In a dramatic surge that reaffirms its role as a global payments rail, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) has seen payment transactions explode to record levels, now accounting for nearly 60% of all weekly activity on the network.
According to the latest data from Dune Analytics, weekly payments on XRPL have jumped from just 1.5 million in 2023 to over 8 million in mid-2025—marking a staggering 430% increase in less than two years. On July 1 alone, nearly 1 million payment transactions were recorded out of 1.53 million total transactions for the day.
This surge underscores XRPL’s foundational use case: facilitating fast, low-cost cross-border payments, often using XRP as a bridge asset. Much of the momentum is being attributed to Ripple’s continued global expansion—particularly its growing presence in the Middle East through Ripple Payments, a service tailored for financial institutions.
While payments remain dominant, XRPL's decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem is quietly expanding. The network now supports over 20,000 active automated market maker (AMM) pools, with around 2,300 daily users interacting on XRPL’s native decentralized exchange (DEX). Hundreds of XRP trading pairs are available, giving users a growing range of liquidity options.
Though XRPL still trails established smart contract giants like Ethereum and Solana in DeFi activity, its steady growth signals rising interest in its alternative financial infrastructure. More than 2,800 new accounts were added on a single day in June, while daily transaction volumes have surpassed 2 million—a monumental rise from the roughly 50,000 daily transactions seen back in 2013.
XRPL’s growth may soon be turbocharged by the anticipated launch of an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible sidechain. This development will allow Ethereum-based decentralized applications (dApps) to run seamlessly on XRPL, significantly expanding its functionality and appeal to developers.
Meanwhile, Ripple’s protracted legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appears to be winding down. In late June, Ripple withdrew its cross-appeal—an indication that the company is ready to move beyond litigation, even if it means accepting less favorable settlement terms. CEO Brad Garlinghouse emphasized that Ripple is shifting focus from courtroom battles to business expansion.
With legal uncertainty fading and adoption accelerating, analysts suggest that institutional interest in XRP could be rekindled in the coming months. Some industry observers believe these developments may pave the way for the first XRP-based exchange-traded fund (ETF), a move that would mark a major milestone for the asset.
As XRP regains momentum, its foundational vision as a fast, efficient global payments tool seems more relevant than ever—solidifying XRPL’s place in the evolving digital finance landscape.
July 2025, Cryptoniteuae