Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s largest cryptocurrency, is set to debut on Ripple’s blockchain XRP Ledger (XRPL) this month. Analysts have taken to social media to explain what this milestone really means, highlighting how it automatically expands XRPL’s institutional use case and positions it as a leading network in the crypto space.
Ripple’s XRP Ledger Prepares To Tokenize Bitcoin
XRP is starting the week in the spotlight, after crypto market expert Ripple Bull Winkle and other analysts unveiled an upcoming development in the XRP Ledger. According to Ripple Bull Winkle, XRPL is gearing up to tokenize Bitcoin by the end of February 2026.
While many in the crypto community question the validity of this announcement, others wonder what this truly means for XRP and its value. In response, Ripple Bull Winkle explained that Ripple Custody, a bank-grade digital asset management service, will hold the real BTC in secure storage and issue tokenized versions of it on the XRP Ledger. For every Bitcoin they hold, they would mint or create an equivalent amount of tokenized Bitcoin, which can be easily transferred across the network.
Notably, tokenizing Bitcoin does not mean that the cryptocurrency is moving to a new blockchain. Rather, it means that a version of the digital asset will exist and be usable on XRPL as a token that represents the underlying BTC. Ripple Bull Winkle explained that, because the XRP Ledger is much faster than the Bitcoin network, transactions would be settled in about 3-4 seconds instead of 10 minutes. The analyst emphasized that fees would also become cheaper, costing only pennies.
After Bitcoin, Ripple intends to expand its asset tokenization to other cryptocurrencies. Ripple Bull Winkle has stated that it plans to tokenize leading assets like Ethereum and Solana on XRPL, meaning versions of those assets will also be usable on the network. If this happens, the XRP Ledger would not be limited to XRP. Ripple Bull Winkle noted that it would become a universal settlement layer, where many digital assets can move quickly and more affordably.
Stablecoins Could Be Next
In a similar post, crypto expert Vincent Van Code discussed Bitcoin’s upcoming tokenization on the XRP Ledger. He addressed whether this feature could later be expanded to include fiat currencies and stablecoins, noting that the main challenge is custody. As an example, the analyst explained that if Ripple wanted to mint RLJPY, a Japanese Yen-pegged stablecoin, a regulated bank would need to hold the actual Yen on investors’ behalf.
He noted that this process is more complex than it appears, especially when dealing with large amounts, such as $100 million. He also raised concerns about fees, explaining that a stablecoin business model often needs cash-based investments to remain profitable. Despite these challenges, Van Codes still believes XRPL could eventually be used to mint not only stablecoins, but also tokenize gold and diamonds.
