Sending money across borders traditionally meant waiting days and paying steep fees. Today, financial institutions worldwide are turning to XRP to revolutionize international payments. This guideSending money across borders traditionally meant waiting days and paying steep fees. Today, financial institutions worldwide are turning to XRP to revolutionize international payments. This guide
Sending money across borders traditionally meant waiting days and paying steep fees. Today, financial institutions worldwide are turning to XRP to revolutionize international payments.
This guide answers exactly what banks use XRP today, how they implement this technology, and why major financial institutions are adopting Ripple's digital asset for cross-border transactions.
You'll discover which banks lead XRP adoption, how the technology works in practice, and what this means for the future of global banking.
Key Takeaways
SBI Holdings, Santander, and PNC Bank lead institutional XRP adoption across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Over 300 financial institutions use RippleNet infrastructure, though not all implement XRP directly for liquidity.
XRP enables cross-border settlements in 3-5 seconds with fees averaging $0.0002 per transaction.
On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) eliminates pre-funded currency accounts, freeing up trapped capital for banks.
Ripple's SEC case concluded in 2025, providing regulatory clarity for XRP's use in banking operations.
Regional leaders in Latin America, Middle East, and Asia demonstrate strongest XRP implementation for remittance corridors.
By 2023, SBI expanded this XRP-powered service to Vietnam and Indonesia, demonstrating sustained commitment to the technology.
Santander, one of Europe's banking giants, leverages RippleNet through its One Pay FX service. This application enables customers to send international payments with near-instant settlement times.
While Santander primarily uses RippleNet's messaging infrastructure, the bank has explored XRP for liquidity management in specific corridors.
PNC Financial Services made history as the first major U.S. bank joining RippleNet. The institution uses Ripple's blockchain technology for international payment settlement, allowing commercial clients to process cross-border transactions in seconds rather than days.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) joined RippleNet in 2022 and implements ODL for real-time cross-border settlement. This partnership allows CIBC to offer faster international transfers while reducing the capital typically locked in foreign currency accounts.
Axis Bank in India launched Ripple-powered international payments back in 2017, prioritizing partnerships with institutions like RakBank in the UAE. This early adoption positioned Axis Bank as a pioneer in blockchain-based cross-border services.
UnionBank in the Philippines integrated RippleNet and ODL to facilitate instant money transfers for overseas workers sending remittances home. The bank's implementation eliminates the traditional multi-day waiting period that burdens millions of Filipino families.
Siam Commercial Bank in Thailand employs RippleNet through ODL to support real-time, low-cost remittances. This use case strengthens the bank's digital services and positions it as a financial innovation leader across Southeast Asia.
Zand Bank, the UAE's first fully digital bank, was announced as Ripple's UAE client in May 2025 after Ripple secured its Dubai license. Zand uses Ripple Payments for cross-border transfers, choosing XRP and XRPL over SWIFT depending on transaction requirements.
Qatar National Bank partnered with ChinaBank in the Philippines to enable XRP-backed money transfers between Qatar and the Philippines, specifically targeting the massive corridor of Filipinos working in the Gulf region.
Traditional cross-border payments rely on the SWIFT messaging system, which takes two to five business days to complete transfers. Banks must maintain pre-funded accounts called nostro and vostro accounts in foreign currencies, tying up massive amounts of capital.
These intermediary-heavy processes create high costs for consumers and businesses. A typical SWIFT wire transfer can cost between twenty-five and fifty dollars, plus unfavorable exchange rates.
Multiple correspondent banks handle each transaction, with each intermediary adding time delays and fees.
XRP functions as a bridge asset between two fiat currencies, enabling instant conversion without pre-funded accounts. When SBI Remit sends money from Japan to the Philippines, the process works like this: Japanese yen converts to XRP, travels across the XRP Ledger in seconds, then converts to Philippine pesos on the receiving end.
This entire transaction settles in three to five seconds with fees averaging just $0.0002 per transaction. The XRP Ledger processes up to 1,500 transactions per second, far exceeding traditional banking infrastructure capabilities.
Banks using On-Demand Liquidity don't need to hold XRP themselves—licensed exchanges handle the buying and selling on their behalf.
RippleNet serves as the global payment network infrastructure connecting over 300 financial institutions worldwide. Banks can join RippleNet to use its messaging and tracking capabilities without touching XRP directly.
This explains why some institutions list as RippleNet members but don't use XRP for actual liquidity.
On-Demand Liquidity represents Ripple's XRP-powered product. Banks choosing ODL actively use XRP as their bridge currency for cross-border settlements.
For example, Faysal Bank in Pakistan uses RippleNet's messaging platform as a faster SWIFT alternative but doesn't employ XRP for liquidity. In contrast, Travelex Bank in Brazil uses full ODL with XRP handling the currency conversion.
Financial institutions are choosing XRP for three compelling reasons: speed, cost savings, and capital efficiency.
Real-time settlement gives banks a competitive advantage in the remittance market, where customers increasingly demand instant transfers. When UnionBank processes a remittance through ODL, overseas workers see their money arrive home immediately rather than waiting three to five business days.
Cost reduction drives adoption across Latin America and Asia, where remittance fees traditionally consume significant percentages of transfers. By eliminating multiple intermediary banks and pre-funded currency accounts, institutions can offer more competitive rates to customers.
XRP's scalability addresses future growth without infrastructure overhauls. The technology can potentially scale to 65,000 transactions per second through Layer 2 solutions, positioning early adopters ahead of competitors still relying on legacy systems.
Regulatory clarity improved dramatically after Ripple's SEC case resolution in 2025, encouraging more institutions to explore XRP integration. Major investors including Citadel Securities backed Ripple with a $500 million investment at a $40 billion valuation in November 2025, signaling institutional confidence in the technology's future.
No, many banks use RippleNet's messaging infrastructure without XRP, while others implement full On-Demand Liquidity with XRP as the bridge currency.
What banks are going to use XRP in the future?
Multiple European and Middle Eastern institutions are piloting Ripple technology, with regulatory approvals driving expansion across UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil markets.
Which major U.S. banks use XRP today?
PNC Financial Services currently leads U.S. adoption on RippleNet, while Bank of America conducts internal transaction pilots using Ripple technology.
Has XRP replaced SWIFT for international transfers?
XRP operates alongside SWIFT as a "fast lane" alternative, not a complete replacement—most banks maintain both systems for different transaction types.
What is On-Demand Liquidity?
ODL is Ripple's service where XRP bridges two fiat currencies instantly, eliminating the need for banks to pre-fund foreign currency accounts.
Over 300 financial institutions now partner with RippleNet, with major banks like SBI Holdings, Santander, PNC, and CIBC actively implementing XRP technology for cross-border payments.
While adoption varies from messaging-only to full ODL integration, the trend shows clear momentum toward XRP as infrastructure for next-generation banking.
Regional leaders in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East demonstrate that XRP provides tangible benefits for institutions serving remittance-heavy corridors.
For those interested in XRP, MEXC offers comprehensive trading options for this growing digital asset.