Think of $XRP as a kind of "digital bridge" designed to make value transfers over the internet faster, cheaper, and more transparent than traditional systems. It is not exactly a cryptocurrency in the same sense as Bitcoin, which seeks to be a decentralized alternative to traditional money. Rather, XRP is the native cryptocurrency of the Ripple network, a technology created by the company Ripple Labs.

The Ripple network focuses on facilitating international payments for financial institutions. It uses XRP as a digital asset that can be quickly converted to different fiat currencies (such as dollars, euros, among others) and transferred through its network almost instantly and with very low fees. Essentially, XRP acts as a "bridge" currency that streamlines the exchange between different currencies.

So, although it is a cryptocurrency, its main purpose is not to be a daily use currency like cash. Its value lies in its ability to optimize international money transfers for large institutions.