Ripple President Monica Long dropped a major signal on X on Feb. 12: she expects institutional adoption of the XRP Ledger to reach scale in 2026. Citing Aviva Investors' move to tokenize traditional fund products on XRPL, Long described the development as evidence that institutional trust in blockchain infrastructure is accelerating.
Aviva Investors Tokenization: Traditional Asset Giant Tests XRPL
Markus Infanger, SVP of RippleX, called Aviva Investors' decision a "genuinely huge moment for XRPL as traditional finance moves onchain" in a Feb. 11 update. Aviva Investors, the global asset management arm of Aviva plc, is partnering with Ripple to explore tokenizing traditional fund products on the XRP Ledger — a move widely seen as a pivotal step for bringing real-world assets onchain.
Long also provided quantitative forecasts: by the end of 2026, 50% of Fortune 500 companies will have formal digital asset strategies or hold crypto on their balance sheets; meanwhile, 5% to 10% of capital markets settlement will shift onchain as custodian banks and clearing houses adopt tokenization. She attributed the momentum to regulatory clarity following the passage of the GENIUS Act in 2025.
CEO Garlinghouse: 2026 Will Be Crypto's Best Year Ever
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in a January interview that 2026 will be the "all-time best performing year" for crypto markets, driven by regulatory clarity and institutional capital "that has not been priced in yet." He reiterated Ripple's vision of XRP as the "heartbeat" of global financial infrastructure.
Managing Director Reece Merrick predicted that by year-end "every significant bank, asset manager, and payment network" will have meaningful exposure to digital assets. CTO Emeritus David Schwartz observed that institutional engagement on the XRPL has shifted from experimentation to operational infrastructure.
The executive comments follow Aviva Investors' partnership announcement. Long concluded after attending XRP Community Day that momentum is building toward making XRPL the go-to blockchain for institutional decentralized finance.