Why Most Banks Hold Back: XRP Co-Founder & CTO Explain the Slow Institutional Uptake

Despite Ripple's over 300 institutional partnerships, major banks still don't use XRP on-chain—citing compliance constraints, regulatory caution, centralized risk, and low liquidity alignment with legacy infrastructure. Ripple’s CTO David Schwartz reaffirmed that most institutional flows settle off-chain, and that Ripple's focus has now shifted toward fintech firms and regulated partners while developing features like permissioned domains to enable compliant on-chain usage.

Aug 1, 2025 - 12:35
Why Most Banks Hold Back: XRP Co-Founder & CTO Explain the Slow Institutional Uptake

Bank Skepticism: Key Reasons Why XRP Isn’t Broadly Used Yet

1. Compliance & Risk Concerns
Regulated banks avoid public XRPL liquidity—Ripple itself avoids the on-chain DEX because they can’t guarantee counterparties aren’t restricted or malicious.

2. Liquidity & Volatility Issues
While XRP offers speed and low cost, volatility and centralized ownership (~50% supply held by Ripple) remain hurdles many financial institutions shy away from.

3. Slow Institutional Adoption
Ripple CTO David Schwartz acknowledged that although there are many bank partnerships, actual on-chain settlements are slow—most banks settle off-chain. However, he noted institutional interest is growing as benefits become clearer.

4. Historical Misalignment with Blockchain Vision
Contrary to earlier narratives, XRP was originally designed to bypass banking inefficiencies—not specifically for banks to adopt. Its creators intended it as decentralized financial infrastructure accessible to enterprise and retail alike.


Coinccino Insight

“The reluctance isn’t because XRP isn’t functional—it’s because banks move slowly, and compliance, liquidity, and control matter most. With features like permissioned domains, Ripple is bridging traditional finance constraints with on-chain potential across the U.S., UAE, and India.”


Global Relevance

Region Strategic Implications
U.S. Banking regulators remain cautious; until clearer guidelines emerge, mainstream adoption stays off-chain.
UAE Growth in licensed fintech and Ripple-based remittances rely on enterprise-ready tools, not public DEX usage.
India Banks leveraging ODL and RippleNet via SBI and institutional partnerships, but broad on-chain XRP use is still nascent.