Ripple’s global payments narrative may be gaining fresh momentum as one of its key partners, Thunes, unveils a new development that could further strengthen cross-border settlement infrastructure. As the demand for faster, cheaper, and more efficient international payments continues to rise, strategic partnerships like Thunes play a crucial role in expanding real-world utility across the XRP ecosystem. Thunes Expands Its Role In The Global Payments Ecosystem A recent announcement from Thunes could significantly strengthen XRP’s position in the global payments landscape. Analyst XFinanceBull on X has revealed that the company has officially launched real-time payment capabilities in the United States through a direct connection with a Tier 1 financial institution, enabling access to ACH, Same-Day ACH, and all real-time payment rails. Related Reading: Key Volume Signals Are Driving XRP Momentum Amid Market Uncertainty The development comes as Thunes continues to strengthen its international footprint. Thunes holds 50 Money Transmitter Licenses, allowing it to operate across every US state and territory, mirroring Ripple’s regulatory reach. Both companies now independently have institutional-grade access to US clearing systems. Thunes network already spans 140 countries, supports 90 currencies, and connects to more than 12 billion mobile wallets, stablecoin wallets, and bank account endpoints. Following its expanded partnership with Ripple in September 2025, Thunes integrated blockchain and digital asset technology into its direct global network, leveraging Ripple payments to enhance its SmartX Treasury System. Meanwhile, Thunes has plugged real-time US settlement into the same network that uses the Ripple blockchain payments infrastructure and XRP as a bridge asset. Over 140 countries can now send money to the US through rails connected to Ripple technology. Ripple payments have near-global coverage with over 90 payout markets processing more than $70 billion in volume. This integration gives XRP a direct pathway into Tier 1 US banking through a partner that holds licenses in every state. Institutional Interest Fuels XRP Ledger’s Next Phase Of Growth The XRP Ledger real-world asset (RWA) ecosystem officially surpassed $3 billion in tokenized value in April. According to an analyst known as BankXRP on X, the incredible insights shared by Luke Judges, Partner Director at RippleX, at Istanbul Blockchain Week, break down exactly where the momentum is heading for real-world asset tokenization. Furthermore, the $3 billion milestone is driven by a highly diversified mix of assets, underscoring Ledger’s expanding institutional utility across multiple segments of finance. Related Reading: Ripple’s Early Banking Ally Now Connected To X Money Expansion Looking ahead, the next big wave of growth is expected to center around cash and cash-equivalent assets. Money market funds and US Treasury bills, alongside tokenized equities, are being viewed as prime targets for infrastructure disruption. The broader vision is moving toward a globally distributed financial system where regulated assets can trade seamlessly across asset classes through a unified order book. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com
XRP is sending out an interesting on-chain signal at a time when its price is still struggling to build a convincing recovery above $1.3. A closely monitored on-chain metric tracking the behavioral gap between XRP’s largest holders and its retail base has collapsed to its lowest reading in more than two years. The data, sourced from blockchain analytics platform CryptoQuant, points to a structural shift in how XRP is flowing out of Binance, with the Binance Whale vs. Retail Spread for XRP falling to 88.3%, its lowest level in more than two years. XRP Whale Vs. Retail Spread Hits A 2-Year Low The spread between whale and retail outflows on Binance has dropped to 88.3%, its lowest point since May 2024, and notably, it is the second time this level has been tested within the same month. Related Reading: Pundit Says The Clock Is Ticking For XRP, Here’s What To Know The Binance Whale vs. Retail Spread tracks the gap between large XRP outflows and smaller retail-sized outflows on Binance. Based on CryptoQuant’s model, whale activity refers to XRP outflow bands above 10,000 XRP, and retail activity refers to smaller outflow bands below 10,000 XRP. A high spread means whales are dominating exchange withdrawals by a wide margin, while a falling spread shows that the difference between large holders and smaller traders is becoming less extreme. The current reading sits near the bottom of the chart’s two-year range, which makes it a notable change in XRP’s market structure. As it stands, the reading is at 88.3%. Notably, this reading means that the spread is still positive, so whales are the larger force in Binance XRP outflows. However, the chart shows a clear decline from the 92% to 94% region that appeared during several points in late 2025 and early 2026. Why The Drop Could Be A Signal A falling whale-retail spread can be interpreted in two ways. The first interpretation is that whale dominance is cooling down. In that case, large holders may no longer be removing XRP from Binance with force. That would make the signal less immediately bullish, especially because the XRP price has continued to fall lower since its peak price of $3.65 in July 2025. Related Reading: Key Volume Signals Are Driving XRP Momentum Amid Market Uncertainty The second interpretation is that retail participation is rising at the same time that whale activity is becoming less aggressive. As noted by an XRP commentator account known as BankXRP on the social media platform X, this low reading is historically a precursor to major price moves. This trend can be seen in the chart above, where similar downtrends in the whale-retail spread on Binance coincided with the beginning of rallies in January and July 2025. Exchange reserve data shows XRP supply on major trading platforms has been shrinking through the first half of 2026, and the 30-day moving average of whale XRP transfers to Binance fell to levels not seen since 2021. Fewer tokens on exchanges means less immediately available sell-side pressure, which could contribute to a stronger bullish momentum when demand starts to creep back in. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
XRP is gradually redefining how value is assessed in the crypto market, as its utility-focused narrative continues to expand beyond simple market cap comparisons. While some assets are judged primarily on speculative valuation, XRP’s role within the global payments infrastructure introduces a different framework centered on efficiency, liquidity, and real-world usage. How Institutional Payment Flows Could Shape XRP Demand XRP should be viewed less as a traditional cryptocurrency and more as a digital commodity designed to facilitate liquidity across global financial networks. According to CharuSan, market capitalization is a stock metric that fails to capture the true role of XRP as an institutional bridge asset powering global value transfer and liquidity pool. Related Reading: XRP Whales Accused Of Manipulating Liquidity In Major Market Move As adoption expands across banks, foreign exchange (FX) markets, and clearing institutions such as the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Nostro and Vostro accounts, and others, are beginning to use XRP at scale. Thus, the price will be calculated based on the supply within Ripple payments (ODL). Currently, it is being calculated through the available effective liquidity, not just the circulating supply alone. CharuSan explains that transaction velocity alone cannot replace liquidity depth, particularly when multiple institutions are processing larger simultaneous volumes of global transactions. Furthermore, velocity has limits. Even in an optimized system, 1 XRP can realistically circulate a maximum of 10 times per day. XRP is designed for deep liquidity pools and enables high-value unit capacity, which is required to eliminate slippage and neutralize volatility risk for banks during high-value transfers. Trump’s Fintech Order Sparks New Optimism For XRP Adoption A recent fintech-focused executive order from President Donald Trump could represent a significant development for the broader digital asset industry and potentially for XRP’s long-term utility. A crypto analyst known as BankXRP on X stated that by instructing the Federal Reserve (Fed) to evaluate granting crypto firms direct access to US payment infrastructure, the policy introduces a pathway for blockchain companies like Ripple to integrate directly with the traditional financial system. Related Reading: XRP’s Recent Strategic Setup Could Mark The End For Bears – Crypto Analyst Says Thus, this administration could be transformational for Ripple, allowing it to access Fed payment rails to bypass legacy banking intermediaries entirely. For the XRP ecosystem, the result would likely be faster settlement speeds, lower institutional transaction costs, and direct access to Fed master accounts. BankXRP argues that if this review is successful, such a shift could elevate XRP’s role from a largely speculative asset to a regulated financial instrument embedded within global payment networks and a foundational pillar of international commerce. Analyst Skipper has updated that Ripple has reportedly reached a significant milestone by securing a banking license. The report suggests that the move has helped elevate Ripple’s valuation above $120 billion, reaffirming its position as a major financial infrastructure company tied to the XRP ecosystem. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com