XRP

XRP (XRP) is a digital asset that runs on the XRP Ledger, a Layer 1 blockchain built for global payments. It is meant to move value between countries, with settlement completing within about three to five seconds. It can act as a bridge between different fiat currencies, so institutions do not have to keep pre-funded accounts.

The ledger relies on a federated consensus protocol rather than mining or staking. Its validators come from a Unique Node List, and eighty percent of them must agree before a transaction is permanently recorded. The network can process roughly 1,500 transfers every second. It also has a decentralized exchange built into the protocol for tokenized assets. Each transaction burns a tiny amount of XRP, which discourages spam.

The project dates back to 2004 and Ryan Fugger. Jed McCaleb and Chris Larsen later co-founded its modern form. The company now called Ripple works with financial institutions, while the ledger itself remains open-source and decentralized. In November 2025, the SEC approved the first spot XRP exchange-traded funds.