XRP’s Secret Weapon? Ripple Exec Says It’s Not What You Think

[Ben Graham]

According to comments from Ripple CTO David Schwartz, XRP is still at the heart of Ripple’s payments system, even as the company highlights its new stablecoin, RLUSD.

Ripple’s lead tech officer stressed that XRP remains the primary bridge asset in cross-border transactions—and that wider use of the XRP Ledger will keep boosting the altcoin’s utility and value.

XRP Remains Core To Ripple Payments

In a recent exchange, an XRP supporter pointed out that Ripple now mentions RLUSD more often than XRP. Schwartz replied that he doesn’t have the exact figures on hand, but he’s sure that Ripple uses XRP far more than any other digital asset for its payments service.

I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I’m pretty sure XRP’s use as a bridge in Ripple Payments dwarfs every other asset.

I think stablecoins win for collateral use cases (volatile collateral is annoying) and edge use cases (volatility at the on/off ramps is also…

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 30, 2025

Based on reports, XRP still dominates as the bridge currency when moving money from one fiat to another. That role helps institutions send funds quickly and cheaply, even when market swings might make a stablecoin less ideal.

Ripple launched RLUSD in December 2024 to meet demand for price stability. According to Schwartz, stablecoins like RLUSD make sense in use cases that depend on a fixed value—such as when firms use crypto assets as collateral or enter and exit markets without risking 5% swings overnight.

He noted that Hidden Road, one of Ripple’s big partners that works with over 300 institutions, chose RLUSD as its main collateral asset in May 2025. That move shows RLUSD’s appeal for stability-focused tasks.

Stablecoin Role Versus Altcoin Utility

Schwartz drew a clear line between the two tokens. For tasks where price predictability matters most, a stablecoin helps avoid hiccups. But for the majority of payments, he believes a liquid asset like XRP does a better job—unless someone wants to avoid risk entirely. Holding major digital assets can capture upside, and XRP fits that need better than cash, he said.

Adoption Drives XRP Demand

Looking ahead, Schwartz stressed that real-world use of the XRP Ledger will naturally drive more demand for the crypto. As more projects and institutions tap into XRPL’s fast transaction speeds and low fees, they’ll need XRP to power each move.

That design makes it harder to sidestep the coin’s native token than it is on other networks, where developers can wrap or bypass the base coin entirely.

Schwartz’s remarks arrive amid community worries that XRP is being sidelined in favor of stablecoins. The choice by Hidden Road to back RLUSD raised eyebrows back in May 2025.

XRP’s Use Case

But by highlighting how deeply XRP is woven into XRPL’s mechanics—and reminding investors that the altcoin’s volume still outstrips any other asset in Ripple Payments—Schwartz sent a clear message: XRP’s use won’t fade, even as stablecoins gain ground.

Based on these comments, Ripple appears to be taking a two-pronged approach: use RLUSD where price stability is critical, and rely on XRP for its proven liquidity and built-in role on the ledger.

That strategy could help keep both tokens busy in different parts of the crypto economy, ensuring XRP stays relevant even as new products emerge.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView