Ripple president Monica Long believes the future of global settlement will be built on stablecoins, not on XRP. In a series of posts on X, Long said fiat-pegged tokens are quickly becoming the main layer for cross-border payments as major financial players integrate them directly into everyday business flows.
According to Long, companies such as Visa, Stripe and large banks are already embedding stablecoins into business-to-business transactions. She described corporate payments as the real growth engine, where digital dollars can unlock faster liquidity and improve how companies manage capital. Rather than being a side experiment, she sees stablecoins becoming the foundation of how money moves across borders.
Long echoed these views in a recent post on Ripple’s website, predicting that within five years stablecoins will be fully integrated into global payment systems. Analysts across the industry agree, noting that regulated stablecoins are now being designed to connect smoothly with bank rails and card networks. The result is a blurred line between traditional finance infrastructure and blockchain-based settlement.
From hype to real-world use
Long argues that crypto is leaving behind its purely speculative phase and entering what she calls a “production era.” After a strong year for both crypto and Ripple, she believes 2026 will mark a turning point when banks and large companies move from pilot programs to full-scale adoption.
In another post, she said crypto is no longer just an investment asset but is becoming part of the operating layer of modern finance. By 2026, she expects around half of Fortune 500 companies to have some form of digital asset exposure or a defined digital-asset strategy. That could include tokenized assets, on-chain Treasury bills, stablecoins and programmable financial tools used directly inside corporate treasury systems.
ETFs, mergers and custody deals
Long also pointed to capital markets as a major driver of adoption. She said crypto ETFs are expanding quickly but still make up only a small share of the broader market, leaving plenty of room for growth. Over time, she expects more traditional investors to use ETFs as a gateway into tokenized assets and on-chain yield products, especially as spot ETFs expand beyond bitcoin and ether.
On the industry side, she highlighted about $8.6 billion in crypto mergers and acquisitions in 2025 as a sign of maturity. Custody, she said, will be the next area to consolidate. As digital asset safekeeping becomes more standardized, she predicts vertical integration and multi-custodian strategies, with roughly half of the world’s top 50 banks setting up at least one formal custody partnership by 2026.
Questions about XRP’s role
Long’s comments have sparked debate among XRP holders. Some users worry that a stablecoin-led settlement system could reduce the need for XRP as a global bridge asset. One post questioned whether XRP’s long-discussed role in global settlement is being sidelined.
Others voiced frustration, suggesting retail investors may have supported Ripple’s business without clear long-term benefits for XRP. Supporters pushed back, arguing that stablecoins will bring more activity on-chain and could actually increase demand for bridge assets that convert between currencies and networks.
A defining year ahead
In her outlook, Long describes 2026 as a key inflection point. Stablecoins, she says, will power global settlement, tokenized assets will appear on institutional balance sheets, and custody services will anchor trust for banks and asset managers. She also pointed to the growing link between blockchain and AI, which could automate many back-office processes that slow markets today.
As banks test tokenized deposits and governments explore digital currencies, Ripple’s message is clear: the next phase of crypto growth will not be driven by price speculation, but by how deeply blockchain becomes woven into everyday financial systems.
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