, enterprise and cleantech companies, many of which have become leaders in their respective markets, including Blue Nile, Brocade, Ciena, DoubleClick, eHealth, Flixster, Fusion-io, Informatica, Kosmix, LivingSocial, Lucky Pai, Nicira, Playdom, Pliant Technology, Provigent, Riverbed Technology, Solazyme, TutorVista, Virsa Systems, Waveset, and XtremIO.
source: https://www.ripplelabs.com/investors/
Andreessen Horowitz
Andreessen Horowitz is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management. The firm invests in entrepreneurs building companies at every stage from seed to growth.
The Bitcoin Opportunity Fund
The Bitcoin Opportunity Fund is managed by Barry Silbert, the founder of SecondMarket and the Bitcoin Investment Trust. The fund invests in bitcoin and other math-based currency companies, including Gyft, Coinbase and Tradehill, among others.
Google Ventures
Google Ventures is a radically different kind of venture-capital fund. The Google Ventures design, marketing, recruiting, and engineering teams work full-time with portfolio companies. Google Ventures also offers Startup Lab, a dedicated facility and educational program where companies can meet, learn, work, and share.
Google Ventures will invest over $1B in the next five years. Founded in 2009, the firm has invested in over 200 companies, including Uber, Nest, Kabam, HomeAway, Parse, ngmoco, and RetailMeNot. Google Ventures is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in Seattle, New York, and Cambridge, Mass.
IDG Technology Venture Investment Fund
IDG Technology Venture Investment Fund is managed by IDG Capital Partners, which, as a leading China-related investment team, was among the first to introduce foreign venture capital investment into China in early 1990s. Since then the funds under its management have invested in around 300 diverse and successful portfolios, such as Baidu, Sohu, Tencent, Soufun, Ctrip, Tudou, Qihu360, Home Inns, Hanting and Kanghui. Over 70 portfolios have successfully completed IPO or M&A.
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a leading venture capital firm with over $2 billion of committed capital under management and investment professionals and advisors in Silicon Valley, India, Israel and China with Lightspeed China Partners. Over the past two decades, Lightspeed partners have backed more than 200 consumer, enterprise and cleantech companies, many of which have become leaders in their respective markets, including Blue Nile, Brocade, Ciena, DoubleClick, eHealth, Flixster, Fusion-io, Informatica, Kosmix, LivingSocial, Lucky Pai, Nicira, Playdom, Pliant Technology, Provigent, Riverbed Technology, Solazyme, TutorVista, Virsa Systems, Waveset, and XtremIO.
source: https://www.ripplelabs.com/investors/
Just wait for more banks to come 
As part of its trading agreement, the Bank of America, US Bank, TD Bank of Canada, Chase Manhattan Bank, are also supported by ripple of payment. China's Ningbo Bank also intends to cooperate with the ripple, but the reason has not been determined policy.
https://xrptalk.org/topic/4725-chinas-ningbo-bank-to-use-ripple/
As part of its trading agreement, the Bank of America, US Bank, TD Bank of Canada, Chase Manhattan Bank, are also supported by ripple of payment. China's Ningbo Bank also intends to cooperate with the ripple, but the reason has not been determined policy.
https://xrptalk.org/topic/4725-chinas-ningbo-bank-to-use-ripple/