- Ripple’s CBDC platform offers the best chance for the network to gain mass recognition and conquer the trillion-dollar market.
- Ripple commands a lead in the market and is already working with over 20 countries that are in different stages of their CBDC development.
Ripple Labs has developed a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) platform. The platform can be leveraged by world governments and financial institutions to create, develop, and distribute digital assets. With this platform, Ripple has established itself as a leading contender to dominate what is potentially a trillion-dollar market.
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At least 130 countries have revealed that they are looking into CBDCs and are in different stages of development. Of the total, Ripple is working with at least 20 countries. The most notable countries include Colombia, Bhutan Pulau, and Montenegro. If the digital assets of these countries are issued on the Ripple platform, this would see it welcome millions of users and trillions of dollars in value.
Using the Ripple platform offers some key advantages but challenges persist nevertheless.
Pros for Ripple CBDC Platform:
- Efficient and Scalable: The technology behind Ripple’s platform can handle a large number of users with fast, sustainable, and affordable transactions. This makes it suitable for mass adoption.
- Trusted Partner: Ripple Labs is a well-established name in the cryptocurrency world. Governments might be more comfortable choosing a reputable company over less-known players.
- Financial Inclusion: Ripple’s CBDC aims to be user-friendly and accessible, similar to traditional payment methods. This could promote financial inclusion for unbanked populations.
Challenges for Ripple CBDC Adoption:
- Adoption Hurdles: Despite the potential benefits, there are significant obstacles to widespread CBDC use.
- Security and Privacy Concerns: CBDCs are inherently different from traditional cryptocurrencies. They grant central authorities more control over user funds, raising security and privacy issues.
Another key concern raised by experts is the potential for CBDCs to be central and under the control of authorities. CBDCs can easily be controlled, denying users any financial freedom or privacy. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies which are decentralized in nature, CBDC offers issuers too much authority.
In addition, some CBDC proposals suggest that CBDCs will be programmed with an expiry date, forcing users to spend their holdings at a specific time. For issuers, this is designed to stimulate economies but in nature infringes on users’ freedom. For these reasons, experts have advocated for Bitcoin, calling on governments to adopt the digital asset as legal tender similar to El Salvador.
With governments fully committed to issuing CBDCs, Ripple Labs offers the best infrastructure to build these unique tokens. However, the ongoing SEC v. Ripple case continues to cast doubt over the future of the company and the ecosystem.
At the time of writing, XRP is trading for $0.4975 after an 8% plunge in the last 24 hours. The 8th-ranked altcoin has come under immense bearish pressure, losing 16% in the past 7 days.