Could XRP Be Pegged to Gold as Part of a New Global Reserve Currency System?

Speaking at the close of the XRP Las Vegas event, Jesse from Apex Crypto Insights told host Paul that Ripple is significantly further along than its public statements suggest. Brad Garlinghouse, David Schwartz, and Jack McDonald all spoke at the event. 

On Ripple’s Real Bank Count

Jesse said Ripple has been connecting banks to RippleNet at a rate of two to three per week for eight years. He believes the actual number of integrations is well beyond what is publicly disclosed.

On Garlinghouse’s 15% Swift market share claim, Jesse said, “I don’t think Brad was saying the full truth there. He was being political.”

His basis is Ripple’s position on the ISO 20022 governance body, the same messaging standard that underpins Swift. Ripple and Stellar are the only blockchain companies on that body. Jesse argues this makes the Swift versus Ripple competition narrative largely fictional.

“I don’t see Swift and Ripple as competition. I always felt that was just theater.”

Why Is the Price Still Low

Jesse flagged the question directly. XRP hit over three dollars in 2018 with minimal real integrations. It sits around $1.40 with thousands of active partnerships and ongoing infrastructure buildout.

His explanation is that payment corridors have not been activated yet. Banks may be connected but transaction flows have not been switched on at scale. Whether that is strategic timing or deliberate price suppression, he said he cannot say with certainty.

CBDC Risk and Rate Cuts

On macro factors, Jesse said rate cuts would help the broader market but XRP’s utility case is strong enough to stand independently. He also flagged that recent US Senate legislation has left the door open for a Fed CBDC, which he views as a risk if the political environment shifts after Trump.

He also opened up about the possibility of XRP being tied to a gold-backed global reserve framework, pointing to nation states accumulating gold at record rates and public statements from figures like Judy Shelton connecting distributed ledgers to a new Bretton Woods structure.