RippleX 2024: A Visionary Outlook into the Future of Blockchain
Tags: ai, blockchain, web3, xrpl
Published: 2023-12-19 23:37:09

As the year draws to a close, RippleX stands at the forefront of innovation, ready to propel the blockchain industry into new realms of possibility. For those that are familiar with [Block Stars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4zzD1D69Uk&list=PLl-QsmXvjodpBSExrC5kLNRq3C9Mr9jfN), you’ll know how fond I am of asking our guests to cast their eyes on a crystal ball and tell us what lies ahead. As we approach the New Year, I’ve decided to set my own predictions and tapped into the minds of some of our leading experts, SVP Markus Infanger, and Head of Research Aanchal Malhotra, to bring you a glimpse into the future of blockchain technology. 

Industry sentiment is visibly shifting with excitement building and many left wondering what exactly the future holds. With the dawn of Artificial Intelligence establishing itself as an important checkpoint in the tech industry over the past year, Real World Assets becoming a significant focus for adoption, and security remaining a key concern, there’s a lot of ground to cover. 

**Convergence of AI and Blockchain**
Many of us have already begun to experiment with AI in a myriad of ways, exploring and learning what impact it may have on our personal and professional lives. For those of us involved in blockchain, we are wondering what possibilities lay ahead through the convergence of AI and blockchain technology. I believe this convergence could be set to transform how we approach cybersecurity and financial services. With security a key concern for many builders in the space, AI will simplify the building experience on the blockchain. AI will be pivotal in making blockchains safer and more reliable, effectively guarding against cyber threats. Its innovative capabilities could go on to revolutionize the finance industry on-chain, offering accurate market insights, automated trading and even potentially offering tailored financial advice. 

It’s good news for the builders who have been working round the clock. Tools such as AI chatbots will enable developers to quickly receive answers to their queries, speeding up the process from concept to application. AI Chatbots have already become a part of RippleX’s commitment to making blockchain development on the [XRP Ledger](https://xrpl.org/) more accessible and less time-consuming, especially for those new to the field. This approach will not only foster increased innovation on blockchains but could also enhance financial inclusion, making tools more accessible globally. 

**Stablecoins: Revolutionizing the Currency Landscape**
Stablecoins could be set to dramatically reshape global finance, creating new foreign exchange corridors and reducing dependence on the US Dollar. I see this transformation perhaps being most evident in the Middle East, where countries will increasingly use stablecoins to settle regional trades. On the whole, this shift could reduce traditional currency dependencies, fostering a more diversified and resilient financial ecosystem.

The consequences will mean that financial institutions will actively work towards standardization to seamlessly integrate with blockchains. This initiative will enable a smoother interface between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, paving the way for stablecoins to become a universal tool in global trade and finance. This evolution will not only streamline international transactions but also unlock new economic potentials, setting a precedent for how digital currencies can coexist with and enhance traditional financial infrastructures.

**Markus Infanger’s Strategic Insights: Unleashing the Power of Tokenization and Real World Assets**

As the industry has continued to grow, RWAs have remained somewhat of a buzzword, leading many to believe that it is simply a trend for investors to speculate on. I disagree, RWAs are a driving force of the blockchain economy with real estate, commodities, treasuries and bonds being the leading use cases. My estimation is that centralized lending platforms will increasingly use tokenized RWAs for collateralized loans, enhancing lending with increased security and efficiency. 

As the industry improves in terms of interoperability among blockchains, we may well see smoother transactions and better liquidity for these tokenized assets. The most significant impact of this will be seen by institutional adoption of RWA tokenization. This shift could see the merging of traditional finance with blockchain technology, attracting new investment and reshaping the financial sector. XRP Ledger will be a leading blockchain that will enable these use cases and  streamline transactions, enhance transparency, and increase access to these critical markets. 

With over 20 years in banking and leading global teams in Foreign Exchange, I reached out to my colleague Markus Infanger, SVP at RippleX, for his view on what lies ahead for RWAs and institutional adoption. Markus outlined his belief that we will see new infrastructure focusing on backward integration with legacy financial institutions, helping drive change management and increasing adoption of blockchain. 

For example, Markus sees the expanding use of smart contracts and tokenization on XRPL and other blockchains being key. The tokenizing of conventional assets such as bonds, equities, real estate, funds, and various financial products may be the use cases which allow for traditional finance to tap into crypto technologies.

Markus sees innovative DeFi solutions ensuring compliance such as zero-knowledge proofs as being particularly important. This strategic approach not only ensures compliance but establishes a foundation for sustained operational resilience in the face of regulatory change. 

Interestingly, Markus also believes that on-chain money market products will see a big surge. According to crypto research site 21.co, the market value of tokenized U.S. Treasuries increased nearly six-fold since Jan 2023 jumping sixfold from 104mn USD to 675mn USD. Indeed by the end of 2024, Markus predicts that **tokenized treasuries could reach $5 billion**, as more businesses recognize the value of transforming physical assets into digital tokens. Yes, you read that correctly. For Markus, this shift could unlock significant liquidity, and open up new avenues for investment and asset management.

**Aanchal Malhotra’s View From the Research Room**

As the Head of Research at RippleX, Aanchal plays a crucial role in shaping the team’s understanding of emerging technologies. In her role, she drives various company-wide initiatives and collaborates on technical papers aimed at introducing [native support for non-fungible tokens (NFTs)](https://dev.to/ripplexdev/six-months-on-mainnet-the-growth-of-nfts-and-tokenization-on-the-xrp-ledger-2jb5), [Automated Market Maker (AMM)](https://dev.to/ripplexdev/xrpl-amm-technical-features-and-updates-4dn1), and Decentralized Identity (DID) on XRPL. 

**Dawn of Decentralized Identity (DID)**
The adoption of Decentralized Identity (DID) is something myself, Aanchal and the broader RippleX team are especially passionate about, with its potential to revolutionize individual privacy and security on the blockchain and stimulate an increase in institutional volume on Decentralized Exchanges (DEXes).
 

In my view DIDs will become the gold standard for secure and sovereign identity verification. This may well see institutions will gravitate towards DEXes, drawn by their superior security and transparency. This shift could mark a pivotal moment for the financial industry as DIDs empower institutions to engage in decentralized finance (DeFi) with greater confidence and control, thereby fueling  growth and liquidity in DEXes. This integration of DID with institutional operations will mark a new era in blockchain, merging privacy, security, and financial innovation. RippleX is excited to contribute to this development by introducing DID capabilities to the XRP Ledger, as outlined in its proposed [XLS-40 amendment](https://github.com/XRPLF/XRPL-Standards/discussions/100).

**Interoperability & Smart Contract Capabilities**
Interoperability is already something many in the industry have begun to yearn for and understand to be a necessity for progress. By 2024 and beyond, the advancement of blockchain interoperability protocols will mark a major shift by breaking down the existing silos between different blockchains. This shift will enable diverse blockchain platforms to seamlessly interact by sharing data and value transfer, creating a unified and more efficient blockchain ecosystem. 

The role of interoperability protocols will be crucial in this transformation, as they will increase innovation, as well as foster new applications and use cases, specifically in DeFi. The outcome will enable a more accessible, robust, and interconnected blockchain landscape, driving mainstream adoption and unlocking the full potential of blockchain technology across various  industries. 

The team at RippleX are particularly excited about the proposed [Cross-Chain bridge amendment for the XRP Ledger](https://github.com/XRPLF/XRPL-Standards/discussions/92) which will head into the voting process next year. Another point of excitement which is enabled by the Cross-Chain bridge is the [XRP Ledger EVM compatible sidechain](https://youtu.be/QFvfNeNy0LM?si=9BAZs47IN5tYbClK). The EVM compatible sidechain marks an intriguing development, offering a bridge between the XRP Ledger and the Ethereum ecosystem. You can learn more about this in our recent Block Stars episode below.

**The Future of Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge (SNARKS)**

For Aanchal it is already clear that ZKPs and SNARKS will also gain mainstream recognition as essential components of blockchain technology. Their adoption will become a standard practice in blockchain projects, showcasing their versatility in addressing scalability, interoperability and privacy challenges, she outlines. Aanchal believes that the future of these two components in three hugely important areas:

**Improved Scalability:** The succinct nature of SNARKs will be harnessed to improve transaction throughput and reduce computational overhead. This breakthrough will be particularly crucial for financial institutions handling large volumes of transactions, paving the way for more efficient and scalable blockchain networks that meet the demands of institutional-grade financial processes.

**Cross-Chain Interoperability:** The integration of ZKPs and SNARKs will drive significant progress in cross-chain interoperability, enabling secure, private, and compliant communication across diverse blockchain networks. This enhanced interoperability fosters a more interconnected financial ecosystem, allowing institutions to leverage different blockchain platforms while upholding privacy and security standards.

**Pro-Compliance privacy:** In the financial blockchain realm, ZKPs and SNARKs will take center stage to enhance compliance without compromising privacy. These cryptographic tools will address regulatory concerns, enabling financial institutions to actively participate while maintaining compliance standards.

The stage is set for a transformative year for RippleX in 2024. These predictions from our experts showcase the team’s excitement for what lays ahead. Stay tuned as we embark on a journey to shape the future of the industry, RippleX is not solely predicting the future, the team is creating it.