Over the years, Ripple and the native token XRP have weathered many waves of skepticism, controversy, and legal battles. But as 2025 unfolds, more and more experts, finance industry insiders, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts are beginning to ask a serious question: Could XRP become the “Bitcoin for banks” — the digital asset foundational to the future of global finance?
For many in the cryptocurrency space, Ripple has long been a contentious topic. Critics often cite events from 2017, when a series of misconceptions portrayed Ripple as centralized, overly corporate, and anti-cryptocurrency. Allegations of excessive control, fears of XRP being pre-mined, and speculation about its status as a security have fueled skepticism that persists among some investors to this day.
But many of those stories have been debunked or disproven. XRP is not a continuously minted currency; rather, it is burned in every transaction, and Ripple has established practical partnerships with dozens of governments, central banks, and financial institutions.
The Shift in Institutional Sentiment
In addition to partnerships with institutions, XRP has also attracted the attention of investment firms and market regulators. In a recent cryptocurrency market update, it was revealed that more than 17 different investment products based on XRP are currently awaiting regulatory approval — an indicator of increasing institutional interest.
Meanwhile, major financial firms like BlackRock and tokenization-focused platforms like Ono Finance are collaborating with Ripple to build tokenized versions of traditional securities and other real-world assets. This collaboration dynamic highlights how tokenization is reshaping not only cryptocurrency but also the broader financial market.
Can XRP Really Become a Financial Platform for Banks?
Industry insiders and former U.S. financial officials have publicly considered the possibility of XRP being used as a foundational layer for the U.S. national banking system or as part of a CBDC initiative. Although no official decisions have been made yet, the discussion itself marks a shift from the hostility that Ripple once faced.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) — often described as the “central bank of central banks” — has collaborated with Ripple on CBDC projects and instant payment solutions, signaling the potential existence of tokens on a global scale.