In a bold move toward modernizing digital payments, Facebook and WhatsApp are reportedly exploring the integration of instant payments powered by a regulated blockchain token—with XRP emerging as a leading candidate. This comes amid a wave of institutional adoption of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), as the digital asset and its ecosystem demonstrate growing traction in global finance.

Although neither Facebook nor WhatsApp has publicly confirmed XRP as their choice, XRP has gained significant credibility in 2025 thanks to major legal and regulatory milestones. In August 2025, the U.S. SEC dismissed the long-running lawsuit against Ripple, affirming XRP traded on public platforms is not a security. This decision dramatically reduced legal uncertainty and paved the way for broader institutional involvement.

Ripple’s XRPL supports over 150 institutional partnerships, including major players such as SBI (Japan), Santander, and PNC Bank, who are leveraging XRP for real-time, low-cost cross-border payments. Ripple's On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) processed an estimated $1.3 trillion in cross-border transaction volume during Q2 2025, and XRP futures markets show around $1 billion in open interest.

XRP’s integration and investment momentum have also led to a dramatic price surge—over 500% in the first half of 2025—driven by about $1.1 billion in institutional inflows targeting infrastructure use cases.

XRPL’s ecosystem is further bolstered by institutional-level features like automated market makers (AMM), oracles, and the launch of the RLUSD stablecoin with $642 million in circulation. Ripple has also acquired strategic regulatory licenses in Singapore and Dubai, supporting enterprise deployment.

Should Facebook and WhatsApp pursue regulated instant payments, XRP aligns with their needs: regulated status, fast and low-cost infrastructure, and established institutional traction. However, no official confirmation exists of Facebook’s selection—making this a speculative, yet plausible, scenario.