XRP’s role within the XRP Ledger remains essential to Ripple’s payment infrastructure. Crypto researcher SMQKE recently shared excerpts from research documents that he says provide evidence for XRP’s importance to RippleNet and the wider XRPL ecosystem.
His post focuses on the relationship between Ripple’s payment technology, XRP, and the transaction activity recorded on the ledger.
SMQKE Highlights XRP’s Role in RippleNet
SMQKE states that “RippleNet depends on XRP” and connects that claim to Ripple’s technological solutions, including Ripple Payments. He explained that XRP remains central to the company’s payment strategy, using it as a digital asset for moving value across the XRP Ledger.
The document attached includes a passage discussing Ripple Labs and XRP. The document states that because RippleNet depends significantly on XRP, XRP can coexist with Ripple Labs as the company develops its cross-border payment business. It also says Ripple has sought to give XRP a greater role and references a proposal that XRP could serve as a “neutral bridge” between different currencies.
That description is consistent with XRP’s documented function on the XRP Ledger. XRPL documentation states that XRP is the network’s native asset and can serve as a bridge between currencies on its decentralized exchange. Ripple also describes XRP as a native bridge asset that can facilitate cross-border payments and liquidity.
Yes, RippleNet depends on XRP.✅
And XRP is by far the most used currency on the ledger.✅
Translation:
There is no competition for XRP on the XRPL.💯
Ripple’s technological solutions, including Ripple Payments, are built around XRP.🔑
This is all documented below.📝👇 https://t.co/yTRGCwRWzO pic.twitter.com/h8xTN19IkF
— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) August 18, 2026
Research Shows High XRP Payment Volume
The second part of SMQKE’s post focuses on XRP’s usage compared with other currencies on the ledger. One of the attached research excerpts states that XRP was “by far the most used currency on the ledger in terms of payment volume.”
The study examined XRP Ledger payment activity between October 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020. According to the research, the ledger processed approximately 125 billion XRP through payment transactions during the seven-month observation period, equivalent to about 586 million XRP per day.
The analysis also identified major exchanges among the largest participants in XRP payment flows. Binance reportedly sent 15.2 billion XRP and received 14.5 billion XRP during the period examined.
Ripple-related transactions represented about 7% of the XRP payment volume in the study, with the research attributing much of that activity to monthly XRP releases from escrow.
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XRP Remains the Native Asset of XRPL
SMQKE uses these findings to conclude that there is no competing asset with XRP’s position on the XRP Ledger. The technical structure of XRPL, however, allows other currencies and issued tokens to operate on the network. XRPL documentation confirms that the ledger supports XRP, issued tokens, and multi-purpose tokens.
The key point in SMQKE’s post is therefore XRP’s established position rather than the absence of other assets. He maintains that Ripple’s payment infrastructure and XRP remain closely connected, while the research he shared demonstrates the scale of XRP payment activity recorded on the ledger.
Ripple itself currently states that its payments, custody, and stablecoin solutions use XRP and XRP Ledger technology, while describing XRP as the native asset responsible for transactions, spam protection, and currency bridging on XRPL.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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