Ripple Is Already Native on ISO 20022 With XRP

A leading cryptocurrency researcher has highlighted documentation indicating that the global payments industry is on track to complete its transition to native ISO 20022 messaging by the end of 2025. This protocol migration, intended to replace legacy MT messaging, aims to standardize richer payment data across financial institutions. The researcher pointed out that XRP is already operating natively on the ISO 20022 standard. Market participants and commentators have responded by emphasizing the potential operational and competitive implications for both digital assets and payment providers.

The ISO 20022 Transition and Its Timeline

The documentation referenced by the researcher indicates that ISO 20022 became a mandatory standard in 2019. The initial cutover from MT messages was required by March 2023, with a full transition to native ISO 20022 messaging expected to be completed by the end of 2025. This transition aims to deliver clearer and more consistent payment messages, incorporating more detailed fields for payment purpose, source, and beneficiary information. Proponents argue that this richer data model is designed to reduce ambiguity between systems and facilitate improved detection of anomalous or suspicious activity.

Operational Benefits Highlighted

Documents attached to the researcher’s notice highlight several operational benefits for financial institutions adopting ISO 20022. These benefits include improved consistency of message formats across platforms, enhanced security through more explicit transaction metadata, greater visibility over liquidity and cash positions, and efficiency gains in processing and reconciliation. The documentation also indicates automation benefits, specifically the support for straight-through processing at levels that can materially reduce manual intervention and associated costs.

XRP and Industry Positioning

The researcher reported that XRP is already native on ISO 20022. Industry voices cited in the documentation place digital assets alongside established payment instruments as participants in the new messaging environment. One banking executive featured in the source framed ISO 20022 as a tool to bridge established payment systems with emerging decentralized finance architectures. The document explicitly references stablecoins and XRP as examples of coin providers integrated into the ISO 20022 framework.

Market Reactions

Public responses to the researcher’s post underline two consistent themes. Some observers emphasize that the adoption of ISO 20022 enhances transparency and operational efficiency for assets that support the standard, viewing this as a positive development for payment innovation. Others argue that native ISO 20022 compatibility confers a practical advantage as the global payment system modernizes.

From an industry perspective, the completion of the migration by 2025 could accelerate integration work, influence custody and compliance tooling, and shape how banks and payment providers evaluate on-chain and tokenized instruments for cross-border settlement.