Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty recently announced that the company has transformed into a comprehensive crypto infrastructure provider tailored for enterprises. In a conversation with the New York Stock Exchange, Alderoty emphasized Ripple’s enhanced capabilities, which now encompass payments, custody, tokenization, liquidity, and treasury management. This development comes in conjunction with a report from the National Cryptocurrency Association indicating a significant uptick in cryptocurrency adoption across the United States.
Ripple, which has invested over 13 years in constructing infrastructure for businesses seeking blockchain-based financial services, is positioning itself as a “one-stop shop” for both large and medium-sized enterprises aiming to integrate crypto into various business functions, according to Alderoty. This strategic expansion reflects Ripple’s intention to move beyond its original focus on cross-border payments.
Alderoty’s remarks came as banks, payment companies, and fintech platforms increasingly explore digital asset tools. He pointed out that the lines between traditional finance and the crypto sector are blurring, with both areas now evolving in tandem. Ripple is dedicated to supporting institutional use cases, such as stablecoins and tokenized assets, paving the way for a regulated financial infrastructure. This extensive service range allows enterprises to address multiple crypto-related requirements through a single provider.
Alongside these developments, the National Cryptocurrency Association’s latest State of Crypto Holder Report, conducted in collaboration with Harris Poll, highlights a remarkable jump in U.S. crypto ownership. The survey of 40,000 Americans reveals that approximately 67 million individuals now engage with cryptocurrencies, with an additional 12 million newcomers entering the crypto space between the 2025 and 2026 surveys. Alderoty noted that this surge reflects broader participation across diverse demographics, including women and workers from various industries, revealing that crypto adoption is extending beyond just tech-savvy individuals in innovation hubs.
In terms of XRP utility, Messari’s Q1 2026 report indicates that activity on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is on the rise, with average daily transactions increasing by 35.3% quarter-over-quarter to reach 2.48 million. Despite a broader market correction that saw XRP’s market capitalization drop by 26.3% to approximately $82.21 billion, XRP remains the fourth-largest cryptocurrency, trailing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB. Notably, XRP accounted for 3.9% of the total crypto market (excluding stablecoins) and continued to dominate among native assets on chains employing federated consensus, commanding 93.7% of that market segment’s value.
Institutional interest in XRP is also evident, particularly with U.S. spot XRP ETFs holding a substantial amount of 775.4 million XRP by the close of Q1, equating to about 1.26% of the circulating supply. Additionally, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) witnessed a remarkable growth of 124% over the same period, elevating XRPL to a leading position among blockchain networks for such assets, with RWAs reaching a market capitalization of $2.25 billion.
Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin also experienced a boost, with its market capitalization increasing by 45% to $340.3 million, making it the largest stablecoin within the XRPL ecosystem. Messari highlighted XRP’s burn mechanism, which permanently destroys transaction fees; since the inception of XRPL, approximately 14.3 million XRP have been burned, and the network’s low transaction fees maintain a modest burn rate.
