RippleX, the developer-centric branch of Ripple, recently utilized a Twitter thread on January 6 to update its set of “FAST FACTS” regarding XRP. This comes at a crucial time when the momentum surrounding spot ETFs and early narratives regarding institutional treasury assets are gaining traction.
In the thread, RippleX characterized XRP as the “digital asset of choice for real-world utility – from stablecoin settlement to real-world assets, to institutional payments.” They presented new insights on XRP amidst the latest developments involving ETFs and institutional treasury interests.
Understanding XRP
The initial points of the thread reinforced Ripple’s long-standing narrative: XRP is positioned more as a liquidity and settlement channel between financial systems rather than a speculative vehicle. RippleX described XRP as “a functional digital asset designed for settlement and liquidity, focusing on moving value between financial systems.” The post further asserted that XRP acts as a neutral bridge, facilitating the fluid movement of value among payments, stablecoins, tokenized financial assets, and collateral throughout the global economy.
Moreover, RippleX reiterated points about supply constraints, an aspect often emphasized in institutional evaluations. “XRP was created at the launch of XRPL in 2012, and its supply is permanently capped at 100 billion – no additional XRP can ever be minted, and no single entity, including Ripple, controls or can alter the total supply,” they stated.
Additional “fast facts” leaned more towards XRP’s market posture, asserting that it is “one of the few digital assets with clear regulatory standing in the US” and that it remains among the top three assets by market capitalization.
The thread also delved into the decentralization metrics of XRP Ledger (XRPL) and its operational history, emphasizing autonomy from Ripple as a company. RippleX highlighted that “XRPL is a public, decentralized blockchain with over 116 independent validators and 910+ public nodes – functioning independently of Ripple as an entity.” The role of XRP as the native settlement and liquidity asset of the network was also underscored.
On the consensus front, RippleX elaborated on XRPL’s use of “Proof-of-Association (PoA),” detailing a framework devoid of mining, staking, or block rewards, and emphasizing a transaction finality of just 3 to 5 seconds. The network has facilitated substantial activity since its inception, reported as involving “over 4 billion transactions,” “100 million ledgers,” “over 6.4 million wallets,” and “more than $1 trillion in value” settled.
Focus on Real-World Assets and Stablecoins
A significant part of the thread was dedicated to Real World Assets (RWAs) and stablecoins, domains where issuer and liquidity relationships outweigh sheer transaction throughput. RippleX pointed out that XRPL is currently among the top 10 blockchains for RWA activity, showcasing various issuers and initiatives such as Ondo Finance, OpenEden, Archax/abrdn, Guggenheim Treasury Services, Mercado Bitcoin, VERT, and the Dubai Land Department as entities that are building or launching assets on XRPL.
On the stablecoin front, a “growing stablecoin ecosystem” was noted, including assets like “RLUSD, USDC, XSGD, AUDD, BBRL/USBD, and EURCV,” emphasizing that XRP frequently acts as a liquidity pair, facilitating exchanges among stablecoins and other network assets.
In concluding their “fast facts,” RippleX aimed at regulated access and institutional balance sheets, highlighting that XRP has now secured its first institutional treasury through Evernorth, which has garnered commitments exceeding $1 billion. This development marks a transition from XRP being viewed merely as a traded asset to its recognition as a regulated balance-sheet asset for institutions.
Additionally, the thread mentioned that XRP is now represented in multiple spot ETFs, with Bitwise (XRP), Canary Capital (XRPC), Franklin Templeton (XRPZ), and Grayscale (GXRP) identified as key players. This positions XRP within a framework of regulated and mainstream investment products.
Lastly, RippleX highlighted wrapped XRP as a tool for enhancing interoperability, stating it extends the asset’s utility into the “XRPL EVM Sidechain” and various ecosystems, encompassing Ethereum, Solana, Optimism, and HyperEVM.
At press time, XRP was trading at $2.20.
