Ripple

Ripple is a financial technology company that operates a global payment network, RippleNet, and utilizes the native digital asset XRP on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to fundamentally transform cross-border transactions. Unlike Bitcoin, Ripple's primary goal is to work with financial institutions—such as banks and payment providers—to offer a faster, cheaper, and more efficient alternative to legacy systems like SWIFT.

The XRPL uses a unique Federated Consensus mechanism, allowing it to settle transactions in 3–5 seconds with minimal fees (fractions of a cent), making it highly scalable and energy-efficient. XRP serves as a "bridge currency" in Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service, enabling instant conversion between two different fiat currencies without the need for pre-funded Nostro/Vostro accounts, thus unlocking trapped capital.