I just reread about Ripple (XRP) and found many interesting things worth sharing. What is Ripple? Simply put, it is a technology company focused on payment solutions for global financial institutions.

The great thing about XRP is that it works like a bridge between different currencies, enabling near-instant cross-border conversions and payments. Instead of having to go through multiple intermediaries, XRP is used directly on RippleNet for immediate settlement. Processing speeds are just a few seconds, and the costs are extremely low—this is a major difference compared with traditional payment systems.

What is Ripple in terms of technology? It is based on distributed ledger technology (DLT), but unlike the Bitcoin blockchain, it uses the Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA). Instead of mining, a validated group of servers confirms transactions. This ledger is not fully public—only participants approved by Ripple Labs can join—which helps improve speed and security.

Looking at its history, in 2016 Ripple partnered with major banks such as Santander and UniCredit. 2017 was the peak period when XRP’s price reached 3.84 USD, but then starting in 2018, the SEC began investigating whether XRP is a security or not. The lawsuit continued until 2020, when the SEC officially sued the company. However, in 2023, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP is not a security when sold to retail investors on exchanges. That was a major turning point.

What is Ripple in terms of tokenomics? The total supply is 100 billion XRP created from the beginning. Ripple Labs holds most of it to develop the ecosystem and support partners. XRP is used as a payment bridge, and it can also be used to pay for goods and services.

The company was founded by Chris Larsen and Jed McCaleb in 2012 in San Francisco. They received investment from well-known funds such as Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures, and Accel.

Today, Ripple continues to expand its partner network with banks and payment services worldwide. The company is also developing new products based on XRP, including DeFi solutions. There is information suggesting that an XRP ETF could appear in 2025-2026, which could bring many new opportunities.

The price of XRP has rebounded strongly after the court ruling, and the current ATH is 3.65 USD. If you’re interested in XRP, you can learn more on major exchanges. However, remember that the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile—you need to research carefully before deciding to invest.