A single statement can reset an entire narrative. When former Ripple executive Dilip Rao clarified XRP’s true purpose, he drew a firm line between mass speculation and institutional adoption.
His remarks have reignited debate over whether the future of cryptocurrency will be driven by everyday traders or by the heavyweight financial institutions that move billions across borders.
✨The Summit Exchange
The discussion returned to the spotlight after crypto commentator John Squire shared a video clip on X from a panel at the Global Islamic Economy Summit. During the session, moderator Serhat Yildirim asked: “Many people are using cryptos just to buy and sell and make quick gains out of it. Does it hurt the growth of cryptocurrencies that they are used for a quick buck?”

Rao’s response was both candid and revealing:
“So it’s chicken and egg, you have to create a marketplace, and right now we have a hundred fifty to two hundred exchanges around the world that trade XRP, a lot of it as you say is very shallow, trading by individuals, and that is not the use case that we are pursuing. What we are pursuing is the use of XRP as a financial asset by sophisticated institutions as a bridging mechanism.”
“So does this hurt the humble? It creates a lot of noise, and you know. We certainly don’t want that much noise, but we’re waiting. For example, in the last quarter, the bulk of XRP sales were institutional investors. As this transitions from retail to institutions, we will start to use it for wholesale, you know, financial usage. That’s when the turning point comes.” Rao concluded.
Rao’s response underscores Ripple’s clear strategy. The “chicken and egg” reference acknowledges that retail trading helped create the initial marketplace and liquidity.
Yet by describing most of that trading as “very shallow,” he makes it clear that speculative buying and selling may grab headlines but contribute little to the deep, dependable liquidity that true institutional adoption requires.
✨Institutional Utility Over Retail Speculation
Rao’s emphasis on “sophisticated institutions” reveals Ripple’s long-term vision for XRP as a wholesale bridge currency—a digital asset designed to move value between banks, payment providers, and global clearing systems.
Short-term retail speculation, he implies, is a distraction from this core mission. Ripple aims for a mature market where institutional investors provide liquidity and use XRP for high-volume, cross-border settlement.
✨Market and Community Reaction
The resurfaced comments sparked strong reactions within the XRP community. Supporters view Rao’s remarks as confirmation of the “digital gold” narrative, where each token becomes a key component of a new institutional financial system.
Critics worry that sidelining retail users could limit market depth and slow organic growth. Still, Rao’s statement aligns with Ripple’s established strategy of building enterprise-grade payment corridors and forging partnerships with major banks and financial institutions.
✨The Bigger Picture
By drawing a sharp contrast between retail speculation and institutional utility, Dilip Rao refocused attention on XRP’s original mission: serving as a bridge asset for global finance.
Whether retail traders ultimately benefit from this strategy will depend on how successfully Ripple integrates XRP into the infrastructure of international payments- a future where liquidity is provided not by casual traders, but by the world’s largest financial players.
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