RippleNet is Ripple's enterprise payment network that connects banks, payment providers, and digital asset exchanges worldwide. At its core, RippleNet uses XRP as a bridge currency to facilitate real-time cross-border transactions — eliminating the need for pre-funded nostro accounts and reducing settlement times from days to seconds.
At the XRP Tokyo 2026 conference, live pilot data from Japanese banks demonstrated that XRP-enabled cross-border payments were up to 60% cheaper than SWIFT-based transfers, with settlement times of under 4 seconds. This data came from real remittance corridors between Japan and Southeast Asia — routes that handle billions of dollars in transactions each year.
A transfer that takes one to three days via SWIFT can settle in seconds using XRP. Across high-volume payment corridors, those efficiency gains quickly scale into substantial cost savings.
XRP Tokyo 2026, Live Payment Corridor Data
On-Demand Liquidity (ODL): Ripple's ODL solution uses XRP as a real-time liquidity bridge between two currencies. Instead of banks pre-funding foreign accounts with idle capital, ODL allows them to source liquidity on demand via XRP. This frees up trapped capital and dramatically reduces the cost of international transactions.
SWIFT Convergence: Ripple Treasury and XRP are now connected to SWIFT, bridging blockchain rails with the existing global banking system. Major banks including BBVA, BNP Paribas, and Citigroup are actively engaging with both SWIFT's blockchain initiatives and Ripple's custody solutions. This hybrid convergence model accelerates institutional adoption by fitting within existing banking workflows rather than replacing them entirely.
Current Network Scale: Over 300 financial institutions now use Ripple's payment infrastructure across 40+ countries. The XRP Ledger supports more than 150 independent validators operated by universities, exchanges, businesses, and individuals globally. Additionally, Rakuten Wallet in Japan added XRP support from April 15, 2026, allowing users to convert Rakuten Points to XRP and spend via Rakuten Pay across millions of merchants.
