The $XRP ecosystem continues to develop despite broader macroeconomic uncertainty.
Asheesh Birla, CEO of $XRP treasury company Evernorth, highlighted three recent milestones involving AI payments, institutional education, and decentralized lending.
Birla said while markets remain focused on possible U.S. Federal Reserve rate decisions, activity within the $XRP ecosystem has continued to grow without relying on macroeconomic catalysts.
AI Agents Complete One Million XRPL Payments
Birla said AI agents processed about one million payments on the $XRP Ledger (XRPL) in roughly one month. He cited on-chain data from AI payments platform t54ai.
According to Birla, the milestone shows software autonomously paying other software through XRPL. Transactions settle in seconds and cost only fractions of a cent.
He added that this level of activity was not present earlier this year, suggesting growing demand for AI-powered micropayments on the network.
DTCC References $XRP in Educational Materials
Birla also highlighted that the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) added $XRP to its educational Learning Center. The asset is referenced in materials explaining how crypto collateral haircuts work.
He clarified that this does not mean DTCC has decided to accept $XRP as collateral. Instead, he said the educational content includes $XRP as part of broader discussions about digital asset collateral management and risk assessment.
$XRP Lending Proposal Enters Testing
Birla’s third update focused on the $XRP Ledger’s on-chain lending proposal, XLS-66, which has entered the testing phase.
RippleX recently confirmed that testing is now underway. The milestone marks another step toward expanding decentralized finance (DeFi) functionality on XRPL. Birla said tracking protocol development offers more insight than focusing on short-term price movements.
Ripple Expands Institutional Strategy With $XRP Ledger and $RLUSD
Meanwhile, Ripple is strengthening its institutional blockchain strategy through partnerships with Mastercard, JPMorgan, Ondo Finance, and OKX.
In a Grayscale interview, Ripple SVP Jack McDonald said the company is building institutional-grade infrastructure, with trades from its collaborations with Mastercard, JPMorgan, and Ondo Finance set to settle on the $XRP Ledger (XRPL).
McDonald also highlighted OKX’s expanded support for Ripple USD ($RLUSD), allowing the stablecoin to be used for spot trading, derivatives, and collateral.
$RLUSD, launched about 18 months ago, has grown to a market cap of around $1.6 billion. McDonald said Ripple’s priority is now shifting from exchange listings and growth to expanding $RLUSD’s real-world institutional utility while continuing to use XRPL as its settlement layer.
Ecosystem Development Continues
Summing up the recent progress, Birla said advances in AI payments, institutional education, and on-chain lending show that $XRP ecosystem builders are continuing to expand the network despite market uncertainty.
