Ripple’s strategic direction for the XRP token has historically been the subject of intense scrutiny and discussion. Recent developments point to a potential pivot point for Ripple’s long-term vision for XRP.
Historically, the company’s ambitions for XRP are grandiose. A six-year-old statement recently uncovered by the XRP community reveals Ripple’s desire to position XRP as the world’s reserve currency. In a blog post unearthed by the fintech company and a speech by CEO Brad Garlinghouse, the company laid out its vision for XRP.
$ Ripple 🔀 | 🌎 Reserve currency
This is not something we made up.From the beginning @ripple declared $ Ripple Soon to be the world’s reserve currency.
🏦 — Ripple — 🏦
Brad Garlinghouse confirms this 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/5CbV2i26G0
— EDO Flour 🅧 XRP (@edward_farina) September 2, 2023
Has Ripple Already Shifted Focus?
However, this narrative appears to be shifting. Crypto Eri, a well-known XRP influencer, weighing For that matter, Ripple has sidestepped claims of XRP becoming a reserve currency. They have not raised the topic in recent years. ” She also mentioned the recent Comment CTO David Schwartz said the fintech firm is in talks with banks and large financial institutions to bring the stablecoin to its yet-to-be-released proprietary DEX that integrates on-demand liquidity (ODL).
As such, the focus appears to be turning to the integration of stablecoins on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and the potential utilization of decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in Ripple’s ODL service. Schwartz also provided insight into the company’s current trajectory. “Decentralized exchanges are not currently integrated into ODL,” Schwartz clarified. However, he emphasized that integrating DEX services is currently being explored, which would “enable trading for automated market makers (AMMs).”
Schwartz further elaborated on the functions of ODL-related API Prisma. “Prisma can leverage liquidity from multiple exchanges, including DEXs,” he explained. “It can break down large volumes of transactions into more manageable parts to optimize the utilization of liquidity.”
However, a major hurdle remains. Schwartz noted that in order to actually implement these plans, stablecoins denominated in major currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro are necessary. “We have an upcoming opportunity to integrate stablecoin functionality onto XRPL,” Schwartz revealed. However, he lamented that the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple two and a half years ago “broke the deal.”
Despite these challenges, Ripple’s commitment to innovation continues unabated. Schwartz confirmed that the company is actively “engaging with top financial institutions to launch stablecoins to make DEX integration more practical.”
As the crypto space continues to evolve, Ripple’s strategic shift highlights the dynamic nature of the industry and the need to adapt. It remains to be seen whether XRP’s role as a reserve currency has truly been left behind, or is simply taking a back seat to more immediate technological advancements.
At press time, XRP is trading at $0.5013.
Featured image via Zipmex, chart via TradingView.com
