The Technology Behind the XRP Coin - What is XRP?
XRP is a digital asset that operates on the XRP Ledger and enables transactions on the Ripple platform. But unlike many other cryptocurrencies, it’s not completely decentralized.
Instead, Ripple uses a unique network of nodes or validators that verify transactions by consensus. On the plus side, these validators update their ledgers every few seconds, whereas transaction confirmations with digital assets like Bitcoin can take several hours.
Although it differs slightly from other cryptocurrencies, XRP can still be bought and traded like many of its digital counterparts.
Despite the fact that several US exchanges delisted the currency or temporarily halted XRP coin trading over Ripple’s legal haggling with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it can still be purchased on many popular cryptocurrency exchanges.
XRP can be exchanged for other digital currencies, bought as an investment, or used to facilitate cross-border banking transactions. For example, if banks on two different continents engage in a transaction, they can swap different fiat currencies by using XRP as the common currency.
What Is Ripple and How Does it Support XRP?
Originally designed to replace the global money transfer network SWIFT, Ripple is a blockchain-based digital payment network that can process financial transactions around the world. It has its own cryptocurrency, XRP, which is tailored to work on the network.
The payment protocol was developed by the San Francisco-based Ripple Labs Inc, which unveiled the technology in 2012. In addition to its ability to facilitate cryptocurrency exchanges, the network also supports a range of fiat currencies and commodities such as gold.
One of the network’s key advantages is the low transaction fee of roughly 0.00001 XRP. This is far lower than what traditional financial institutions charge for international transactions. In short, Ripple enables fast and affordable monetary transactions while offering XRP as the company’s own digital asset.
The Ripple-XRP Link
Both Ripple and XRP play a role in advancing highly useful technology used for transfers with different currencies. XRP is one of the largest and most popular cryptocurrencies, and is consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world with a huge crypto market cap.
If you’re looking to trade cryptocurrencies and are interested in building your portfolio with XRP, you’ll be glad to know that you can buy and trade the coins much like any other cryptocurrency.
Why Should You Buy XRP in 2024 - Is XRP a Good Investment?
XRP isn’t as valuable as BTC, but its price is rocketing higher. As such, there is a growing number of reasons to buy the XRP cryptocurrency. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when thinking about investing in XRP.
Ripple and XRP Have Huge Potential as Emerging Technologies
The main reason to invest in XRP is the Ripple network. One of Ripple’s major assets is its ability to facilitate faster payments and transactions to your XRP wallet. Ripple handles thousands of daily transactions, and each one is processed in seconds.
Meanwhile, traditional financial institutions and other blockchain networks may need several hours to complete the transfers and get coins to your crypto wallet. They also charge much higher fees. This is why a growing number of people are looking to XRP and Ripple when conducting international transactions.
In addition, Ripple has a strong team behind it that is constantly working to enhance the technology. Naturally, the versatility of the platform, which supports cryptos, commodities, and fiat money, boosts the value of XRP.
In recent years, Ripple has grabbed the attention of many financial institutions that now use the network. This adaptation within the mainstream financial market all but guarantees that the value of XRP will grow in the future.
The Price of Entry is Quite Low for the XRP Coin
In early 2022, the digital currency peaked by 25% to reach the $1 mark.
There are several reasons why this low price makes XRP a desirable coin. For starters, it means that people can obtain a sizable amount of XRP at a very affordable price. This makes it a great choice for newcomers to the cryptocurrency market who wish to build a big altcoin position.
Considering how fast XRP has been growing in recent years, this is a great option for both small and sizable investments.
XRP Is Environmentally-Friendly
The rise of the non-fungible token market is the latest craze in the world of digital assets. But while the underlying technology has a lot of promise, it’s currently under fire for being bad for the environment.
This is because the blockchains that support NFTs are known for using considerable amounts of energy, leading to a sizable contribution towards global warming.
This is the case with all decentralized currencies that don’t have banks to guarantee transactions but rely on mining or the so-called proof-of-work model, which is energy inefficient. One of the popular alternatives is the proof-of-stake model, which limits the amount of computing power that can be used to secure the transactions.
XRP Ripple is unique in this department and manages to dodge all forms of criticism thanks to its use of the consensus model. This model involves the aforementioned validators who approve each transaction. Furthermore, XRP is a pre-mined currency with a ledger that creates 100 billion XRP tokens that are periodically released into circulation.
From an investment standpoint, pre-mining gives rise to concerns over large amounts of tokens being released into circulation at once and driving down the value of XRP.
But the consensus approach underscores Ripple’s strong commitment to the environment and backs the company’s claims that it has one of the most eco-friendly currencies on the market.
This is a notable XRP asset and one of the main reasons why investors are optimistic about its future at a time when much of the world is becoming more aware of its carbon footprint.
How High Can XRP Realistically Go?
As with all cryptocurrencies, there is no way to predict their future market price. XRP is embroiled in a legal battle with the SEC that can influence its value in either direction drastically. On top of that, altcoins can be heavily affected by trends and online hype which further complicates price predictions.
Important Information About XRP - Things to Consider
While there are many positive aspects to investing in XRP, this crypto has its flaws. Of course, this isn’t unusual when it comes to cryptocurrencies, and people should carefully weigh all the pros and cons before they decide to invest in a coin. For XRP, here are the major concerns to keep in mind before you start building a larger position:
- The Ripple network is owned and operated by a private company and isn’t a public or fully decentralized system.
- Ripple Labs Inc. and two of its executive officers have been charged in December 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Commission for raising over $1.3 billion in unregistered offerings of XRP. Currently, there’s an ongoing legal battle as a result of the lawsuit.
- The Ripple Protocol consensus algorithm or RPCA has been criticized for being less secure than other crypto transaction processing methods.
- Some of Ripple’s banking partners only use RippleNet, the global payment network, and not the XRP cryptocurrency.
Aside from these considerations, you can invest in XRP like any other cryptocurrency. While it has certainly been facing scrutiny over the past few years, there’s no denying that it’s growing in popularity and is even enjoying institutional market adoption alongside the better known and more widely used Bitcoin and Ether.
Where to Buy XRP Crypto
There are a large number of exchanges where you can buy Ripple XRP with fiat currency (USD, EUR, CAD, GBP etc.) or cryptocurrency. In addition to the exchanges, you can also use Ripple’s XRP Ledger platform as a decentralized exchange that allows people to trade directly with peers. Check out our list above for an overview of the exchanges that offer XRP.
How to Buy XRP
Buying XRP involves the same process as buying any other cryptocurrencies. The following steps generally apply to all exchanges. If you encounter any issues, we suggest taking a look at the knowledge base or reaching out to the customer support team at the cryptocurrency exchange that you chose.
- Set up an account. This typically means submitting an email address and personal details such as your name and address to help verify that you are a legitimate user.
- Verify your account. Most exchanges will ask you to verify your account before you can buy XRP. This usually involves providing documents that prove you are who you say you are. This can mean a scan of your passport or a copy of your driver’s license.
- Make a deposit. You’ll need to deposit either fiat money or cryptocurrency to purchase XRP through your deposit method of choice. This usually involves sending it from an existing platform to your account on the XRP-support exchange, or you may need to make a bank transfer to deposit cash.
- Start trading XRP. Once you have money or cryptocurrency in your account, you can start purchasing XRP. This usually means filling out a form to purchase XRP and submitting it. The amount of time it takes will vary based on the supply of XRP and the exchange.
Is XRP Worth Buying? - Our Final Thoughts
XRP is certainly one of the most promising altcoins available on the market. If you are wondering where to buy XRP, there is a long list of reputable exchanges where customers can buy the coins. Today, XRP is gradually gaining value due to the unique technology used by the Ripple network.
XRP's future is also looking bright, we expect to see more regulatory clarity on XRP, which should significantly boost its value and popularity.
You may also be interested in:
- Top Exchanges for Purchasing AVAX
- Cryptocurrency Taxation Solutions: Our Top Picks
