XRP News Today: Ripple Co-Founder Reveals XRP's Hidden Role in Global Finance

Arthur Britto, a co-founder of Ripple, provided a candid look into the original vision behind the XRP Ledger (XRPL) in a rediscovered 2013 email. The message, recently shared by crypto analyst Riz, underscores a fundamental principle: XRP was never designed to be the star of the show. Instead, it was built to act as the “hidden plumbing” of the global financial system.

In the email dated November 20, 2013, Britto wrote, “I expect the majority of people who use the Ripple payment network to be able to ignore XRP.” This single line powerfully encapsulates the XRP Ledger’s intended architecture. While XRP is central to enabling seamless, low-cost transactions, its use is designed to be so seamless that end users wouldn’t even notice it. In other words, the infrastructure would quietly do its job in the background, without requiring people to understand or engage with the digital asset directly.

Britto made it clear that the Ripple network supports payments using multiple currencies, and XRP serves as an optional bridge asset. It is only used when it’s the most efficient tool for the job—when speed, cost, or liquidity demand it. This optionality gives the network flexibility and reduces reliance on any single token or asset.

One of Britto’s most insightful remarks was that “the value of XRP is probably less important than the spread.” He was referring to the difference between the buy and sell prices that market makers capture as profit during a transaction. Because transactions are executed atomically, meaning they complete all at once or not at all, the focus is not on XRP’s market price, but on minimizing transaction costs for users. This means XRP’s price can remain relatively stable or even low, so long as market makers offer tight spreads and sufficient liquidity. It’s a model that turns conventional crypto investment thinking on its head: value isn’t driven by speculation but by transactional utility and network efficiency.

Britto emphasized Ripple’s unique structure as both a currency exchange and a payment network. This dual role allows it to facilitate instant settlement of cross-currency payments, rather than relying on slow and error-prone netting systems. To thrive in this environment, market makers must offer the best possible rates to attract volume. This competition ensures low-cost transactions for end users and efficient global money movement.

For XRP to be used more frequently, it simply needs to offer the best spread. “I would guess XRP would only have the best spread if network participants want it to,” Britto concluded. In essence, XRP adoption is not forced; it’s earned through superior performance.

Riz aptly pointed out that Ripple’s 2024 launch of RLUSD, its native stablecoin on the XRPL, aligns perfectly with Britto’s original vision. Stablecoins like RLUSD allow institutions and users to transact within the XRPL ecosystem without direct exposure to XRP’s volatility, while still benefiting from its speed and reliability. By integrating stablecoins and expanding the liquidity options on XRPL, Ripple is reinforcing the original architecture envisioned over a decade ago. XRP remains at the core, not as a front-facing product, but as the infrastructure that keeps everything running smoothly.

Summarily, Arthur Britto’s foresight from 2013 is proving more relevant than ever in today’s evolving digital payments landscape. XRP was never meant to dominate headlines or serve as a consumer-facing asset. Instead, it was designed to function like the pipes behind the walls—vital, efficient, and unseen. That vision is quietly coming to life as Ripple pushes forward with stablecoin integration and institutional-grade liquidity solutions on the XRPL.