The XRP Ledger has entered a new phase of innovation as Ripple integrates to bring together two of the most powerful technology trends shaping the global economy. Long known for its speed, low transaction costs, and enterprise-grade reliability, the Ledger is now expanding beyond payments to data-driven and automated financial applications. By merging AI with decentralized settlement, Ripple is positioning the Ledger to support smarter workflows and more efficient liquidity management.

How Ripple Is Embedding Intelligence Into On-Chain Systems

An analyst known as SMQKE on X has shared a case study of an AI implementation in the cross-border payment, in which Ripple has successfully combined blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of global transactions.  As a leading provider of real-time cross-border payment solutions, Ripple leverages the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain that enables real-time cross-border settlement. 

Related Reading: Surge In XRP Transactions: 1.45 Million Daily Users Could Signal Price Rally Ahead, Says Expert

What sets this integration apart is the use of AI to optimize transaction flows and routing decisions in real time. Ripple AI-powered systems continuously process large volumes of payment data in real time, allowing financial institutions to make dynamic decisions on the most effective payment paths. 

BlackRock is now using Ripple’s RLUSD as collateral, which is extremely bullish for XRP. JackTheRippler revealed that the altcoin is being positioned as the future infrastructure, which is being built with the potential to hit over $10,000 per coin. With the REAL token launching on January 26th, trillions in global capital could flood into the XRP Ledger. According to JackTheRippler, some projections suggest up to $800 billion could flow into the REAL token on XRP Ledger, potentially sparking a powerful supply shock.

Why The Comeback Feels Different This Time

The rise of the phoenix XRP is here. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull highlighted that Caroline Pham isn’t just another name in crypto. Pham played a role in pushing utility regulation into the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), helping shift policy toward real-world use cases. Currently, she is at MoonPlay and posting about the phoenix on X.

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

Years ago, Brad Garlinghouse drew that same phoenix, and it became one of the biggest pieces of XRP lore. While the market chased narratives, Ripple has been building institutional-grade crypto products for years. Meanwhile, the token, RLUSD, and the XRP Ledger are now live operating, and recognized among the most compliant blockchain assets in the crypto world.

This is the same asset that survived the SEC’s biggest regulatory battles in crypto history, and is now on the other side with legal clarity, growing integration, and increasing relevance to government infrastructure in its favor. Xfinancebull concluded that Caroline has helped clear the regulatory path, Brad and Ripple built what actually runs on that path, and they have been aligning all along, which is how the real adoption happens.

A recent statement from an XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer suggests that XRP could be the key to an early retirement shortcut. Unlike steady paychecks or slow-growing investments in traditional assets, cryptocurrencies have the ability to create generational wealth rapidly, due to their penchant for sudden and explosive price moves. Among the thousands of digital assets on the market, the developer highlighted the token as his primary choice for investors seeking substantial returns, even sharing strategies for how the coin can help them retire in a few years. 

XRP Emerges As Shortcut To Early Retirement

A DropCoin XRPL developer, identified as ‘Bird’ on X, announced on Thursday, January 22, that buying and holding XRP at current prices could help investors retire within a few years. The bold claim quickly caught the attention of many in the crypto community, with some asking the developers to elaborate on the strategies involved and the expected timeline for achieving such wealth. 

Related Reading: XRP Price Obliteration Is Not A Matter Of If, New All-Time Highs Are Coming

Not stopping there, Bird claimed that investing in the token could eliminate the need for a job, suggesting that long-term investors may eventually rely on the potential profits from their holdings as a primary source of income. His statements were in response to a post by Watcher.Guru, which the developer directly referenced to support his optimistic long-term outlook. 

In that post, Watcher Guru quoted a statement reportedly made by Binance’s founder ChangPeng Zhao, who also agreed that holding crypto assets over time could make jobs unnecessary and allow investors to retire sooner than planned. The Ledger developer shared a screenshot of Zhao making similar remarks about Artificial Intelligence, suggesting that the Binance founder views both crypto and AI as powerful tools for achieving long-term financial freedom. 

A crypto community member who responded to Bird’s post questioned how long an investor has to hold XRP before retiring early. The developer answered humorously that it could be held indefinitely, adding that some investors could reach early retirement this year, while others may need a few more years. He emphasized that the timeline ultimately depends on how many tokens an investor holds.  

How High The Altcoin Could Rise To Enable Early Retirement

Addressing questions from the crypto community members, Bird shared his outlook on how high he believes XRP’s price could rise, helping investors achieve early retirement. He predicted that within the next few years, the cryptocurrency could rise to $100 and beyond—a significant jump from its current market price of around $1.90. 

Related Reading: How Donald Trump’s Latest Crypto Move Will Boost Demand For XRP

The Ledger developer suggested that reaching $100 could be a gradual process for the altcoin, forecasting an initial rally to $10 in the First Quarter (Q1) of 2026. Notably, Bird’s remarks reflect a classic buy-the-dip and hold strategy, where investors accumulate during downtrends and patiently wait for the price to rally explosively before taking profits.

XRP is increasingly being positioned as the core infrastructure for moving massive amounts of value across global financial networks. As trillions of dollars move daily across borders, platforms, and asset classes, the limitations of legacy systems are becoming impossible to ignore. Its core value lies in its ability to function as a neutral, high-speed bridge between disparate financial systems.

Is XRP Becoming A Standard Layer For Value Transfer?

XRP is building the rails for trillions, and the shift is already happening. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull reported a video on X where Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse revealed at Davos 2026 that the payment firm has been working directly with banks around the world to connect tokenization and DeFi through the XRP Ledger, thereby turning it into a bridge between traditional finance and on-chain markets.

The number alone shows how fast the tokenized asset is moving. In just one year, the volume has grown from $19 trillion to $33 trillion, which is a 75% increase. According to Xfinancebull, most people still have no idea how big this will get. 

This is the shift; the rails are being laid right now, and XRP Ledger is one of the few networks that are ready to handle it. When institutional money starts moving at scale, it won’t care about the narratives or favorite altcoins. Instead, it will flow to where the infrastructure already exists, which is bullish for XRP.

Why Respecting Channel Levels Signals A Healthy Market Structure

The XRP market capitalization structure still looks constructive. An analyst known as Bird has highlighted that on the higher-time frame chart, XRP has been moving inside a clear descending accumulation channel for the past six months, and price has respected the top, mid-range, and bottom of that channel almost perfectly, which is exactly what should play out during a healthy accumulation phase.

Related Reading: XRP Maintains Bullish Bias Above $1.30 Despite Recent Rejection

Recently, the price pushed into the upper half of the channel, and then pulled back this week to retest the mid-range support. If this level continues to hold, the structure suggests that the altcoin is set up for another push higher, in Bird’s opinion. However, what makes this setup more interesting is how well it lines up with what’s happening across the broader market. 

The Russel 2000 is sitting at all-time highs, metals are starting to look like they are topping, Bitcoin dominance is beginning to feel heavy, Brad Garlinghouse speaks at Davos today, and the recent wave of community riddles has dropped this week. Bird concluded that when multiple signals start lining up like this, it usually means the market is preparing for a larger move. From the chart perspective, Bird remains bullish on the XRP setup.

Rumors about XRP suddenly becoming useless and less relevant appear to be spreading across the crypto market following the introduction of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. Crypto market analyst XFinanceBull recently took to X to debunk these claims, stating that, rather than being a potential threat, RLUSD was created to complement XRP’s functionality and use cases on the ledger.

Why Ripple’s RLUSD Poses No Danger To XRP 

In his post, XFinanceBull revealed that many in the crypto community now see XRP as less useful because of RLUSD. These concerns carry weight given the growing dissatisfaction over XRP’s price struggles. Furthermore, with a stablecoin in place, the perception is that XRP’s use cases could deteriorate, especially given RLUSD’s greater stability. 

Addressing these growing concerns, XFinanceBull emphasized that XRP and RLUSD serve different purposes within the ecosystem. His commentary aims to correct the misconception that RLUSD was introduced to replace XRP. The analyst referenced statements from Ripple’s former Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, who, in a video, clearly explained the distinct roles of XRP and RLUSD, highlighting how the stablecoin benefits the altcoin rather than threatens it. 

According to XFinanceBull, Schwartz stated that RLUSD attracts large, credible flows to the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and this capital provides structural benefits to XRP. The analyst declared that RLUSD does not replace XRP, but instead amplifies its functionality. He added that as liquidity grows through the stablecoin, more payment routes are created, leading to increased XRP burns. 

XFinanceBull also noted that every stablecoin trade within the Ripple ecosystem indirectly drives demand for XRP as a bridge asset. He concluded that the world will eventually realize that utility is not defined by a whitepaper alone, but by real transaction flows. He added that although the XRP price may be declining, its rails are still being built.  

How RLUSD Benefits XRP

In the video shared by XFinanceBull, Schwartz stated that RLUSD is designed to benefit XRP. He explained that RLUSD strengthens XRP by introducing more credible assets onto the XRP Ledger, thereby expanding the network’s use cases and creating more opportunities for developers. 

The former Ripple CTO also revealed that adding trusted assets, such as RLUSD, increases trading activity on XRPL’s DEX. According to him, higher trading volume generates both direct and indirect benefits for the decentralized network and its native token, XRP. 

A key advantage of the XRPL DEX is its auto-bridging feature, which uses XRP to facilitate trades between different assets. Schwartz said that this mechanism allows XRP to act as an intermediary, helping users find the most efficient trading routes. He added that RLUSD and XRP are designed to complement each other, given their different roles within the ecosystem. While the stablecoin offers price stability, the altcoin functions as a bridge currency within Ripple’s payment products. This means that as RLUSD usage grows, demand for XRP is reinforced.

A decade-old report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) is resurfacing in the crypto space, highlighting early recognition of Ripple and XRP’s potential in the banking sector. Analysts say the document illustrates how decentralized networks like Ripple may allow institutions to settle payments faster and more directly in the future. 

WEF Spotlights Ripple For Settlement Case Study

A crypto market analyst identified as ‘SMQKE’ on X recently revived a 2015 WEF report, sparking fresh discussions in the crypto community. The document explores how traditional banks could interact with emerging payment technologies, and it specifically mentions the company as a system capable of transforming interbank settlement.

The WEF report revealed that, as alternative payment methods, such as decentralized networks, grow in popularity worldwide, banks have the opportunity to integrate them into their services. By adopting these technologies, institutions can make it easier for customers to move value in and out of non-traditional networks while also exploring new financial products. Ripple is cited as an example of a protocol that could serve as one of these alternative rails. 

Beyond customer use, these networks can also improve how banks operate internally. By leveraging non-traditional networks, banks could streamline processes and offer smoother, faster products and services. Ripple’s protocol, for instance, enhances this process by enabling real-time settlement between banks, eliminating the need for traditional clearinghouses or correspondent banks. 

A case study in the WEF report focuses on German-based Fidor Bank, an online full-service bank that implemented the payment firm for its internal settlement operations in 2014. According to the World Economic Forum, broader adoption of Ripple could enable other banks to settle payments instantly with one another. This early example demonstrates how the crypto payments company was already seen as a practical tool for improving banking efficiency. 

Though the WEF report is over a decade old, its insights remain relevant as financial institutions continue exploring blockchain-based payment solutions. Notably, this is not the first time the World Economic Forum has mentioned Ripple in its reports. In its May 2025 report, the international organization highlighted Ripple and the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as key technologies in the future of asset tokenization. 

How XRP Fits In The Bank Settlement Scheme

As the native token of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), XRP is designed to serve as a digital bridge for fast, low-cost cross-border payments between financial institutions. By leveraging XRPL, Ripple enables banks and payment providers to settle transactions in seconds rather than days. 

Due to its high throughput and ability to handle large transaction volumes with minimal effort, the XRP Ledger appears well-suited for the demands of modern banking. Its efficiency and speed have led many to compare Ripple to SWIFT, the long-standing messaging network used by banks worldwide for international transfers.

Crypto pundit XRP Queen has described an XRP price target of $10 as being too low, claiming that this target was from a retail investor’s perspective. She also suggested how high the altcoin could go from an institutional standpoint. 

Pundit Claims XRP Price Target Of $10 Is Too Low

In an X post, XRP Queen stated that people predicting XRP price targets of between $10 and $25 are still thinking of retail price targets. This came as she claimed that Ripple has been thinking about global infrastructures. The pundit highlighted the firm’s moves, including its acquisition of payment and custody infrastructure. 

Furthermore, XRP Queen noted that Ripple has integrated with banks, funds, and institutions, which she claimed is positioning the altcoin for real-time global settlement. The pundit also believes that the crypto firm has secured regulatory clarity where it actually matters, which is bullish for the XRP price. Lastly, she mentioned that Ripple is actively pursuing a full banking license, having secured conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). 

XRP Queen declared that Ripple’s moves are how one builds financial plumbing. “Systems don’t move in pennies. They move in orders of magnitude. Lock in,” she added. Regarding how high the XRP price could rise based on institutional targets, XRP Queen suggested the altcoin could reach $100. 

In an X post, she stated that people laugh at an XRP price target of $100 because they price it like a meme, but that institutions price the altcoin like infrastructure. As such, she believes the altcoin could reach these price targets based on its utility, especially as it gains traction as a token for real-time global settlement. 

Canary Capital CEO Makes Bullish Case For XRP

In a YouTube video, crypto pundit Cheeky Crypto highlighted a statement from Canary Capital’s CEO, Steven McClurg, in which he said that an XRP price target of between $5 and $10 may sound like a lot to a retail trader. However, he believes that these price targets are a rounding error when one considers the trillions of dollars in liquidity required to settle global real-world assets (RWAs) at scale. 

Cheeky Crypto also highlighted McClurg’s statement, in which he said the XRP Ledger is already processing real financial transactions and boasts real-world financial use cases, which he claims are drawing institutions’ attention. 

Notably, the Canary Capital CEO had recently predicted that XRP would dominate the RWA industry, which is projected to become a trillion-dollar industry at some point. This could boost the altcoin’s utility as the XRP Ledger processes more RWA transactions, sending the XRP price higher in the process.  

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.95, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

RippleX, the developer arm of Ripple, is prototyping zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) capabilities for the XRP Ledger (XRPL), positioning the technology as a route to “programmable privacy,” trust-minimized interoperability, and a scaling model that pushes heavy computation to layer-2 systems while keeping XRPL as the settlement layer.

In Episode 9 of Ripple’s “Onchain Economy” video series, Aanchal Malhotra, Ph.D., Head of Research at RippleX, framed ZK enablement as a near-term research priority and a long-horizon bet on XRPL’s competitiveness. “I would really like to see an XRP ledger with zero knowledge proof technology enabled. There are so many use cases. There are so many innovative applications that we can build using this technology. So my number one priority right now is to work on enabling zero knowledge proofs on XRP ledger,” Malhotra said.

What Ripple Is Planning With ZK-Proofs

Malhotra also stressed that integrating modern ZK systems into XRPL is not a simple plug-in exercise. “We are getting past the exploration phase of zero knowledge technologies. When the XRP ledger was built, these technologies were not even around. So it takes a while. We cannot just use any off-the-shelf solution. It takes a while for us to figure out the specifics of ZK technology to integrate with XRP ledger,” she said, describing the work as moving from exploratory research into prototyping.

That prototyping effort, according to RippleX’s Head of Research, is taking a hybrid form. Some components of ZK proofs would be implemented “natively for better performance,” while another portion would sit in a “programmability layer” to let developers choose proving systems and build applications tuned to their requirements.

The goal, she indicated, is a design that balances throughput and developer flexibility rather than forcing a single ZK stack across all use cases. “We are at the stage of prototyping zero knowledge proof,” Malhotra said, adding that the approach is intended to support “different applications [and] different proving systems.”

Much of Malhotra’s framing centered on privacy, specifically, a version that can satisfy compliance and business constraints without collapsing into blanket opacity. “In my opinion, zero knowledge proofs is a very very powerful tool. When we talk about privacy, people think about 100% privacy where everything is hidden […] and those things could be used in nefarious ways,” she said.

“However, what blockchains enable is something called programmable privacy […] you can do selective disclosure meaning disclose the relevant information to third parties for example auditors for compliance purposes.” In her example, a user could prove they are above a threshold, such as being over 18, without revealing the underlying data like an exact age.

Malhotra also pointed to interoperability as a domain where ZK techniques could reduce reliance on trusted intermediaries. She characterized bridges as “fraught with technical challenges,” with trust being the biggest: today’s designs often depend on third parties, federators, or other centralized structures. “What zero knowledge proofs provide is trustlessness. It provides verifiability. So you do not have to trust a third party. Instead what you trust in is cryptography,” she said.

Zero-knowledge proofs will drive breakthroughs in privacy and compute scalability.

Watch Episode 9 of the Onchain Economy: https://t.co/joOV5Uj7uU@aanchalmalhotre, Head of Research at RippleX, explains how zero-knowledge proofs enable programmable privacy on XRP, supporting… pic.twitter.com/oCSBYAitY6

— RippleX (@RippleXDev) January 18, 2026

On scaling, Malhotra described a model where ZK proofs help compress or externalize execution: layer-2 systems perform computation, then submit succinct proofs that can be verified on XRPL. That, in her telling, lets the base layer focus on settlement and proof verification rather than running every workload directly. The practical implication is an architecture where XRPL could support more complex applications without forcing all computation onto the L1.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.976.

Canary Capital’s CEO, Steven McClurg, has predicted that XRP will be the leading token in real-world assets (RWAs), which is projected to be a trillion-dollar sector. This came as he highlighted recent developments that put the altcoin on course to dominate the industry.

Canary Capital CEO Predicts XRP Will Dominate RWAs

During an interview, the investment manager opined that XRP will be the leading token for real-world assets, based on Ripple’s moves over the last two years. He noted that the crypto firm has done a great job of integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into many transactions and into Wall Street, which has led to institutional adoption.

The Canary Capital CEO further noted that the XRP Ledger is moving assets such as stablecoins, including Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, and other tokenized real-world assets. Notably, Ondo Finance has also tokenized its U.S. treasury fund (OUSG) on the XRPL, while Ripple has partnered with Securitize to add RLUSD access for BlackRock’s BUIDL fund. 

Furthermore, Ripple partnered with Archax and UK-based asset manager abrdn to introduce the first tokenized money market fund on the XRP Ledger. There are also plans for the network to get a tokenized gold upgrade, even as demand for precious metals rises. It is also worth noting that Ripple has previously predicted that the XRP Ledger could dominate the real-world assets industry, putting XRP at the heart of the industry, as McClurg has also predicted. 

Interestingly, McClurg’s prediction comes as the XRP ETFs draw institutional investors into the altcoin’s ecosystem. These ETFs have been a success since their launch, recording only one net outflow since November. Coincidentally, McClurg’s Canary Capital is currently the largest XRP ETF issuer, with $374 million in total net assets, according to SoSoValue data. 

New Features To Onboard TradFi Onto The XRPL

Ripple and XRP Ledger developers continue to work on introducing new features on the network to attract traditional finance (TradFi) institutions. XRPL validator Vet recently revealed that compliance features for TradFi are coming to the network. This includes on-chain compliance tools such as KYC, AML, and other credentials, which will be used by lending protocols, as well as the XRPL DEX and the Permissioned DEX.

Meanwhile, Ripple developers also described Permissioned Domains, which are part of the amendments, as a game-changer for the XRP Ledger because they will bring institutional-grade controls to a public network, without sacrificing the trade-offs of a private chain. The developers further noted that this will set the stage for financial institutions to engage in permissioned flows on a fast, scalable, and resilient blockchain network such as the XRPL. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.06, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Recent reports indicate that XRP has reached an almost six-month high in daily transactions, marking a pivotal moment for the cryptocurrency as it exhibits increasing adoption across both payment systems and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. 

For January 2026 alone, the XRP Ledger recorded 1.45 million daily transactions, following a steady upward trend in network usage that began in late 2025, coinciding with the introduction of new payment corridors through Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity platform and the integration of stablecoins such as RLUSD.

Gaps Between XRP Demand And Price

Market expert Sam Daodu highlighted in a recent report for 24/7 Wall St. that historical trends suggest that gaps between rising demand and stagnant prices often precede sharp rallies. 

With exchange reserves at eight-year lows and increasing institutional inflows seen with XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the current situation indicates that the altcoin may be quietly gearing up for its next breakout.

Despite a slight rebound to $2.42 on January 6, which represented a nearly two-month high for the token, its price has since retraced to approximately $2.048 at the time of writing. This decline occurred despite the transaction surge, suggesting that XRP has yet to capitalize on its increased usage.

Daodu noted that the discrepancy between XRP’s price and its on-chain activity isn’t unusual. He asserts that such gaps between usage and price have often been precursors to significant price movements, while also pointing out several factors contributing to the current delay in price reaction.

Market-wide consolidation is one of the key reasons, as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) traded sideways in early 2026, dampening momentum for altcoins like XRP. 

In addition, profit-taking pressure has emerged following XRP’s July 2025 rally up to $3.65. Many short-term holders have cashed out, creating strong resistance levels in the $2.20 to $2.50 range. Until new catalysts arise, Daodu claims XRP may remain confined to this range without breaking out.

Is A Major Price Breakout Ahead?

Looking forward, Daodu posits that XRP has a historical tendency to lag behind its on-chain progress before initiating explosive price moves. In both 2017 and 2020, spikes in transaction volume and wallet activity preceded significant rallies for the token’s price by several weeks.

For instance, in the third quarter of 2020, XRP’s daily transactions grew by over 40% in just two months, while the price remained flat at around $0.25, only to surge to over $0.70 within weeks in November. 

A similar scenario unfolded in late 2017, where heightened usage metrics preceded a jump in XRP’s price from $0.30 to $3.30 by early January 2018. This suggests that the current surge in on-chain transactions could be a leading indicator of a delayed price breakout for XRP. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

XRP’s huge circulating supply is always a point of discussion among many market participants. This discussion is always around how it can realistically trade at huge price levels in the double and triple digits with such a huge total supply. However, discussion around its burn rate has resurfaced due to current figures showing a steady reduction in the cryptocurrency’s total supply. 

According to data shared by an expert on X, XRP’s supply has declined by more than 2 million tokens over the past two years, with comments about how the burn mechanism works, what it actually means for long-term supply, and how it fits into discussions about its valuation and use in large-scale payments.

XRP Burns: Millions Are Gone Forever

XRP does not rely on a discretionary burn program or periodic token destruction events. Instead, the XRP Ledger permanently destroys a small amount of the token every time a transaction is processed. This fee is not paid to validators or any network participant. Once it is consumed by the protocol, it is removed from circulation permanently.

According to numbers shared on X by 24HRSCRYPTO, the total supply stood at 99,988,313,728 about 806 days ago. Today, that number is closer to 99,985,726,061. The difference is 2,587,667 XRP that no longer exist, meaning a little over 3,200 of the altcoin is destroyed per day.

That number may not look dramatic compared to its nearly 100 billion maximum supply. However, it shows consistent on-ledger usage leading to a steady reduction in supply. This has led to the cumulative amount of the token burned slowly moving higher over the full lifetime of the Ledger.

Pre-Mined, How Institutions Fit Into The Design

The post by 24HRSCRYPTO also revisits a long-standing aspect of XRP’s structure. The token’s entire supply of 100 billion tokens was created at inception, although not all were released at launch.

Furthermore, its supply has always been fixed, and burns will continue to reduce the total number of the token in existence. This is in contrast to networks like Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana that see their total circulating supply increase over time.

Furthermore, Ripple, which developed the Ledger, has consistently framed the altcoin from a payments and financial infrastructure perspective. This trend is also unlike most other cryptocurrencies, which are built to work in parallel against traditional finance.

24HRSCRYPTO notes that this design reflects an institutional mindset, noting that supply certainty is something banks and large financial players tend to prefer. When trillions start to flow into the altcoin, the circulating supply will continue to decrease. According to the analyst, $100 per XRP is inevitable in this case. This viewpoint is based on the fact that higher price targets for the token are not speculations but a functional requirement for global-scale usage.

Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has alleged that the Bank of America (BofA) is running tests for cross-border payments using Ripple-linked XRP. This follows an earlier statement from Ripple’s President, Monica Long, about the bank and the potential adoption of crypto. 

Crypto Pundit Alleges That Bank of America Is Using Ripple’s XRP

In an X post, X Finance Bull claimed that the Bank of America is already running tests with Ripple and that cross-border payments are being rewritten. He added that Ripple provides the technology, the bank runs the tests, and the U.S. ensures legality. In line with this, he remarked that XRP is becoming the core financial plumbing. 

In a video shared by crypto pundit Xaif last year, Ripple President Monica Long had mentioned that Bank of America was one of their early partners when they were developing the messaging software online payment solution. However, she didn’t say whether the partnership still exists till now. 

Bank of America notably filed a patent for real-time net settlement using a distributed ledger system, which appeared to be based on Ripple’s payment network. This plan has since been abandoned as the bank never moved forward with the application. The bank has, however, opened up to crypto as it now allows its wealth clients to allocate up to 4% to crypto. The bank is also exploring issuing its stablecoin, which could make it a direct competitor to Ripple. 

Meanwhile, Long also mentioned how several banks had contacted Ripple for payments and custody services after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential elections. Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, had also previously mentioned that they secured more partnerships following Trump’s victory, as the U.S. president paved the way for a more regulatory-friendly environment. 

Ripple’s Major Existing Banking Partners

Ripple has notably secured partnerships with other major banking institutions in recent times, as several nations provide a more regulatory-friendly environment. The crypto firm has partnered with Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), which is the largest custodian. The bank serves as the primary reserve custodian of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. 

Furthermore, Ripple recently announced that its Ripple Prime is an early adopter of BNY’s tokenized deposit services for institutional clients. These tokenized deposits operate on the bank’s private blockchain and don’t involve the XRP Ledger or XRP. Other major banks such as AMINA Bank, Absa, and SBI have also partnered with Ripple. 

AMINA recently became the first European bank to integrate Ripple payments into its operations. SBI has also adopted Ripple payments. Meanwhile, the crypto firm provides custody services to Absa, one of South Africa’s largest banks.

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.10, down over 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Famous legal expert Bill Morgan has highlighted how Ripple was unable to promote XRP over the past few years due to its former legal battle against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

Why Ripple Was Unable To Promote XRP In The Past

In an X post, Bill Morgan stated that Ripple could not promote XRP or the XRP Ledger in the past for fear of being sued by the SEC for promoting and offering an unregistered security. He noted that despite that, the company was still sued by the regulator. The lawyer’s response followed XRPL stakeholder Wietse’s comments about how the XRPL has a track record of regularly being too early and also being too late. 

Wietse made this comment after XRP community member Crypto Eri pointed out that the XRP Ledger has supported tokenized gold since, though it hasn’t received enough publicity. Wietse added that the network is too early for people to notice and realize how great certain things are, and too late for others, causing too little, too late catch-up. 

However, Bill Morgan believes that XRP and XRP Ledger would have gotten more publicity if Ripple had been able to actively promote the altcoin in the past. He noted that during the SEC lawsuit, the crypto firm barely mentioned XRP. Meanwhile, the lawyer noted that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptos were promoted with impunity and that former SEC official Bill Hinman effectively promoted ETH while in office.  

The lawyer added that, to this day, Ripple’s promotion of XRP and the XRP Ledger remains muted. He stated that the company does it by stealth under the cover of acquisitions and RLUSD. Morgan believes that this is nothing compared to how Michael Saylor actively talks about and promotes Bitcoin. 

XRP Is Still At The Centre Of Ripple’s Vision

Ripple has, in recent times, reiterated that XRP is at the centre of its vision. In his New Year’s message, the firm’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, stated that the altcoin has been and will continue to be the heartbeat of that vision. This came as he noted that their two major acquisitions last year, Ripple Prime and GTreasury, will greatly accelerate and expand their ability to deliver on their vision, which is to enable the Internet of Value. 

He added that building and using crypto infrastructure, updating their global financial plumbing, and rethinking legacy systems don’t happen overnight. As such, they will continue to take the long view of what crypto-based assets such as XRP and RLUSD can do rather than chasing cycles and hype. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.16, up over 5% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

XRP has racked up major wins recently, from regulatory breakthroughs to network upgrades, yet its price continues to slide. A crypto analyst has shared insights into why this is happening, outlining several developments this week that would typically act as bullish catalysts for the XRP price, but have so far failed to push the token out of its downtrend and propel its value to new highs. 

XRP Sees Four Major Developments In One Week

Despite experiencing four major developments in just one week, the XRP price has shown little reaction. Crypto market expert Chain Cartel has pointed out that while many traders focus on immediate price movements, Ripple Labs, the developer of XRP, is quietly building the infrastructure that could position it as a key system of record for digital settlements.

The analyst suggested that the market overlooks structural developments, underestimating their impact on long-term growth. He highlighted rumors of Ripple’s collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as one of this week’s major events, noting that the alleged partnership explores the use of Amazon Bedrock AI for the XRP Ledger (XRPL). 

With this integration, XRPL system logs that used to take days to process can be analyzed in just minutes. According to Cartel, this is not an “hype AI,” but a development focused on improving security and scalability, and on giving institutions better visibility into XRP. 

In his post, Cartel also highlighted Ripple’s regulatory progress in the UK. He announced that the UK subsidiary of the crypto company has not been registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, which is known as one of the world’s strictest financial regulators. He stressed that this approval is a significant milestone for Ripple, boosting its compliance credentials and international credibility. 

In addition to achieving even greater regulatory clarity, Cartel highlighted Ripple’s partnership with The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) as another key development. BNY Mellon recently launched tokenized deposit services for institutional clients, and Ripple Prime, a digital asset prime brokerage platform created after Ripple acquired Hidden Road, is among the first users. Even more important, the analyst said that BNY Mellon remains the primary reserve custodian for RLUSD, showing a direct integration between traditional banking and digital settlement rails. 

Finally, Cartel mentioned the upcoming vote on the CLARITY Act by the US Senate Banking Committee scheduled for January 15. This bill will decide how crypto trading, settlements, and connections to financial systems are regulated in the future. The analyst said that if the bill is passed, it could affect how institutions interact with XRP and the broader crypto market. 

Why The XRP Price Is Still In A  Downtrend

Despite all these developments and milestones, Cartel noted that XRP’s price has barely moved over the week, still trading around $2.0. The analyst stated that the reason the cryptocurrency keeps moving lower is that it reacts less to hype and more to the completion of key infrastructure. 

According to Cartel, these developments are building significant pressure in the market. He described XRP’s situation as a compression before a violent release, suggesting that the cryptocurrency could experience a sharp price rally once the foundational systems are fully in place.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has just experienced one of its biggest crashes this year, as on-chain data shows that activity on the Ripple blockchain has dropped by 99%. While this might look like a major red flag, the decline has yet to significantly impact the XRP price, suggesting that the situation may not be as alarming as it seems.

Overview Of Ripple’s XRP Ledger 99% Crash

Over the weekend, XRP Ledger transaction activity dropped sharply, falling by approximately 99% within 48 hours. On closer inspection, the decline appears primarily due to timing rather than any major technical issue in the ledger. Usually, cryptocurrency transaction volumes decline over weekends. This is because many institutional traders and market makers reduce their trading or stop entirely on weekends, leading to thinner liquidity and lower payment volumes on the ledger. 

Notably, on-chain data from XRPScans revealed that XRPL’s payment volume between accounts declined from over 1.09 billion on Thursday, January 8, to 166.99 million on Saturday. This represents a massive drop in network usage, showing just how much activity can decrease over a weekend. Payment volume is also yet to recover, falling further to around 137.40 million as of January 11. 

In addition to volume decline, the number of transactions executed on the XRP Ledger during that time frame also reduced. XRPScans showed that transactions fell from over 2 million on Thursday to 1.8 million on Saturday. This decline in both volume and transfers shows that even small reductions in participation by large accounts or institutional users can significantly affect network metrics. 

It’s worth noting that the XRP price is still trading above $2 and remains somewhat unaffected by the recent decline in network activity. Although CoinMarketCap data shows its value dropped by more than 4% over the past week, there’s no clear evidence linking this to the recent 99% decline in the ledger. 

Interestingly, just days before the crash, the XRP Ledger recorded a major increase in whale transactions, each valued at $100,000 or more. This suggests that, despite temporary network fluctuations, the XRP network continues to experience substantial activity and engagement from major holders.  

XRPL Developer Shares New Update For Ledger

Vet, an XRPL dUNL validator and developer, has shared a new update on the XRP Ledger, revealing that a large batch of fixes and amendments is now nearing its activation timer. This marks a critical step for the blockchain network, promising to enhance functionality and security for developers and users. 

Vet has stated that the upcoming changes cover several important features, including TokenEscrow, AMMClawback, Multi-Purpose Tokens (MPT), and Price Oracle. He emphasized that the XRP development team remains committed to maintaining the ledger at its highest performance. He added that the team is also working diligently to ensure all features operate smoothly, independent of XRP’s current market price.