In a rare direct exchange on platform X, personal finance influencer Andrei Jikh posed a series of questions regarding the viability of XRP, prompting an in-depth response from Ripple's CTO David Schwartz.
Key Questions Around XRP Adoption and Use Cases
Andrei Jikh, who has been following XRP since 2014, expressed skepticism regarding its real-world usage and attractiveness to institutional investors. He noted that despite Ripple’s over 300 partnerships with banks, XRP has not yet shown billions in daily on-chain volume. David Schwartz acknowledged the slow pace of adoption but emphasized that institutions historically prefer using digital assets off-chain due to compliance and regulatory concerns.
> "I think there are a number of reasons why institutions have historically preferred to use digital assets off chain rather than on chain," Schwartz noted.
Volatility: Liability or Strategic Advantage?
Jikh also raised the question of XRP’s volatility and why it should be used over stablecoins for transfers. Schwartz responded that volatility is not always a downside.
> "There are use cases where volatility isn’t a minus, or is even a plus," he said, adding that many in the digital asset space consider the potential upside worth the risk.
Are Bridge Currencies Becoming Obsolete?
Questions concluded with the potential obsolescence of bridge currencies like XRP with the rise of stablecoins. Schwartz stated that this outcome is unlikely.
> "A stablecoin can only be stable relative to one particular fiat currency and will always have jurisdictional ties," he explained, adding that in a multi-stablecoin world, XRP or similar assets could still serve as a neutral bridge.
The exchange between Jikh and Schwartz underscores ongoing tension between crypto's ideals and real-world implementation. Despite critical views on XRP's adoption pace and regulatory hurdles, Schwartz demonstrates that Ripple remains committed to evolving its technology and gaining trust from institutional investors.
