A resurfaced video of Federal Reserve economist David Andolfatto has drawn attention to a significant statement about Ripple’s protocol and its potential role in the U.S. financial ecosystem.
Shared by crypto researcher SMQKE, the clip features Andolfatto acknowledging that Ripple’s system could “coexist with the U.S. payment system,” a remark that has reignited discussions around how blockchain technology may integrate with central banking infrastructure.
The exchange took place during a public event at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where Andolfatto previously served as Vice President of Research.
An audience member, a Ripple user, raised a question regarding the possibility of peer-to-peer, currency-agnostic payment systems operating alongside central banks in the United States.
The economist’s response offered a measured but notable endorsement of interoperability between traditional financial systems and blockchain-based platforms.
Remember, the Federal Reserve’s David Andalfatto confirmed that Ripple’s protocol can “co-exist with the U.S Payment system.”✅
Listen closely.👇 https://t.co/fiz3ocUEAS pic.twitter.com/8FhivmpIJK
— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) October 21, 2025
Andolfatto’s Explanation of Coexistence
In the clip, Andolfatto acknowledged Ripple as a “currency-agnostic platform” designed to facilitate global payments without depending on a single monetary system. He explained that Ripple’s protocol is capable of processing payments for individuals and institutions across various currencies, whether U.S. dollars, yen, or digital assets such as Bitcoin.
According to his remarks, the Federal Reserve could be viewed as one of several institutions whose currency could be used within the Ripple framework, suggesting a model in which central bank and blockchain-based infrastructures function in parallel.
Andolfatto further described Ripple as a system capable of supporting financial inclusion by enabling cross-border transactions for the unbanked. He emphasized that the platform’s ability to operate independently of any one currency offers a potential bridge between the traditional banking sector and emerging decentralized technologies.
His conclusion that there is already “room for coexistence” underscored the view that blockchain networks could integrate into the current monetary system rather than compete against it.
Community Reactions and Interpretations
Following SMQKE’s post, the video quickly circulated among digital asset analysts and XRP community members, many interpreting Andolfatto’s statement as validation of Ripple’s institutional relevance.
An X user, X Finance Bull, responded by suggesting that coexistence may understate the eventual dynamic, arguing that central institutions could ultimately depend on Ripple’s infrastructure to facilitate efficient payment settlement.
While Andolfatto’s remarks date back several years, their resurfacing comes at a time when blockchain interoperability, regulatory clarity, and cross-border payment modernization are receiving renewed attention from both policymakers and private institutions.
The reference by a Federal Reserve economist to Ripple’s protocol as compatible with U.S. monetary operations continues to hold symbolic weight in ongoing debates about the role of distributed ledger technology in future financial frameworks.
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