Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says XRP could capture 14% of SWIFT’s global payment flow within five years.
This could potentially transform XRP from a speculative asset into a core part of global financial infrastructure.
SWIFT, the global messaging system used by over 11,000 financial institutions, powers most of the world’s cross-border payments. It tells banks where to send money—but doesn’t actually move the funds. That delay, inefficiency, and reliance on intermediaries is exactly what Ripple thinks it can fix.
At the XRP APEX 2025 event in Singapore, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse made a big call: XRP could capture 14% of SWIFT’s global volume within five years.
“There are two parts to SWIFT today: messaging and liquidity,” Garlinghouse told the crowd. “Liquidity is owned by the banks. I think less about the messaging and more about liquidity. If you’re driving all the liquidity, it is good for XRP … so I’ll say five years, 14%.”
WIFT currently handles trillions in cross-border settlement traffic. If Ripple’s infrastructure gains traction with XRP (XRP-USD) at the center, the token’s role in global finance could shift from speculative altcoin to institutional backbone.
What Makes XRP Different?
SWIFT has always been about messaging—it tells banks where to send money, but doesn’t move it. Transactions often take days, passing through a chain of correspondent banks. Ripple flips this model by embedding both the instruction and liquidity into the same infrastructure.
That’s where XRP steps in. As a bridge currency, XRP converts funds instantly across borders. No more holding cash in foreign bank accounts. No more multiple hops to settle one transaction. Less friction. Less delay. Less cost.
If Ripple can scale this model and secure major adoption, it shifts XRP from a crypto side project to a central player in the international payments stack.
Institutional Appetite May Be the Deciding Factor
Garlinghouse’s comments come at a time when institutional interest in tokenized finance is accelerating. With Ripple already working on U.S. Treasury-backed products and exploring regulated stablecoin integrations, the broader ecosystem is being built to support major capital flows.
A 14% market share would imply hundreds of billions flowing through XRP annually. That means more on-chain demand, more transactional utility, and likely, more price resilience.
XRP Needs More than Just Vision
While the pitch is compelling, it hinges on execution. Ripple needs banking partnerships, regulatory clarity, and a continued push toward real-world usage. But this isn’t a moonshot without substance.
Garlinghouse isn’t promising magic. He’s pointing to a future where utility eats hype. And if Ripple plays its cards right, 14% of SWIFT’s lunch might be just the appetizer.
