XRP Ledger Needs Major Upgrades to Compete by 2026, Says Developer

XRPL faces a critical opportunity for growth by 2026, according to Panos Mekras of Anodos Finance. He emphasizes the need for Ripple and the XRPL Foundation to focus on:

Frictionless consumer onboarding
Integration with real-world payment systems
A more aggressive funding strategy

Current Challenges

Low activity metrics: Only a few thousand active users, daily DEX volume under $10 million, AMM TVL below $50 million.
Liquidity gap due to infrastructure issues and isolated network status.
Lack of seamless on/offramps and high-fee gateways.
Stablecoin RLUSD's market cap of $1 billion is insufficient compared to competitors.

Strategic Recommendations

Direct integration of major financial rails like VISA and Mastercard.
Repositioning XRPL as a comprehensive finance stack with built-in features.
Promoting "XRPFi" to leverage dormant XRP for yield generation.
Adoption of technologies like Flare’s FXRP and Axelar & Midas’ mXRP for smart contracts and staking.
Creating user-friendly apps that hide crypto mechanics from consumers.

Technical and Funding Priorities

Implement Sponsored Fees and Reserves (XLS-68) to ease user entry.
Batch Transactions to simplify complex processes.
Revamp grant distribution: Increase efficiency and focus on substantial funding for impactful projects.

Mekras calls for a robust "war chest mentality" to drive adoption and liquidity, warning that without these changes, XRPL may struggle to attract sustained interest and capital. As of now, XRP trades at $2.10.

XRP price chart