Ripple Expands XRP’s Role in Institutional Finance

Ripple has announced an expansion of XRP’s use cases, focusing on institutional finance, tokenization, and DeFi integration. This strategic move was reaffirmed by CEO Brad Garlinghouse on Ripple’s official platform in October 2025.

Ripple’s focus on XRP is significant for the growing intersection of finance and blockchain, reflecting regulatory and DeFi market shifts. Ripple’s move could reshape DeFi, tokenize assets, and fulfill institutional finance needs.

Ripple’s leadership has articulated new use cases for XRP focusing on institutional finance, regulatory compliance, and tokenization. CEO Brad Garlinghouse and CTO David Schwartz have been vocal about these changes, emphasizing their central role in trusted global finance.

“XRP remains at the heart of our mission—we’re paving the way for banks, markets, and the next wave of trusted financial innovation.” – Brad Garlinghouse, CEO, Ripple

The company plans to implement upgrades targeting banks and markets, while promoting official compliance. Ripple’s CTO highlighted the technical upgrades for regulated institutional use. Reduced onboarding costs have driven increased user activity and growth on the XRPL network.

Ripple’s partnerships, such as those with Archax and Meld Gold, are set to boost XRP liquidity by integrating real-world assets into the XRPL. This could potentially enhance undercollateralized lending and expand tokenized bond markets.

Historical data shows parallels to Ripple’s growth phase during 2017–2018, where XRP experienced substantial gains due to new use cases. Analysts view these moves as possible precursors to a similar surge in XRP value.

Insights suggest potential outcomes may include financial and regulatory advancements, supported by institutional interest in compliant DeFi and asset tokenization. Ripple’s compliance focus aligns with global regulatory trends observed in regions like Japan and Singapore.