Institutional investors view this novel cryptocurrency as akin to digital gold
In the evolving landscape of the financial system, Bitcoin and XRP are two distinct yet complementary pillars, each carving out their unique roles towards a more decentralized, interoperable, and efficient future.
Recent developments have seen Cantor Fitzgerald acquiring over 30,000 BTC for a staggering $3.5 billion, reflecting the growing institutional appeal of Bitcoin as a store of value. The digital asset is currently trading above $118,000 and boasts a dominance of 61.7% over the rest of the cryptocurrencies.
On the other hand, XRP is positioning itself as a growing institutional infrastructure for cross-border liquidity and payments. As of mid-2025, Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service facilitates trillions in annualized transaction volume and continues expanding partnerships with global financial institutions.
XRP's institutional role is centred on enabling efficient, fast, and cost-effective cross-border settlement, with increasing adoption by banks and payment providers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Despite some regulatory uncertainty, especially related to the SEC lawsuit in the U.S., XRP is making strides towards becoming a mainstream liquidity tool for institutions. Market forecasts for XRP in 2025 range generally between $1.50 and $4, with many optimistic that legal clarity and ETF approvals could unlock more institutional demand, pushing prices higher and solidifying XRP's niche in liquidation infrastructure.
In contrast, Bitcoin’s primary institutional appeal remains its function as a “store of value” hedge against inflation and a digital asset with capped supply, rather than as a day-to-day transactional currency or liquidity solution. While Bitcoin also sees some use in financial infrastructure, it does not offer the same specialized cross-border liquidity advantages that XRP’s On-Demand Liquidity protocol targets.
| Aspect | XRP | Bitcoin | |------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Primary Institutional Role | Cross-border payment liquidity infrastructure | Store of value and digital gold | | Use Case Focus | Rapid, low-cost international settlements | Inflation hedge, long-term asset holding | | Regulatory Status | Partially unsettled, pending SEC resolution | Generally clear as a commodity | | Market Adoption Trends (2025) | Growing bank partnerships, ODL transaction growth | Increasing treasury adoption, speculative holdings | | Future Potential | Wider institutional liquidity use post-regulation | Continued store of value growth; limited payment use |
The outlook for XRP’s expansion depends largely on resolving regulatory uncertainties and increasing institutional adoption of Ripple’s liquidity solutions. If these conditions are met, XRP could gain significant traction as a liquidation infrastructure at scale, potentially expanding its market value well beyond current levels and complementing—not replacing—Bitcoin's role as a store of value.
The SEC will vote on the possible dismissal of its case against Ripple on July 17. If successful, this event could remove the main regulatory hurdle that has hindered institutional adoption of XRP in the U.S. The convergence between traditional infrastructure and blockchain is increasingly approaching full institutional adoption in the crypto ecosystem.
RippleNet, Ripple's payment network, has been operating under the ISO 20022 standard since 2020, allowing institutions using Fedwire to integrate XRP as a liquidation mechanism. Over 2,743 addresses control more than 47.32 billion XRP tokens, while institutional funds, banks, and corporate treasuries are seeking Bitcoin as the most sought-after digital asset. Bitcoin ETFs have registered net inflows of over $4.5 billion in July alone, and the asset has shown resilience against corrections and is considered the primary value reference in the crypto ecosystem.
Analysts like Steven McLurg, CEO of Canary Capital, predict that the XRP ETF could outperform those of Ethereum and Solana due to its real utility and legal clarity. Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $123,091 in July 2025, and the Fedwire system of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States has officially adopted the ISO 20022 standard on July 14, enabling real-time interbank transfers with enriched data and greater interoperability.
Volante Technologies, an infrastructure provider for Fedwire-as-a-Service, confirmed that its platform allows liquidation with Ripple's native cryptocurrency. Ripple positions itself as liquidation infrastructure for interbank payments and cross-border transfers, while Bitcoin consolidates as a store of value and strategic asset for corporate treasuries. Bitcoin's market capitalization is close to $2.36 trillion, and Ripple has applied for a national banking license in the U.S. and a master account at the Federal Reserve for its stablecoin RLUSD, which has already surpassed $500 million in market capitalization.
More than 40,000 BTC have been moved from historical wallets to institutional custodians recently, signalling a continued shift towards institutional adoption and long-term investment in the leading cryptocurrency. The future of both Bitcoin and XRP is shaping up to be an exciting journey in the evolving world of decentralized finance.
Investing in technology-driven finance remains a focal point, with Bitcoin and XRP embodying distinct roles in the landscape. Bitcoin, currently trading above $118,000, is predominantly considered a store of value due to its capped supply and appeal as a hedge against inflation, while XRP positions itself as a growing institutional infrastructure for cross-border liquidity and payments.
The future potential of XRP lies in resolving regulatory uncertainties and increasing adoption of Ripple's liquidity solutions. If these conditions are met, XRP could expand as a mainstream liquidity tool for institutions, complementing Bitcoin's storied role as a digital asset with a capped supply and anti-inflation properties.
