TLDR
- Ripple is increasing its focus on the stablecoin RLUSD across its ecosystem.
- Community members claim XRP is now used mostly to cover transaction fees.
- RLUSD is gaining adoption for settlements, liquidity, and fiat onboarding.
- Ripple executives maintain that XRP and RLUSD have separate and vital roles.
- The XRP community remains divided over Ripple’s dual-token strategy.
Ripple’s growing focus on RLUSD has led to concerns that XRP is being reduced to a limited function. RLUSD continues to gain broader use across Ripple’s ecosystem, while XRP’s role appears increasingly narrow. The shift has sparked debate about Ripple’s long-term strategy in the crypto community.
Ripple Pushes RLUSD for Global Settlements
Ripple introduced RLUSD in December 2024 to enhance transaction stability and attract more institutional adoption. Since then, RLUSD has reached a market cap of $316 million and was recently listed on Gemini. This move signals Ripple’s push to expand the stablecoin’s usage across payment and settlement operations.
Ripple appears to be slowly reducing the role of XRP down to basically transaction fees. Is this enough? Please read Ripples site, and be able to back up your thoughts. 'Cause transaction fees are the only absolute reason XRP is needed. RLUSD can be used for everything else.…
— Elena (@ElenaSchoen_) May 7, 2025
In early 2025, Ripple integrated RLUSD into Ripple Payments, enabling cross-border transactions with fiat price stability. The integration marked a key step in RLUSD’s evolution as a multi-functional asset. RLUSD now supports onboarding for various fiat currencies and retail payment settlements.
Ripple’s stablecoin strategy prioritizes RLUSD for its low volatility and regulatory alignment. RLUSD handles settlement operations across multiple regions while maintaining price consistency. Ripple has also hinted at launching region-specific stablecoins like RLGBP and RLEUR in the future.
XRP Role Shrinks in Ripple Strategy
Ripple still uses XRP within the XRP Ledger, but the token’s utility has become more restricted over time. XRP now primarily covers transaction fees and supports auto-bridging between assets on the ledger. This reduction in scope has triggered criticism from some community members.
Community analysts argue that XRP is no longer central to Ripple’s liquidity strategy. They claim Ripple is shifting major functions to RLUSD, pushing XRP to the background. While XRP remains the default bridge asset, its dominance could decline if trends persist.
Ripple executives, including CTO David Schwartz, have responded by reaffirming XRP’s importance in ledger operations. They emphasized XRP’s resistance to freezing and lack of national control, which, they said, make it indispensable for decentralized finance infrastructure.
Ripple’s future stablecoin is GOOD for $XRP.
Also the stablecoin can’t exist on the XRPL without $XRP. Literally. https://t.co/vqRmbncMwf
— Moon Lambo (@MoonLamboio) June 12, 2024
RLUSD Grows but XRP Remains Key
Ripple maintains that XRP and RLUSD serve different but essential roles within its platform. XRP functions as a fast and jurisdiction-free bridge, while RLUSD represents fiat value on-chain. CEO Brad Garlinghouse emphasized this distinction during a January 2025 interview.
Ripple President Monica Long also clarified that the dual-token approach lets clients choose based on transaction needs. She stated that the structure supports stability and speed, depending on the use case. This flexibility forms the backbone of Ripple’s payment ecosystem.
Ripple continues to expand RLUSD’s integration without entirely phasing out XRP. The firm insists that both assets operate in parallel, fulfilling unique roles. While RLUSD handles settlements, XRP sustains liquidity pathways across diverse digital and fiat currencies.
