Ripple Labs Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, has offered rare and pointed clarity on what drives the XRP price value in the long term, despite the company’s recent spotlight on its new stablecoin, RLUSD. In a recent exchange with an XRP supporter on social media, Schwartz emphasized that the crypto continues to sit at the core of Ripple’s payment infrastructure, especially as the main bridge asset in cross-border transfers.
XRP’s Role As A Bridge Asset Is Still Central
While RLUSD plays a specific role, Schwartz reveals XRP’s utility in real financial use cases will ultimately boost its value. His comments reaffirm Ripple’s longstanding plan for the digital asset, relying on XRP for its proven liquidity and built-in role on the ledger as it explores other digital options.
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In his response, Schwartz directly addressed growing speculation that the company may be shifting its attention away from XRP in favor of its new stablecoin, assuring that the digital asset remains Ripple’s cross-currency asset that allows for fast, low-cost currency exchanges. While Schwartz didn’t share exact data, he said he was confident that the token’s usage “dwarfs every other asset” in Ripple’s system.
XRP links to how the XRP Ledger functions, so an increase in ledger activity is almost guaranteed to drive more demand for the crypto token, naturally lifting its price value as it becomes more essential in global financial workflows.
Schwartz argued that as real-world adoption of the Ripple blockchain networks grows, so will demand for XRP. The embedded demand, as more businesses and developers build on XRPL, is what could be the core driver of XRP’s future price value.
Ripple CTO: Stablecoins Support, XRP Sustains
Some community members worried that Ripple’s new stablecoin RLUSD, launched in December 2024, could replace the crypto token, but Schwartz clarifies that the stablecoin and XRP serve different purposes. He said stablecoins like RLUSD are better suited for use cases that require a fixed value, such as when companies post collateral or need to enter and exit markets without dealing with large price swings.
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Volatility in crypto markets can be disruptive in these scenarios, and stablecoins avoid that issue by holding a steady price. However, Schwartz believes that for most other applications, especially those related to real finance and long-term holdings, digital assets like XRP are still the better choice. He noted that, unless highly risk-averse, most long-term users would likely prefer holding the top digital asset over cash because of their potential for upside and active role in blockchain ecosystems.
The Ripple exec added that as more institutions turn to XRPL for financial use cases, XRP’s role in facilitating quick currency movement becomes more vital, particularly in volatile markets where stablecoins may not be ideal.
Schwartz made a subtle but important distinction, saying XRP’s place on XRPL is privileged. With this, the crypto token is less likely to be replaced or worked around, providing a long-term advantage that many other tokens may not have.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView.com
