Published: Feb 21, 2026 at 18:46
On February 21, 2026, the industry is buzzing with a bold claim from seasoned institutional investors: if central banks adopt a single on-chain bridge for the “Agentic Economy,” XRP could eclipse Bitcoin by a significant magnitude.
This isn’t just retail hype; it’s driven by the reality of currency volatility.
Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve’s trading desk requested indicative dollar/yen quotes following a sharp move in the yen — a rare move that has reignited the conversation about the need for faster, neutral settlement rails.
XRP as the “Digital Oil”
Ripple President Monica Long recently sketched out a 2026 roadmap where regulated banks move beyond “testing” and begin running production systems tied directly to on-chain liquidity pools. The theory, championed by vocal market analysts like “Pumpius,” is that while Bitcoin remains the world’s “Digital Gold,” XRP is being positioned as the “Digital Oil” of the global financial engine.
If the XRP Ledger becomes the primary bridge for CBDCs and regulated stablecoins to swap trillions in value near-instantly, its utility-driven market cap could theoretically flip Bitcoin’s store-of-value dominance. Critics point to the massive gap—Bitcoin’s trillions vs. XRP’s $100 billion—but with institutional “pipes” finally being connected, the “Bridge Asset” dream has never felt more like a tangible reality.
Disclaimer. This analysis and forecast are the personal opinions of the author. The data provided is collected by the author and is not sponsored by any company or token developer. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell cryptocurrency and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Coinidol.com. Readers should do their research before investing in funds.