Mastercard, BlackRock and Franklin Templeton turn to $XRP Ledger as DeFi goes mainstream
As decentralized finance (DeFi) matures into the connective tissue of modern finance, the focus shifts from experimentation to real-world use, and institutional interest increases.
Odelia Torteman, a FinTech and Digital Finance specialist at the World Bank, says global players including Mastercard, BlackRock and Franklin Templeton are now explore the $XRP Ledger as part of their growing digital asset strategies.
At the Digital Assets Forum 2026, Odelia Torteman recast DeFi as more than a niche experiment, describing it as the “middleware” quietly powering the next phase of global finance, an invisible layer that enables seamless transfer of value across borders and asset classes.
Within that shift, she emphasized the $XRP Built specifically for transparent payments across assets, Ledger calls it a clear signal of what real-world adoption looks like.
The data supports this. Real-world asset (RWA) activity on the $XRP General ledger has jump 875%with a total value of almost $2.5 billion. This kind of growth indicates more than just market hype; it signals accelerated institutional adoption of tokenized assets, from bonds to commodities, moving directly up the chain.
For major financial players, the value proposition is clear: faster settlement, lower costs and a level of transparency that traditional systems find difficult to match.
$XRP Ledger is gaining traction as global financial heavyweights make an effort
The momentum is no longer limited to traditional finance. A leading Japanese travel agency is reportedly relocating in Asia integrate prepaid payment systems on the $XRP Ledger, tapping into a domestic market worth about ¥30 trillion.
If implemented, the initiative could integrate blockchain payments into everyday transactions, bringing digital assets out of the margins and into real world commerce.
What makes this moment different is the alignment of two forces that rarely moved in sync, regarding infrastructure and institutional intent.
For years, blockchain networks promised disruption but struggled to win over established players. As DeFi matures and regulatory clarity begins to take shape, that hesitation is giving way to measured, strategic adoption.
The participation of companies such as Mastercard, BlackRock and Franklin Templeton indicates that the $XRP Ledger moves beyond the margins of crypto and focuses on mainstream financial relevance.
It is increasingly seen as an infrastructure for tokenized finance, with the capacity to support everything from cross-border payments to large-scale asset issuance.
If decentralized finance develops into the ‘middleware’ of global markets, as Torteman suggests, then networks like the $XRP Ledger could become the invisible backbone of that system, silently enabling large-scale transactions while remaining largely invisible to end users.