Ripple targets financial services transformation using blockchain and digital assets.

Founded on the belief that blockchain would underpin global financial services, Ripple aims to provide more affordable and accessible solutions for individuals and businesses worldwide, as stated on ripple.com.

Initially, Ripple focused on institutional decentralized finance (DeFi) to create a fairer financial system. At that time, the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors were nascent, lacking the infrastructure, liquidity, and regulatory clarity needed for broad institutional adoption. Over the past decade, the landscape has evolved significantly with the introduction of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) Spot ETFs in the U.S. and the entry of major financial players like BlackRock and Fidelity into the crypto space.

Ripple's initial blockchain efforts centered on cross-border payments using the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and its native asset, XRP. The XRPL’s features—speed, low cost, transparency, and scalability—addressed traditional financial system inefficiencies. Today, Ripple’s cross-border payment solutions cover over 80 payout markets, representing more than 90% of daily foreign exchange transactions, and process over $50 billion in volume.

Expanding beyond payments, Ripple now offers a full range of digital asset infrastructure services, including on- and off-ramps, custody, and liquidity solutions. The acquisition of Metaco in 2023, a digital asset custody technology provider, has bolstered Ripple’s position as a leader in secure and compliant digital asset infrastructure.

Ripple’s commitment to bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and crypto is further demonstrated by its recent announcement of Ripple USD (RLUSD), a stablecoin launching on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum blockchains. This initiative aims to integrate RLUSD into Ripple Payments alongside XRP, addressing the evolving needs of cross-border payments.

The XRPL is well-suited for institutional DeFi applications due to its reliability, high performance, and low transaction costs. The introduction of high-quality stablecoins on the XRPL is expected to unlock new capabilities and use cases for DeFi developers, enhancing liquidity and efficiency in global payments.