What is behind the surge of XRP market capitalization by 50 billion US dollars?

Author: insights4vc Source: substack Translation: Shan Ouba, Golden Finance

In the past week, the price of XRP has risen by about 60.96%, from $1.46 to $2.35, with a market capitalization exceeding $130 billion. This article will briefly analyze the historical development of Ripple (the company behind XRP), its ecosystem, and the latest advancements in the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) and regulatory participation.

Ripple was founded in 2013, originally known as OpenCoin, and later renamed Ripple Labs. As a pioneer in blockchain technology, Ripple focuses on cross-border payments and decentralized finance (DeFi). The core of the Ripple ecosystem is the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a distributed ledger developed by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto in 2011, designed to provide efficient, scalable, and secure global payment solutions, aligning with Ripple’s vision of modernizing financial infrastructure.

Latest Developments in XRPL

• Breakthrough in RWA Tokenization: On November 25, 2024, Ripple announced a partnership with Archax, the first digital asset exchange regulated by the UK FCA, to tokenize Abrdn’s £3.8 billion liquidity fund using XRPL. This marks the launch of the first money market fund token on XRPL, further solidifying its leading position in the tokenization of real-world assets.

• Deepening of Regulatory Participation: On December 2, 2024, WisdomTree joined Bitwise, 21Shares, and Canary Capital in applying to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the launch of a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). This trend reflects the growing appeal of XRP among institutional investors, while also indicating the widespread adoption of tokenized financial instruments.

XRP Status: Q3 2024 Review

Ripple’s quarterly report reveals key developments for XRP and the broader cryptocurrency market:

• Clear Legal Status: The court ruled that XRP is not a security, allowing it to be relisted on exchanges in the United States and other international markets. The distinction between Ripple and XRP is widely recognized.

• Institutional Interest Surges: Grayscale has launched an XRP trust product, while Bitwise, Canary, and 21Shares have submitted applications for XRP ETFs. This indicates that institutional confidence in XRP continues to rise.

• Macroeconomic Impact: The Federal Reserve’s 50 basis point rate cut has triggered a rise in risk assets, leading to a rebound in the crypto market. In addition, the launch of the U.S. Ethereum ETF has attracted $552 million in capital inflow.

• Regulatory Environment: The SEC has appealed part of the ruling in the Ripple case but acknowledges that XRP itself is not a security. Meanwhile, countries and regions such as Japan, the UAE, and Hong Kong have adopted more crypto-friendly regulatory policies, contrasting sharply with the enforcement actions in the United States.

• Global Expansion: Ripple has received regulatory approval in Dubai and is driving crypto innovation through strategic investments and advocacy activities.

As cryptocurrency ETFs lead market growth and the US presidential election approaches, regulatory clarity and industry maturity will be key to the future development of digital assets.

Core Team Members

• CEO: Brad Garlinghouse

• Co-Founder and Executive Chairman: Chris Larsen

• CTO of XRP Ledger: David Schwartz

• Co-founder of XRP Ledger: Arthur Britto

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Jon Bilich

• Chief Legal Officer (CLO): Stuart Alderoty

• Former Co-founder: Jed McCaleb (now a co-founder of Stellar)

Ripple Labs, Inc. (XRP) Funding Overview - Total Funding Amount: $294.5 million

Financing Round:

1. Undisclosed Round

Date: April 11, 2013

Funding Amount: Not Disclosed

Investors: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Lightspeed Venture Partners, Vast Ventures

2. Seed Round

Date: May 14, 2013

Financing Amount: Undisclosed

Some Investors: GV ( Google Ventures ), IDG Capital

3. Seed Round

Date: November 12, 2013

Financing Amount: 3.5 million USD

Some Investors: Core Innovation Capital, Camp One Ventures, IDG Capital, Hinge Capital

4. Series A Financing

Date: December 3, 2014

Financing Amount: 4 million USD

Some investors: Santander

5. Series A Financing

Date: May 19, 2015

Financing Amount: 28 million USD

Some investors: IDG Capital, Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group (DCG), Core Innovation Capital, RRE Ventures, CME Ventures

6. Expansion A Round Financing

Date: October 6, 2015

Funding Amount: 4 million USD

Some investors: Santander, CME Ventures, SeaGate.io Technology

7. Series B Financing

Date: September 15, 2016

Financing Amount: 55 million USD

Some Investors: SBI Investment, Accenture, Santander, CME Ventures, SeaGate.io Technology, Hinge Capital

8. C Round Financing

Date: December 20, 2019

Company Valuation: 9.8 billion USD

Financing Amount: 200 million USD

Some investors: Tetragon Financial Group Limited, SBI Investment, Bossanova Investimentos, Route 66 Venture

Token Economics

XRP is the native asset of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), created in 2012, with a total supply fixed at 100 billion, all of which were pre-mined.

• Of this, 80 billion is allocated to Ripple Labs, and 20 billion is allocated to the founding team members.

• In order to stabilize the market and manage holdings, Ripple deposited 55 billion XRP into a custody account in 2017, releasing up to 1 billion XRP per month, with an expected release period of 55 months.

• Unused XRP will be re-locked, extending the release time. As of December 2024, Ripple still holds approximately 37.24 billion XRP in custody.

Ripple’s Stablecoin RLUSD

Ripple originally planned to launch the stablecoin RLUSD on December 4, 2024, but it has been postponed due to waiting for regulatory approval. Ripple is collaborating with the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to meet strict regulatory requirements and maintain high operational standards.

Overview of RLUSD:

• Announcement Date: April 2024

• Asset Backing: Fully supported by US dollar deposits, short-term US Treasury bonds, and cash equivalents.

• Objective: RLUSD, as an enterprise-grade, compliance-first stablecoin, aims to complement Ripple’s cross-border payment solutions and operate alongside XRP.

• Market Outlook: As the stablecoin market is expected to grow to over $2.8 trillion by 2028, RLUSD is regarded as a significant contributor to this rapidly expanding sector.

Key Indicators (December 5, 2024)

XRP Ledger: Detailed Overview

Unlike traditional Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchains, XRPL employs a federal consensus model that allows validators to reach agreement on the state of the ledger without the need for mining or staking. The consensus protocol is designed to enhance efficiency, reduce latency, and minimize computational overhead, enabling fast transaction finality.

Validator Network and Unique Node List (UNL)

The XRPL network is composed of more than 109 validators distributed globally. A subset of these validators forms the Unique Node List (UNL), which is crucial for achieving consensus. The UNL consists of 31 trusted validators, including entities such as Arrington XRP Capital, Bifrost Wallet, Ripple Labs, and XRPScan. While any entity can operate validators and publish the UNL, the default UNL is significantly influenced by Ripple Labs and the XRP Ledger Foundation.

Centralization Issues:

The default UNL planned by influential organizations has raised questions about centralization issues. Critics argue that the selection process for trusted validators is not entirely permissionless and may undermine the decentralized spirit of blockchain technology. However, proponents emphasize that users can autonomously modify their UNL, allowing for a certain degree of decentralization based on individual trust preferences.

Consensus Process

The consensus process in XRPL proceeds through iterative rounds, during which validators propose and agree to include a set of transactions in the next ledger version. This process includes:

1. Proposal Stage: Validators submit proposed transaction sets.
2. Voting Stage: Validators adjust their proposals based on the proposals received from UNL peers.
3. Reach Consensus: Once a supermajority (usually 80%) is reached, the transaction set will be applied to the ledger.
4. Ledger Verification: Validators publish signature verification information containing the new ledger hash value to confirm consensus.

This mechanism ensures that all participants agree on the state of the ledger and the order of transactions, without the need for resource-intensive mining activities.

Trading Speed, Fees, and Account Reserves

transaction speed

There are significant differences in transaction speed and capacity across different blockchain platforms. XRP processes transactions in 3 to 5 seconds, supporting a throughput of about 1,500 transactions per second (TPS). Solana achieves sub-second transaction speeds with a maximum capacity of up to 65,000 TPS. In contrast, Bitcoin takes over 10 minutes per transaction, processing 5 to 6 TPS, while Ethereum processes transactions at a speed of 13 to 15 TPS.

transaction fee

The transaction fees on the XRPL are extremely low, approximately 0.00001 XRP per transaction. This low cost makes it economically viable for users who frequently transact and make small payments, aligning with the ledger’s goal of facilitating efficient value transfer.

Trust limits and reserve requirements

A unique aspect of XRPL is the use of trust lines for token management. To activate a new XRPL account, users must hold at least 10 XRP. Additionally, each unique type of token held in the wallet requires an extra 2 XRP to be reserved. These reserves serve as anti-spam measures to prevent ledger bloat and block malicious activities.

Trust Line Function:

• Bilateral Agreement: The trust line acts as a bilateral credit agreement between two accounts, defining the balance and trust parameters of each token.
• Token receipt based on consent: They ensure that no account can impose tokens on another account without consent, thereby maintaining user control over the assets received.
• Transaction Control: Trust lines can enable features such as freezing assets, requesting authorized transfers, and setting a “no ripple” flag to prevent accidental balance adjustments.

Ripple Mechanism

The Rippling in the XRP ledger (XRPL) can facilitate efficient net settlement by adjusting the token balances between interconnected trust lines, thus bypassing the direct involvement of the issuer. Users can control this feature:

• Enabled: Very suitable for market makers and other intermediaries to enhance liquidity.
• Disabled: Recommended for users seeking to prevent accidental balance adjustments.

This flexibility ensures that network participation can be tailored to user needs.

Hooks for Enhanced Functionality

Hooks is a lightweight WebAssembly (WASM) code that enables programmable features such as transaction automation, compliance checks, or payment modifications. Hooks are deployed on the Xahau network (a sidechain of XRPL), enhancing programmability while maintaining the stability of the mainnet.

EVM Compatible Side Chain

The sidechain compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is designed to:

• Attract Ethereum developers and dApps.
• Achieve cross-chain asset transfer through bridging solutions like Axelar.

It is currently in the testing phase, with the sidechain using XRP as gas, positioning XRPL for broader blockchain interoperability.

Native AMM Integration

The XRPL automated market maker (AMM) allows for decentralized token trading and liquidity provision directly on the ledger, supporting:

• Liquidity pool for token pairs.
• Participate in decentralized finance (DeFi) without external dependencies.

This native AMM enhances the appeal of XRPL in the DeFi ecosystem.

Detailed Explanation of XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol

Consensus mechanisms are the pillars of decentralized payment systems, ensuring that all participants agree on the state of the ledger without centralized control. The XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol emphasizes efficiency, security, and resilience to failure modes.

main features

1. Ledger Protocol: Ensure consensus on the latest state and transaction order.
2. Decentralized: Operates without a central authority, avoiding single points of failure.
3. Stability: Progress can still be made even if participants change or behave improperly.
4. Safety First: Prioritize correctness by stopping the validation process of incorrect transactions in the event of an interruption.
5. Efficiency: Avoid the typical energy-intensive processes in Proof of Work (PoW) systems.

Preventing Double Spending

To prevent double spending, XRPL orders transactions in a deterministic manner. Only one conflicting transaction will be validated, thus eliminating the need for centralized dispute resolution.

Ledger Structure

Each version of the ledger includes:

• Current Status: Account balance and objects.
• Transaction Set: Transactions applied to the previous ledger.
• Metadata: Details such as cryptographic hashes and ledger indexes.

This structure creates an immutable history, with each ledger containing the complete current state for quick verification.

Trust-based verification

Participants form a unique node list (UNL), and trusted validators will not act maliciously. This trust model underpins the security of the system: validators only affect those who trust them.

The consensus process includes:

1. Proposal: Validators submit a set of transactions.
2. Voting: Validators adjust proposals based on input from peers.
3. Consensus: Absolute majority consent applies to transactions.
4. Verification: Validators sign and publish the new ledger.

Fault tolerance and security

• Validator Failure: Handle up to 20% of failed validators; if failures exceed 20% but remain below 80%, stop to ensure integrity.
• Resist Witch Attacks: The impact of trust-based influence and the manual selection of UNL limits the effects of false identities.
• Immutable Check: Reject transactions that violate rules, such as unauthorized XRP creation.

Adaptive Fee Mechanism

Validators dynamically adjust transaction fees and reserve requirements to balance accessibility and network protection. Key parameters include base transaction fees, account reserves, and owner reserves, with decisions made through median voting.

Enhanced Activity: Negative UNL

To maintain progress during interruptions, Negative UNL temporarily excludes unavailable validators, adjusts the quorum threshold, and reintegrates them upon recovery. This feature ensures continuity without compromising security.

Ripple: Regulatory and Legal Developments

Ripple has faced regulatory challenges throughout its operational history, reflecting the complexities of navigating the ever-changing legal landscape of blockchain and digital assets.

Key Milestone:

• May 5, 2015: Ripple was fined $700,000 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for violating the Bank Secrecy Act (including operating as an unregistered money services business (MSB)). Ripple agreed to implement compliance measures and enhance its protocols.
• June 13, 2016: Ripple received a BitLicense issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services, becoming the fourth company to obtain this license.
• September 2017: Blockchain company R3 filed a lawsuit against Ripple, seeking to enforce an agreement to purchase 5 billion XRP at $0.0085 each. Ripple countered that R3 was engaging in speculative behavior as the value of XRP soared. The dispute was resolved in September 2018 under undisclosed terms.
• February 2020: The Financial Times reported that Ripple’s major partner MoneyGram received $50 million from Ripple before adopting XRP-based liquidity tools. Ripple provided these tools free of charge and offered a total subsidy of $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. XRP sales are considered the main driver of Ripple’s profits.
• December 22, 2020: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Ripple and its executives Christian Larsen and Brad Garlinghouse for raising $1.3 billion through the unregistered issuance of securities involving XRP. Ripple contested these charges, and the court later limited the SEC’s access to a large number of bank records of the defendants.
• July 2023: A U.S. district court ruled in a landmark decision that the sale of XRP on cryptocurrency exchanges through programmatic trading does not constitute a security under the Howey test. However, institutional sales and financing involving XRP may be considered securities. After two years of litigation, Judge Analisa Torres issued this ruling.
• October 2023: The SEC dismissed its lawsuit against Ripple executives Garlinghouse and Larsen, marking a partial resolution of the case.
• June 2024: Ripple revealed that its legal defense costs against the SEC have exceeded $100 million, highlighting the financial pressure resulting from prolonged regulatory scrutiny.

Conclusion

XRP’s market capitalization has recently surged to $50 billion, reflecting a resurgence of market interest, but there are still concerns about its long-term institutional adoption and regulatory challenges. Ripple’s advancements (including tokenization financial plans and ETF applications) indicate progress, but also face obstacles, particularly in navigating complex legal and global frameworks. Although the SEC’s rulings have clarified XRP’s status in certain cases, uncertainties remain, highlighting the need for a cautiously optimistic view of its role in the evolving financial ecosystem.