Ripple is laying out a transition in which XRP is no longer positioned primarily as a traded asset, but as infrastructure supporting tokenized finance and institutional settlement. At the World Economic Forum 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse described how this shift is already taking shape through live tokenization activity, regulated integration with banks, and on-chain settlement at scale. 

Garlinghouse used tokenization as the primary context for explaining this transition. He described tokenization as a process that has already moved beyond experimentation and into operational use across financial institutions. To support that claim, he pointed to activity on the XRP Ledger, where tokenized asset volume expanded significantly over the course of a single year, rising from roughly $19 trillion to $33 trillion.

That level of growth signals institutional commitment rather than exploratory testing. Tokenized assets at this scale imply the involvement of banks, custodians, and regulated entities moving real value. According to Garlinghouse, institutions are now focused on how to integrate tokenized assets into existing balance sheets, liquidity structures, and settlement processes.

This shift changes what infrastructure is required. Tokenization at institutional scale demands networks that can process high volumes consistently, provide deterministic settlement, and operate continuously. The XRP Ledger is being positioned within this framework as a system capable of supporting that throughput. The emphasis is not on innovation for its own sake, but on reliability and execution under real financial constraints.

As tokenized assets become embedded in core financial operations, the supporting rails stop being optional. They become foundational. That is the context in which XRP is being discussed, not as a standalone asset, but as part of the machinery enabling tokenized finance to function.

Garlinghouse also addressed the structural challenge that emerges as tokenization intersects with decentralized finance. Institutions want access to programmability and liquidity, but they cannot compromise compliance, custody, or trust. He described this tension as the central problem Ripple is working to solve.

Rather than positioning itself against traditional finance, Ripple is working directly with global banks to build regulated pathways between tokenized assets and on-chain liquidity. The objective is to allow institutions to interact with decentralized systems without stepping outside regulatory frameworks. Within this design, XRP serves as a settlement and connectivity layer, enabling movement between systems.

This approach reframes XRP’s utility. Its value lies in facilitating finality, liquidity access, and interoperability across regulated and on-chain environments. As tokenized assets, decentralized rails, and institutional settlement converge, networks capable of delivering finality at scale become increasingly important. Garlinghouse emphasized that the XRP Ledger already provides this capability, giving it a structural advantage. As a result, XRP is no longer positioned primarily as a tradeable asset; it is being aligned as infrastructure that enables the issuance, movement, and settlement of value within an increasingly tokenized financial system.

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