XRP News Today: Morgan Stanley Sees XRP as the Key to Faster, Cheaper Global Payments

Morgan Stanley has acknowledged Ripple as a leading international payment solution that could serve as an alternative to the SWIFT system, as outlined in an excerpt from the Review of Banking & Financial Law. The analysis highlights the firm's evaluation of Ripple’s distributed ledger technology and its potential to reduce costs for banks and remittance providers. According to the document, Ripple’s technology could cut processing costs by up to 60% in certain payment scenarios, allowing remittance recipients to retain a larger portion of the transferred funds. These cost efficiencies, coupled with faster transaction speeds and reduced fraud risk, position Ripple as a credible competitor in the global finance ecosystem.

The recognition from Morgan Stanley reflects a broader industry shift toward evaluating blockchain technology as a disruptive force in traditional banking. Ripple’s XRP plays a central role in this framework by providing on-demand liquidity and facilitating cross-border settlements. The firm’s assessment suggests that adopting a Ripple-like system could significantly shorten settlement periods and streamline transaction processes. This perspective aligns with Ripple’s long-term vision of transforming how money moves across borders, leveraging XRP as a bridge currency.

Ripple’s legal challenges, particularly its high-profile court battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have drawn considerable attention. The case, which lasted several years, concluded in August 2025 when both parties agreed to drop their appeals following a realignment of the SEC’s priorities under the Trump administration. Despite the legal turbulence, Ripple continued to expand its institutional partnerships, particularly in jurisdictions outside the U.S. The resolution of the case also provided XRP with unique legal clarity, which could enhance its adoption in the future. However, regulatory hurdles and the inertia of traditional financial systems remain significant barriers to widespread adoption.

SWIFT, the long-standing backbone of international financial transactions, continues to dominate the market with its established infrastructure and global reach. The system connects over 11,500 institutions across 220 countries and processes millions of messages daily. While SWIFT offers reliability and standardization, it has faced criticism for its slow processing times, high fees, and limited transparency. In response, SWIFT has introduced initiatives like ISO 20022 and SWIFT GPI to improve efficiency. However, these updates have done little to address fundamental concerns about the system’s reliance on outdated technologies and its vulnerability to geopolitical manipulation.

Ripple’s approach to cross-border payments has been characterized by a focus on speed, cost efficiency, and technological innovation. The XRP Ledger can settle transactions in seconds and handle approximately 1,500 transactions per second. These capabilities have attracted attention from banks and remittance providers seeking to reduce reliance on traditional correspondent banking networks. Ripple has also expanded into stablecoins, launching RLUSD in 2024 and acquiring Rail, a stablecoin platform, in a $200 million deal. This move signals Ripple’s intention to build a comprehensive payments infrastructure that supports both crypto-native and fiat-based transactions.

The debate over whether Ripple can truly replace SWIFT remains unresolved. Critics, including SWIFT’s Chief Innovation Officer Tom Zschach, argue that true resilience in the financial sector comes from neutral, shared governance rather than a system controlled by a single entity. Zschach labeled Ripple’s network a "dead chain walking," emphasizing that banks require a consensus-driven infrastructure for trust and compliance. While Ripple has demonstrated technological advantages, the entrenched network effects of SWIFT and the cautious nature of financial institutions suggest a gradual rather than abrupt transition. Experts predict a hybrid model in which SWIFT and Ripple coexist, with SWIFT handling compliance and messaging while blockchain-based systems manage value transfer.

Source: [1] Morgan Stanley: Ripple (XRP) Is a Leading International Payment Alternative to SWIFT (https://timestabloid.com/morgan-stanley-ripple-xrp-is-leading-international-payment-alternative-to-swift/) [2] Ripple's SEC battle is over: Time to challenge SWIFT? (https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-sec-over-challenge-swift) [3] Now That XRP is Dead, What's Next? Swift Executive Calls ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/now-xrp-dead-next-swift-105438346.html) [4] Ripple vs. SWIFT: The Battle for Cross-Border Payments— ... (https://www.ccn.com/education/crypto/ripple-vs-swift-blockchain-banking-behemoth/)