Ripple executive Reece Merrick has predicted that institutional adoption is going to accelerate at a rapid pace in 2026.
"By end of 2026, this number will increase and every significant bank, asset manager, and payment network will have meaningful exposure," he said.
Merrick is arguing that crypto is no longer an optional asset class, meaning that institutional investors have to embrace it in order to remain competitive.
Traditional finance (TradFi) banks that do not offer crypto services will lose clients to those that do. If a customer cannot hold Bitcoin or stablecoins in their JP Morgan or Chase account, they will move their capital to a Fintech competitor (like Coinbase or Revolut).
"It’s no longer 'if.' It’s 'how fast' ... The train left the station," he said.
Ripple's institutional progress
Ripple has effectively spent the last 12 months transforming from a payments company into a full-stack institutional infrastructure provider.
This newfound regulatory air cover allowed Ripple to aggressively deploy its massive funds for strategic acquisitions
Ripple moved beyond simple payment processing into trade execution and corporate cash management by acquiring companies like Hidden Road and GTreasury.
The bombshell GTreasury deal was particularly potent because it placed Ripple’s settlement capabilities directly onto the dashboards of corporate treasurers who manage billions in daily liquidity.
RLUSD also became part of institutional payment flows, with its market cap surpassing $1 billion.
