SWIFT’s blockchain move highlights similarities to Ripple’s XRPL; no direct partnership
SWIFT announced plans to add a blockchain-based ledger to its payments infrastructure to provide a single source of truth and enable instant, 24/7 cross-border payments. Crypto commentator Chain Cartel argued SWIFT’s description closely matches Ripple’s XRPL — a neutral settlement layer offering atomic finality, shared ledger visibility, interoperability with legacy rails and liquidity-focused design — and suggested the firms should collaborate. SWIFT, however, is building the ledger with ConsenSys and Chainlink, not Ripple. Separately, Ripple is expanding its payments stack: it will test the RLUSD stablecoin on multiple Ethereum Layer-2 networks (Base, Ink, Optimism, Unichain) via Wormhole and recently received conditional approval from the OCC to become a bank. Key entities mentioned: SWIFT, Ripple (XRPL, RLUSD), ConsenSys, Chainlink, Wormhole. Implications: SWIFT’s move validates demand for a ledger layer in cross-border payments — a model XRPL has long promoted — but SWIFT’s partner choices reduce the likelihood of immediate Ripple integration. Traders should monitor XRP, RLUSD adoption signals, partnerships, and announcements from SWIFT, ConsenSys and Chainlink for short-term volatility and long-term structural shifts in institutional payment rails.
Neutral
SWIFT’s announcement validates the industry trend toward adding a ledger layer for instant cross-border settlement — a structural endorsement of the model XRPL promotes — which is a positive signal for projects offering settlement rails and liquidity solutions (bullish for the sector). However, SWIFT explicitly chose ConsenSys and Chainlink as partners rather than Ripple, reducing the immediate direct upside for Ripple and XRP. Concurrently, Ripple’s RLUSD L2 expansion and conditional OCC bank approval are constructive for Ripple’s long-term payments strategy and could boost demand for XRP and RLUSD over time. For traders: expect short-term volatility around partnership announcements, technical roadmaps and adoption signals (news-driven spikes or dips in XRP and related tokens). Over the long term, institutional adoption of ledger layers could be bullish for settlement-focused protocols, but the competitive landscape (ConsenSys/Chainlink-backed solutions vs. Ripple) may cap Ripple-specific gains until concrete integrations or client wins are confirmed. Historical parallels: announcements of institutional or protocol-level endorsement (e.g.,央行/consortium pilots) often produce initial price moves followed by consolidation until real-world volume and integrations materialize. Key market indicators to watch: XRP price action vs. broader market, on-chain RLUSD flows, SWIFT partner roadmap updates, and partnership/client announcements from Ripple, ConsenSys or Chainlink.