- RippleX’s Markus Infanger highlights blockchain’s role in transforming institutional operations and enhancing global financial asset management.
- Monica Long predicts mainstream adoption of DeFi, impacting foreign exchange and commodities with instant, cost-effective tokenization.
As the world transitioned through 2025, the cryptocurrency market saw a dramatic shift towards broader acceptance and integration within the financial sector. Ripple stands at the forefront of this with a vision set firmly on 2025.
The company predicts a year where digital assets and blockchain technology will deeply integrate with traditional financial systems, powered by advanced regulatory frameworks and enhanced institutional adoption.
Markus Infanger, Senior Vice President at RippleX, identifies a significant rise in blockchain applications within major enterprises. This trend is largely propelled by a need to overcome traditional operational bottlenecks and to bridge connectivity gaps across financial domains.
“The enhanced visibility and seamless integration of blockchain technology enables institutions to optimize capital deployment and manage liquidity needs with greater precision absent time-zone limitations,” explains Infanger.
New blockchain infrastructures and regulatory-compliant tools are enabling these institutions to adopt blockchain for improved revenue streams through innovations in asset tokenization.
Tokenized asset management has seen practical applications within sectors like private equity, demonstrating a shift towards more fluid financial interactions. High-profile firms, including KKR and Hamilton Lane, have adopted these models, showcasing the potential for broader, more efficient market participation.
At the helm of Ripple’s strategic operations, Monica Long, President of Ripple, envisions a significant expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities. She predicts that DeFi will evolve past its current cryptocurrency-centric applications to become a staple in conventional financial operations, enhancing the efficiency of foreign exchange and commodity trading through immediate transaction capabilities and reduced costs.
“DeFi has primarily catered to crypto holders and traders seeking to maximize yield on digital assets, and we’re starting to see a shift toward applying DeFi to traditional and real-world financial use cases. Imagine FX markets with instant, cost-efficient settlements; commodities with transparent, tradable tokens; bonds with 24/7 trading and automated payments; and ETFs and mutual funds with real-time transactions,” adds Long.
The success already seen in early tokenization efforts has proven its worth by increasing liquidity and democratizing access to fractional ownership. These transformations are just the beginning, as Long anticipates that by the end of 2025, a considerable number of large banks and corporate entities will diversify their treasury strategies to include cryptocurrencies, encouraged by a more supportive regulatory climate and evolving economic policies.
Stu Alderoty, Chief Legal Officer at Ripple, also contributes a robust outlook on the regulatory environment. With a favorable government stance anticipated in the US, he expects a productive dialogue between crypto entities and regulatory bodies, enhancing market possibilities and stability. Alderoty highlights that similar advancements in regulatory frameworks are underway in global financial centers such as Singapore, UAE, and UK.
Jack McDonald, leading Ripple’s stablecoin division, predicts a tightening in the stablecoin market, where only entities with strong institutional support and compliance will thrive. This consolidation is expected to elevate the credibility and utility of stablecoins significantly.
“Exchanges and liquidity providers are becoming increasingly selective, prioritizing trusted, liquid stablecoins,” explains McDonald. “This pushes smaller issuers to the periphery and amplifies the dominance of market leaders.”
Lastly, David Schwartz, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, sheds light on the technological advancements poised to redefine the financial landscape. With the integration of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), Ripple aims to address privacy, scalability, and interoperability challenges, facilitating the development of sophisticated financial instruments that comply with stringent regulatory standards.
“ZKPs will unlock the full potential of DeFi and make it possible for institutions to participate in this transformative technology because they meet regulatory compliance while maintaining confidentiality—a crucial requirement for widespread adoption,” explains Schwartz.