XRP Ledger will shape the world as the "true financial infrastructure," says Ripple CTO discussing enterprise-grade use cases

At the XRP Ecosystem Webinar in December, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) David Schwartz clarified XRP Ledger’s positioning not just as a token issuance platform but as a fully operational financial infrastructure. His consistent assertion is: sustained economic activity determines the true value of the network.

From Tokenization to Actual Settlement—Conditions for RWA to Have Real Meaning

Schwartz emphasized the difference between mere asset issuance and actual financial activity. “Just putting assets on the chain isn’t that interesting,” he said. “What matters is that these assets are actually moving and settling on the chain.”

Examples of major investment institutions like Guggenheim, Ondo Finance, Aberdeen Standard Investments, and Franklin Templeton issuing and managing RWAs on the XRP Ledger serve as proof. These are not just demos but involve real-world workflows integrated into operational activities. Whether these financial products truly function for institutional investors marks the dividing line between “superficial RWA” and “substantive RWA.”

Scale and Liquidity—Foundational Elements Valued by Financial Institutions

In terms of transaction volume, the XRP Ledger currently processes over 4 billion transactions, enabling consistent settlements in 4–5 seconds. Transaction fees are also at a fraction of a penny. Schwartz clarified, “The goal isn’t to extract value from people’s transactions but to enable the necessary activities.”

The depth of liquidity layers cannot be overlooked. XRP, which has maintained a top 5 market cap for nearly a decade, now holds approximately $109 billion in global liquidity. This depth is structured as a necessary condition to support actual financial activities.

Accelerating Network Usage—Retail Latecomers, Institutional Leaders

This year, the XRP Ledger has become one of the top 10 blockchains in terms of real-world activity scale. The growth rate from use cases that were almost unthinkable a year ago is remarkable.

Regarding retail expansion, Schwartz expressed cautious optimism. “Over 500,000 new wallets are being created, but true global dominance will be achieved through robust financial products for institutions,” he said. In other words, use cases like settlement, rational investments, tokenized money market funds, and government bonds are expected to lead retail adoption. The strategic direction is clear: institutional rails will draw in general users, not the other way around.

As of this writing, XRP is trading at $2.10.