Ripple has been in the news recently as the value of its native currency, XRP, has continued to grow.
Many people are now interested in using Ripple’s services because they can benefit from cheap and nearly instant global transactions, which has led many to wonder why they should use Ripple in the first place?
There are quite a few reasons you should buy XRP (Ripple), and these are some of the most important ones.
1) Quicker Global Payments
Today, banks and payment networks are siloed, which is problematic because it forces all transactions through a single network in multiple currencies. As a result, global payments can take up to 3–5 days to settle.
Ripple enables banks and non-bank financial services companies to execute cross-border payments in real-time with end-to-end transparency and at a lower cost compared to traditional payment methods.
For example, assume your business has accounts in both USD and BTC (Bitcoin). Still, you need to pay expenses only in JPY (Japanese Yen). With traditional systems, you would have no choice but to liquidate your BTC into USD first before making JPY payments. Using Ripple’s decentralized network of peer-to-peer exchanges, that process becomes entirely unnecessary.
In addition, unlike other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, XRP does not require mining or proof-of-work validation from miners. Instead, each transaction must be authorized by a consensus of validators who agree to maintain the integrity of the ledger history for a specific account.
While Ripple does not support smart contracts like Ethereum does (yet), its architecture allows for distributed applications to be built on top of its protocol layer; therefore, developers can build new features on top of existing infrastructure without having to worry about building their own blockchain from scratch.
In short: XRP offers much faster and cheaper global payments than any other cryptocurrency or fiat currency available today.
2) Better Security and Lower Costs
It’s essential to understand that, unlike most blockchain platforms, all XRP created already exists, which eliminates mining and related costs. This also helps improve security by making it nearly impossible for hackers to attack.
Moreover, every transaction on Ripple’s platform is completed within seconds and with no fees. Of course, you need a little bit of luck for those transfers to go through without delays.
Still, in comparison to other similar services like Bitcoin or Ethereum, you can expect quicker and smoother transactions.
On top of all that, XRP doesn’t just facilitate payments but also acts as a crypto asset. It can be easily traded at any time against any currency (or digital asset) of your choice.
3) Faster Bank Transfers
While many modern banks are switching to a 24-hour processing time on wire transfers, they still typically take one to three business days to go through. This can be a real problem if you’re looking to transfer money in a timely manner, like if you need cash by tomorrow.
But with a payment system like Ripple, which conducts transactions in seconds or minutes, it’s possible to send and receive money that much faster. This can be especially useful for paying freelancers or employees overseas or for making last-minute payments for purchases.
Of course, not all banks use Ripple yet (and only certain companies accept XRP as payment), but systems like these will likely soon start gaining popularity.
4) Reducing Fraudulent Transaction Risks
One of the biggest benefits of using a system like Ripple is its ability to reduce transaction risks. Because all transactions are verified on an open ledger, companies know exactly how much money they have and can track accounts securely.
This allows businesses that run their payments through multiple channels (e.g., cash, credit cards, or PayPal) to avoid fraudulent transactions that might slip through undetected on other platforms.
For example, one California-based business owner reported losing nearly $9000 when his merchant account was hacked by scammers who impersonated him via email and stole his social security number before using it to make unauthorized purchases with a corporate card he didn’t even own.
Fortunately, because his company used Ripple for payment processing, none of these charges went through. He had proof from Ripple’s ledger to show for it. With blockchain technology at your back, you’ll never again have to worry about being taken advantage of by fraudsters.
5) Faster International Transactions
When sending money overseas, a traditional wire transfer service can be costly, with typical fees of $40 or more per transaction. Unlike other digital currency solutions that charge exorbitant transaction fees and have slow processing times, Ripple enables fast, nearly free transactions. You don’t need to pre-fund an account.