Top Ripple developer Panos Mekras has issued a stark call to the XRP community: stop obsessing over price and speculation, and start building the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into a leading blockchain. In a recent message, Mekras argued that for mass adoption to happen by 2026, all focus must shift to network utility.
He contends the community has spent years fixated on XRP's price, legal battles, and hype, while neglecting whether the underlying network is competitive. Even if XRP's price soars without real usage, those gains remain fragile. "2026 is the year we put the XRP Ledger first. Not XRP, not price, not speculation," Mekras stated, emphasizing that real adoption only comes when the network itself wins.
Mekras distinguishes between XRP (the asset tied to price and trading) and XRPL (the blockchain network encompassing users, liquidity, infrastructure, and apps). He claims XRPL activity is currently weak, with only a few thousand active users, low daily DEX volume, and a limited AMM liquidity pool. Compared to other blockchains posting billions in volume, XRPL is underperforming.
To correct this, Mekras suggests infrastructure fixes, particularly improving bridges to other chains and reducing expensive gateway costs. He proposes a strategic reset where XRPL's success is measured by user count, volume, liquidity levels, and real-world spending. The developer warned the community might not have another chance, but insists that putting XRPL first is ultimately bullish for XRP, as it would create real demand for the coin.
Meanwhile, Ripple's compliance push is gaining momentum in Europe. The company recently secured licensing approval from Luxembourg’s financial regulator, following a similar approval in the U.K. less than a week earlier. These back-to-back regulatory wins signal a clear expansion strategy into the European market.
Ripple now holds over 75 licenses and registrations worldwide, has processed over $95 billion in volume, and reaches nearly 90% of daily FX markets. This global scaling in payments, combined with tightening digital asset regulations like the CLARITY Act, suggests institutional confidence is building.
On-chain data supports this growth story. Real-world assets (RWA) tokenized on XRPL surged over 2,200% in 2025, growing from $25 million to $568 million, and is now eyeing a $3–6 billion range this year. RLUSD has emerged as a key liquidity layer, with network activity accelerating—daily transactions consistently above 40,000, placing XRPL among the top six blockchains by usage.
The convergence of Ripple's European expansion and rising XRPL fundamentals points to growing demand, setting a strategic stage for potential XRP momentum in 2026.
