The World Economic Forum (WEF) has officially recognized Ripple as a transformative force in global payments, listing it as a viable alternative to conventional banking rails in a recent document. The report specifically highlights the Ripple protocol as infrastructure that financial institutions can use to settle transactions in real-time without the need for clearinghouses or correspondent banks.
The WEF scenario demonstrates how incumbent banks can support alternative payment schemes, with traditional providers acting as gateways to non-traditional networks while Ripple serves as the central settlement infrastructure. This structure eliminates traditional intermediaries, allowing financial institutions to pay directly using decentralized rails.
Practical implementation examples already exist, with Fidor Bank having implemented Ripple for internal settlement to make transactions more efficient. Additionally, CIC Insurance collaborated with M-Pesa to provide micro-insurance services where customers make premiums and receive claims directly in M-Pesa balances, showcasing how conventional companies are adopting alternative rails.
Ripple's presence at the WEF extends beyond documentation, with CEO Brad Garlinghouse scheduled to speak during a "Tokenizing the Future" session on January 21, 2026. While the panel focuses on tokenization in general, Ripple's participation provides an opportunity to highlight XRP's role in tokenized cross-border payments. The session includes industry leaders such as Brian Armstrong from Coinbase and Bill Winters from Standard Chartered.
Technical analysts are noting positive signals for XRP alongside this institutional recognition. ChartNerdTA tweeted that XRP could be weeks away from forming a bullish MACD cross on weekly charts, with historical bullish crosses having previously driven XRP to all-time highs. AliCharts detected a falling wedge pattern that could lead to a breakout toward $2.23. Current price action faces a descending resistance line, with a breach potentially validating bullish momentum.
