Matt Profile picture
May 31 7 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Thanks to @VincentSco72192 asking the question directly to @JoelKatz in Vegas, we now know that @ripple has built an entire financial system. It has taken me some time to fully grasp what that means as someone relatively new to the XRP community. For anyone else interested in the logic here’s where I landed. See comments below 👇
The question originally posed by @VincentSco72192 describes a system where real-world assets (RWAs) and treasuries (potentially gold in the future) back RLUSD as the “unit of account,” transacting over the decentralized XRP Ledger (XRPL) as the “method of payment,” using XRP as the “means of exchange” (for gas fees or conversions), with settlements in 3–5 seconds for assets with trust lines.

(1) A financial system is a network of institutions, technologies, and protocols that facilitates the transfer, storage, and management of value, including payments, investments, lending, and asset exchange.

By confirming that Ripple’s ecosystem constitutes a financial system, @JoelKatz likely acknowledges that the combination of XRPL, XRP, RLUSD, and related tools forms a cohesive infrastructure capable of performing core financial functions, particularly for payments and asset tokenization, with potential to expand into other areas.

(2) Ripple’s financial system, is a blockchain-based ecosystem where XRPL serves as a decentralized ledger, XRP facilitates liquidity and fees, RLUSD provides stability, and RWAs anchor value, enabling rapid payments, tokenization, and DeFi. Its profound impact lies in disrupting legacy finance, fostering inclusion, and gaining institutional traction, as evidenced by partnerships, regulatory wins, and community momentum. This validates XRP’s potential to reshape global finance, promising economic, technological, and social benefits.

(3) The impact and byproduct of this new system ranges profoundly. It is the equivalent of moving from as @xrpmickle said: “from a paper mail system to email” improve businesses and cross border payments all the way to replacing the FED system entirely based on its efficiency to work as an entire system not just a bridge asset.
Post #2

Components of Ripple’s Financial System:

Based on your question and Ripple’s technology, here’s how the described components contribute to a financial system:

RLUSD as the “Unit of Account”
Role: RLUSD, launched in December 2024, is a USD-pegged stablecoin backed 1:1 by USD deposits, short-term U.S. treasuries, and cash equivalents, with monthly audits for transparency. It serves as a stable asset for payments, DeFi, and tokenization on XRPL and Ethereum.

Unit of Account: In financial systems, a unit of account is a standard measure of value (e.g., USD in traditional finance). RLUSD’s peg to USD makes it a reliable reference for pricing and settlements, especially in cross-border payments and DeFi applications. However, it’s not the sole unit of account on XRPL—other tokens, including XRP or tokenized RWAs, can also serve this role depending on the use case.

Implication RLUSD provides stability, enabling predictable transactions and integration with fiat-based systems, a critical feature for institutional adoption. Schwartz’s confirmation suggests RLUSD is a key pillar, but not the only one, in Ripple’s system.

Real-World Assets (RWAs) and Treasuries (Potentially Gold)
Current State: Ripple has partnered with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized U.S. treasuries (OUSG, backed by BlackRock’s BUIDL fund) to XRPL, enabling secure RWA tokenization. RLUSD’s backing includes treasuries, ensuring its stability. There’s no evidence of gold backing RLUSD, but XRPL’s trust lines could support gold-backed tokens issued by third parties.

Financial System Role: RWAs like treasuries provide collateral and trust, anchoring digital assets to tangible value. This mirrors traditional financial systems where assets (e.g., bonds, commodities) back currencies or securities.

Implication: By integrating RWAs, Ripple’s system bridges traditional and blockchain-based finance, appealing to institutions and enabling asset-backed digital transactions. Schwartz likely sees this as a foundational element for a broader financial ecosystem.

XRPL as the “Method of Payment”:
Role: The XRP Ledger, operational since 2012, is a decentralized blockchain with a consensus protocol that settles transactions in 3–5 seconds, handling up to 1,500 TPS. Its features—trust lines, DEX, AMM, and upcoming smart contracts (via Hooks and EVM sidechain)—support payments, DeFi, and tokenization.

Method of Payment: XRPL acts as the infrastructure for value transfer, akin to payment rails like SWIFT or Visa in traditional finance. Its speed and low cost make it ideal for cross-border payments, remittances, and institutional settlements.
Implication: XRPL’s role as a scalable, decentralized ledger positions it as the backbone of Ripple’s system, capable of supporting diverse financial activities. Schwartz’s affirmation underscores XRPL’s versatility beyond payments, including DeFi and asset exchange.
Post # 3

XRP as the “Means of Exchange”:
XRP, the native token of XRPL, is used for transaction fees and as a bridge currency in Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) for cross-border payments. It facilitates liquidity and currency conversions, reducing reliance on correspondent banking.

Means of Exchange: In financial systems, a means of exchange is an asset used to facilitate transactions (cash or credit). XRP’s role in ODL and its use for fees make it a critical medium for value transfer, especially in high-friction markets.

Implication: XRP’s efficiency and liquidity enable seamless transactions, a hallmark of a financial system. Schwartz’s confirmation likely emphasizes XRP’s integral role, as he’s stated that “nothing can move on XRPL without XRP” due to its use in fees and spam prevention.”

Settlement in 3–5 Seconds with Trust Lines:
XRPL’s trust lines allow users to issue and trade tokens (RLUSD, tokenized treasuries), with settlements finalizing in 3–5 seconds via the consensus protocol. The DEX and AMM ensure liquidity for instant swaps.

Financial System Role: Rapid settlement is a cornerstone of modern financial systems, enabling real-time payments and trading. Trust lines extend this capability to any asset on XRPL, provided issuers are trusted.

Implication: The speed and flexibility of XRPL’s settlement system rival or surpass traditional financial infrastructure, making it a viable alternative to the whole damn thing. XRP isn’t just a bridge currency it part of an entire financial system built by @Ripple
Post # 4
@Ripple is building the New Creative Frontier
XRPL is a garden where developers sow innovation
And new projects bloom, from DeFi to tokenized art. The ledger’s trust lines and DEX are tools for sculpting value, letting creators tokenize assets, lend dreams, or trade futures. It’s a renaissance of finance, and it’s open to everybody.

This empowers a generation to build, it is a system that invites everyone to paint.

@VincentSco72192 @JoelKatz @xrpmickle how am I doing?
Tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) means converting physical or tangible assets—like real estate, commodities, art, or financial instruments—into digital tokens that are issued, managed, and traded on the XRPL blockchain. Here's what that means.

1. Digital Representation: An RWA is represented as a digital token on the XRPL. Each token corresponds to ownership or a share of the underlying asset (e.g., a token might represent 1 square foot of a property or a fraction of a gold bar).

2. Key Features of XRPL for Tokenization:
Issued Tokens: XRPL allows users to create custom tokens (also called "Issued Tokens") to represent RWAs. These tokens are backed by the issuer, who guarantees their value or redemption.
-Trust Lines: Tokens on XRPL are managed through trust lines, which establish relationships between accounts and define the issuer's obligation to honor the token's value.
- Decentralized Exchange (DEX): XRPL’s built-in DEX enables seamless trading of tokenized RWAs against XRP or other tokens, providing liquidity.
- Low Costs and Speed: XRPL’s fast transaction settlement (3-5 seconds) and low fees make it cost-effective for issuing and transferring tokenized assets.

3. Benefits of Tokenizing RWAs on XRPL:
- Fractional Ownership: Assets like real estate can be divided into smaller, affordable tokens, democratizing access to investment.
- Liquidity: Tokenization enables trading of traditionally illiquid assets on a global market.
- Transparency and Security: XRPL’s immutable ledger ensures transparent ownership records and secure transactions.
- Programmability: Tokens can integrate with XRPL features like Automated Market Makers (AMMs) or smart contracts (via Hooks or future upgrades) for advanced functionality.

4. Process:
- An issuer (e.g., a company or institution) creates tokens on XRPL, pegging them to the RWA.
- Legal and regulatory frameworks (e.g., contracts, audits) ensure the tokens are backed by the real asset.
- Tokens are distributed to investors or traded on the XRPL DEX.
- The issuer manages redemption, ensuring token holders can claim the underlying asset or its value.

5. Examples:
- A real estate firm tokenizes a property, issuing 1,000 tokens, each representing a 0.1% stake.
- A commodity trader tokenizes gold bars, allowing investors to buy and trade fractional ownership.
- A financial institution tokenizes bonds or invoices for faster settlement and broader access.

In summary, tokenizing RWAs on the XRPL leverages the ledger’s efficiency, transparency, and global reach to digitize and democratize access to physical assets, enabling fractional ownership and enhanced liquidity while requiring careful legal and operational frameworks.
@VincentSco72192 @OndoFinance

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Matt

Matt Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(