Persistent speculation that SWIFT would integrate Ripple's XRP token has been decisively shut down by the global financial messaging network's former top technology official. Tom Zschach, who recently left his role as Chief Innovation Officer after six years, responded to a viral social media post with a terse "Not happening", ending hopes among XRP influencers that SWIFT would "collaborate and support" established public tokens instead of building its own digital currency.
Zschach, who oversaw SWIFT's digital asset strategy, did not stop at the denial. He has a history of strong anti-Ripple sentiment, having previously likened the company's technology to a "fax machine" and arguing that Ripple’s survival of the SEC lawsuit does not demonstrate true institutional resilience. Following a three-decade career in traditional finance with roles at Bank of America, Barclays, and Lehman Brothers, Zschach has left the establishment to join a team of researchers from Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge building new financial infrastructure.
