Ripple executives are projecting that 2026 will mark a watershed year for institutional adoption of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), with a major global asset manager moving traditional funds onchain and setting the stage for mass adoption.
Ripple President: Institutional Adoption at Scale in 2026
On February 12, Ripple President Monica Long shared on social media platform X that institutional adoption of the XRPL is accelerating, pointing to a large asset manager's decision to bring traditional funds onchain. She stated, “In 2026, expect institutional adoption at scale!” Reflecting on progress following XRP Community Day, Long wrote that momentum is building toward making the XRPL the go-to blockchain for institutional decentralized finance (DeFi).
Her remarks came after a February 11 update from Markus Infanger, SVP of RippleX, who described Aviva Investors’ decision to tokenize fund structures on the XRPL as “a genuinely huge moment for XRPL as traditional finance moves onchain.” The development centers on a partnership between Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, and Ripple to explore tokenizing traditional fund products on the XRP Ledger.
Executive Outlook: 2026 to Be Best Year for Crypto
Several Ripple executives have outlined bullish projections for 2026, centered on the institutionalization of the XRPL and broader crypto market following the passage of the GENIUS Act in 2025. Long predicts that 50% of Fortune 500 companies will have formal digital asset strategies or hold crypto on their balance sheets by end of 2026. She also anticipates that 5%–10% of capital markets settlement will move onchain as custodian banks and clearing houses adopt tokenization.
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 reaffirmed Ripple’s vision of XRP as the “heartbeat” of global financial infrastructure. Managing Director Reece Merrick forecast that by year-end “every significant bank, asset manager, and payment network” will have meaningful exposure to digital assets. CTO Emeritus David Schwartz characterized institutional engagement on the XRPL as having shifted from experimentation to operational infrastructure.
Aviva Tokenization: A Milestone for Real-World Assets
Aviva Investors’ move to tokenize traditional fund products on the XRPL is a pivotal step in bringing real-world assets onchain, signaling growing institutional trust. Ripple executives argue that the regulatory clarity provided by the GENIUS Act will unlock sidelined institutional capital, potentially making 2026 the strongest year on record for crypto market performance.
Meanwhile, XRP prices have surged recently, boosted by news that CEO Brad Garlinghouse joined a key U.S. regulatory advisory committee. Analysts see strengthening institutional exposure and ecosystem expansion as positive breakout signals. As more traditional financial institutions explore tokenization, the XRPL’s role as core infrastructure for capital markets is becoming increasingly solidified.