Global finance is transforming. Institutions and individuals alike demand faster, cheaper, and more reliable ways to move money across borders. In this evolving landscape, digital assets are no longer measured solely by price speculation. Their utility as infrastructure has become the central focus, with XRP emerging as a standout solution for real-time global payments.
This perspective gained attention after BankXRP shared a 34-second clip on X featuring Ripple’s Managing Director for Middle East & Africa, Reece Merrick. Speaking at a Binance panel, Merrick explained why Ripple builds its products on XRP and the XRPL.
He framed XRP as a purpose-built payment rail designed to resolve inefficiencies in cross-border transactions and deliver tangible value to both institutions and individual users.
Reece Merrick on why @Ripple chooses #XRP
XRP Designed specifically for payments
✅ XRP was built to move value in real-time
✅ XRP Settles in 2-3 seconds
✅ XRP was built for institutions or individuals@Ripple builds products on the #XRPL because it was designed… pic.twitter.com/cKeFmqEA55— 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) January 19, 2026
Real-Time Settlement as a Core Advantage
Merrick emphasized XRP’s speed as a defining feature. Unlike traditional financial networks that can take days to settle cross-border payments, XRP transactions finalize in just two to three seconds. This instant settlement reduces counterparty risk, improves liquidity, and enables faster capital rotation for businesses and individuals alike.
The XRPL’s consensus algorithm supports over 1,500 transactions per second while maintaining extremely low transaction fees. These capabilities allow the network to scale efficiently, offering a practical alternative to legacy payment systems for enterprises handling high-volume, cross-border flows.
Serving Institutions and Individuals Equally
According to Merrick, XRP accommodates a broad spectrum of users. Banks and financial institutions benefit from rapid, reliable settlement, while individual participants gain access to cost-efficient, real-time transfers.
Enterprise pilots, including Ripple’s collaborations with Santander, demonstrate XRP’s capacity to support institutional-scale payments without sacrificing accessibility or speed for smaller users.
This dual functionality differentiates XRP from other digital assets. By bridging the needs of large institutions and everyday users, XRP reduces friction between traditional finance and blockchain, making adoption practical and scalable.
Strategic Utility Beyond Speed
XRP’s advantages extend beyond settlement time. Its predictable transaction finality, combined with minimal costs, enables high-frequency payments and microtransactions. Merrick noted that these attributes make XRP the natural foundation for Ripple’s payment solutions, surpassing other tokens that lack enterprise readiness or consistent performance.
Vision for a Modern Payment Ecosystem
Reece Merrick’s remarks underline Ripple’s focus on practical adoption. XRP is not merely a speculative asset; it is infrastructure designed to meet the demands of today’s financial ecosystem.
With real-time settlement, low costs, and scalable performance, XRP is poised to bridge traditional finance and blockchain innovation, solidifying its role as a core component of next-generation global payments.