XRP and its issuer, **Ripple**, aim to streamline cross-border payments, but is it still a potential millionaire-maker? Let's dive into the details.

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## XRP's Role in the Global Payments Market

Ripple launched the **XRP Ledger (XRPL)** and the **XRP cryptocurrency** in 2012, designed as a fast and affordable way for financial institutions to transfer funds. Transaction settlement takes just three to five seconds, with fees under $0.01, making it much cheaper and faster than sending **Bitcoin**.

The XRPL is the backbone of **Ripple Payments**, a global network with over 300 banks across six continents. Ripple's goal is to capture a portion of the payments market from **SWIFT**, the current international money transfer system. In June 2025, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse projected that the XRPL could capture 14% of SWIFT's volume in five years, targeting $21 trillion annually—a highly ambitious goal.

XRP is the native cryptocurrency of the XRPL, used to pay transaction fees and provide on-demand liquidity for banking partners. If usage of the XRPL and Ripple's services increases, it could drive demand for XRP, as the cryptocurrency is crucial to both.

## The Problem with XRP

XRP fills a valuable role with Ripple Payments, but Ripple is expanding into broader financial services. Recent moves include acquiring Hidden Road (rebranded as Ripple Prime) and receiving conditional approval to form a federally chartered trust bank. Ripple has also launched **Ripple USD**, a U.S. dollar stablecoin that offers fast transactions without XRP's volatility.

Ripple is branching into areas where XRP isn't needed. Even in cross-border payments, partners can use Ripple's technology with fiat currency, only requiring XRP for the on-demand liquidity feature, which most don't use. This raises the possibility that **Ripple, not XRP, could be the real winner** going forward. Ripple remains a private company, but speculation about an IPO this year persists.

## Will XRP Make You a Millionaire?

Assuming a cryptocurrency needs 100x returns to be a millionaire-maker—turning $10,000 into $1 million—XRP's current market cap of $115 billion would need to reach $11.5 trillion, nearly three times **Alphabet**'s market cap. The odds of this happening in the next decade are extremely low.

However, XRP could still be a successful investment. The global payments market is projected to grow to $290 trillion by 2030, and XRP has value as a bridge currency. The approval of **XRP ETFs** may also boost popularity with institutional investors.

Consider a small position in XRP as a high-risk, high-reward investment, but manage expectations. While it could outperform, as it has in the past, it's probably not a millionaire-maker anymore.

XRP and its issuer, Ripple, aim to streamline cross-border payments.

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