The debate about whether SWIFT will use XRP in the future has resurfaced in the cryptocurrency market. This time, the focus of the discussion was on the past statements made by Gottfried Leibbrandt, who was the top manager of SWIFT between 2012 and 2019. Crypto researcher SMQKE argues that Leibbrandt’s assessments should be re-read in today’s regulatory environment.
Leibbrandt’s evaluation of Ripple and XRP
During his time in office, Leibbrandt said that a significant part of Ripple’s value proposition was based on XRP. However, he also emphasized that banks were reluctant to convert their assets into cryptocurrencies. He cited price volatility as the main reason for this hesitation.
While Gottfried Leibbrandt stated that a significant part of Ripple’s value proposition is shaped around XRP, he emphasized that banks approach this area cautiously due to price fluctuations.
SWIFT is known as one of the main networks used to transmit payment messages between banks around the world. Therefore, Leibbrandt’s assessments of XRP are closely watched not only in terms of the Ripple ecosystem, but also in terms of the relationship between traditional finance and digital assets.
SMQKE argues that these statements are important because Leibbrandt presents the objection to XRP not as a permanent rejection, but as a reservation based on certain conditions. According to this view, market conditions and legal uncertainty rather than technology were at the center of the debate.
Regulatory uncertainty emerged as the second obstacle
Leibbrandt drew attention not only to price volatility but also to the uncertainty in the legal status of XRP and other crypto assets. He stated that risk-averse financial institutions do not want to approach such assets before the regulations are clarified.
Leibbrandt’s approach suggested that the barrier to adoption was volatility and regulatory uncertainty rather than technological inadequacy.
This point has regained importance due to the recent change in the legal basis around XRP. As the litigation process between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission comes to an end, it is considered that the framework regarding XRP’s position in the US has become more clear than in the past.
The basis of the discussion was past statements
SMQKE’s latest post attracted attention because it was based directly on the former SWIFT CEO’s recorded words rather than comments within the community or anonymous allegations. The researcher argues that the conditions Leibbrandt points to have changed, and therefore old reservations may not carry the same weight in today’s environment.
Despite this, any partnership or integration between SWIFT and Ripple involving XRP has not been officially announced. The current picture shows that Leibbrandt’s words have not completely closed the door to the use of XRP, but two main obstacles have come to the fore in the past.
Therefore, the debate is shaped around the question of whether the reservations expressed in the past remain valid under today’s conditions, rather than a confirmed cooperation. Expectations regarding the possible use of XRP remain at the level of speculation unless an official announcement is made.
