SBI Boss Joins XRP Ledger: Will This Be the Crypto’s New Best Friend?

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As Ripple, the self-proclaimed ‘King of the Crypto Realm,’ continues to nurture the XRP Ledger, their 2026 plans have found an unlikely ally: the president of SBI Holdings, Yoshitaka Kitao, who is now as enthusiastic about XRP as a cat at a laser pointer convention.

On Friday, February 27, Kitao took to X (formerly Twitter, but who’s counting?) to announce that Ripple’s 2026 vision, which includes a more distributed and community-driven funding model, is as thrilling as a well-buttered scone. Or perhaps as thrilling as a squirrel with a PhD in blockchain.

What’s next for XRPL in 2026?

According to a recent report from the renowned blockchain firm, more than $550 million has already been poured into the XRPL ecosystem since 2017, which is roughly the amount of money the average person spends on coffee if they had a time machine and a penchant for financial chaos.

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Over the years, the funding has supported non-equity grants, builder incentives, strategic partnerships, and accelerator programs aimed at strengthening blockchain infrastructure and real-world use cases. Which, in other words, means Ripple is throwing money at problems like a magician with a budget.

While most of this ecosystem funding has flowed through Ripple-supported initiatives, the firm is planning a major change for 2026. As such, the XRP Ledger will transition to a broader support structure involving independent organizations, regional hubs, venture partners, and community-led programs. Because nothing says ‘innovation’ like letting a bunch of people with different agendas try to fix the same problem.

Notably, this move aims to create a healthier environment where builders can access funding through multiple avenues rather than relying on a single source. Or, as the ancient scrolls say, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket-unless that basket is made of quantum-resistant material.’

FinTech Builder Program set to debut on XRPL 

Following the recent report released by Ripple, the firm is planning to launch a new FinTech Builder Program designed to help startups navigate both financial infrastructure and broader development strategies as more traditional fintech firms explore blockchain integration. Because nothing says ‘disruption’ like teaching old dogs new tricks-or, in this case, teaching new dogs old tricks.

With this development, the XRPL ecosystem will evolve from its early-stage support, which has been driven largely by core stakeholders, to a more decentralized growth phase supported by multiple platforms. Or, in simpler terms, Ripple is finally giving up control and letting others take the wheel. Which is either brave or foolish, depending on your view of the universe.

While the move has recently become the buzz of the crypto community, it has stirred enthusiasm among the XRP community as they look forward to its impact on XRP’s potential growth. Which is like saying a group of people are excited about a party-because parties are, by definition, exciting.

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2026-02-27 21:32