Ripple’s bank network keeps widening — now topping 140 financial institutions worldwide — and the list shows no signs of slowing. What’s happening Big-name banks and payment firms from Banco Santander and HSBC to JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank are integrating Ripple’s payments infrastructure. That scale of adoption would've been hard to imagine a few years ago, but 2026 is shaping up as a turning point — especially after Deutsche Bank’s confirmation in February 2026 that it will embed Ripple technology across cross-border settlements, FX operations and digital-asset custody. Why Deutsche Bank matters Deutsche Bank — described in market coverage as a roughly $69 billion institution — is shifting from talks to implementation with Ripple after working together since 2023. The partnership currently centers on Ripple’s software stack rather than Deutsche Bank holding XRP directly. Industry estimates being reported suggest settlement times could fall from days to seconds while operational costs might drop by as much as 30%. Deutsche Bank executive Ciaran Byrne framed the approach as a multi-rail future: “A future using multiple rails — SWIFT, stablecoins, and blockchain solutions — with routing that improves efficiency, cost, and client experience.” Community and industry reaction Crypto developers and industry observers noted the significance. On Feb. 19, 2026, community developer Bird (@Bird_XRPL) tweeted that Deutsche Bank’s move signals NDAs are lifting and that “the banks are coming,” highlighting the momentum behind institutional adoption. Who’s already on board Ripple’s partner roster now spans more than 140 institutions and includes: - Major international banks and groups: Banco Santander, BBVA, Standard Chartered, Barclays, UBS, Scotiabank, Westpac, JP Morgan, HSBC - Regional and national banks: Bank of Indonesia, Bank of Thailand, dozens of Japanese regional banks, Itau Unibanco, SBI Holdings, SCB (Siam Commercial Bank), IndusInd - Payments and remittance firms: MoneyGram, Zip Remit, InstaReM, Cambridge Global Holdings - Technology and systems partners: DXC Technology — which is working to embed XRP capabilities into the Hogan core banking platform that manages over $5 trillion in deposits What’s next Two catalysts are expected to expand the network further in 2026: broader use of On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) and Ripple’s planned RLUSD stablecoin launch. As Ripple’s infrastructure gets integrated into banks’ back-ends and core banking platforms, more institutional names are likely to join. Market context and analyst views Despite the growing institutional footprint, XRP’s price hasn’t yet priced in that adoption. At the time of writing XRP trades near $1.43, roughly 60% below its 2025 high. Standard Chartered recently revised its end-2026 target from $8 to $2.80, citing short-term liquidity pressure, though its longer-term 2030 forecast remains $28. Many observers argue that XRP could rally sharply if macro conditions ease and market sentiment catches up with the infrastructure quietly being built beneath the surface. Bottom line The narrative around XRP is shifting from speculative asset to plumbing for cross-border payments. With major banks moving from pilots to implementation and big platform integrations underway, 2026 may be the year institutional rails that use Ripple tech start visibly reshaping settlement flows — even if price action lags behind for now. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

#BTC #XRP #ETH