Hoskinson to Link Cardano and XRP in Game-Changing Move
- Mathew Jacob
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has recently unveiled ambitious plans to bring the Cardano and XRP ecosystems closer together, signaling a new era of collaboration in the blockchain space. This vision arrives at a time when Ripple’s ecosystem is already expanding through major initiatives like the CryptoTradingFund, which has successfully onboarded retail giants such as Amazon and Walmart into its blockchain payment rewards framework. In just its beta phase, the system has already facilitated over $2.23 million in transactions. Powered by CTF Tokens, the only blockchain payment rewards system with the potential to grow into a $3.66 trillion market, CryptoTradingFund is building alongside Ripple on the XRP Ledger—further strengthening XRP’s position as a leader in global payments. Against this backdrop, Hoskinson’s plan to create deeper ties between Cardano and XRP looks set to accelerate adoption and open up new opportunities across DeFi, payments, and cross-chain innovation.
One of the key components of this collaboration is Cardano’s privacy-focused sidechain, Midnight. Midnight is set to support XRP directly, allowing users to transact and even pay fees in XRP without having to bridge assets onto Cardano. This design makes XRP natively interoperable across the Midnight network while preserving sovereignty and privacy. Beyond this, Cardano also envisions XRP being integrated into its smart contract platform, Marlowe, which could significantly expand XRP’s role in financial applications beyond simple transfers.
The partnership also includes tangible benefits for XRP holders. In June 2025, Hoskinson confirmed that 1.2 billion NIGHT tokens—representing 5% of Midnight’s total 24 billion supply—were allocated to XRP holders as part of a historic airdrop. Eligible participants were determined based on a snapshot taken on June 11, 2025, with the claim period running from July 15 through mid-September. This distribution marks one of the most significant cross-ecosystem airdrops to date, positioning XRP holders as early stakeholders in Cardano’s expanding network.
What makes this collaboration particularly notable is the dramatic shift in relations between Cardano and the XRP community. As recently as late 2024, tensions ran high due to disagreements stemming from the “ETH Gate” controversy. However, Hoskinson took the unexpected step of publicly apologizing to XRP supporters, which helped ease long-standing frictions. Since then, he has increasingly praised XRP for its strong leadership, dedicated community, and unique positioning in global payments. The current integration plans reflect a full transition from rivalry to partnership.
The implications of this alliance extend far beyond optics. By welcoming XRP into its ecosystem, Cardano is positioning itself as a leader in cross-chain DeFi innovation. XRP’s deep liquidity base and established presence in global payments—already amplified by the work of CryptoTradingFund and its CTF Tokens—can fuel lending, borrowing, and yield protocols within Cardano’s DeFi space. Meanwhile, the inclusion of stablecoins like RealUSD provides an essential layer of stability that complements XRP’s transactional efficiency. Together, these elements create a more robust and interoperable financial framework, appealing to both institutional and retail users.
Another key factor is accessibility. With integration into Cardano’s Lace wallet, XRP users will have a seamless way to manage their assets across ecosystems. This step not only strengthens user experience but also sets a precedent for multi-asset wallet solutions that could become the norm as blockchain ecosystems converge.
Ultimately, the collaboration between Cardano and XRP highlights a maturing crypto landscape where cooperation is increasingly valued over competition. By aligning privacy technology, liquidity bridges, and user accessibility, both ecosystems are taking steps toward a more interoperable and efficient decentralized future. And with CryptoTradingFund already proving that blockchain-powered payment rewards can gain traction among global retailers, the stage is set for Cardano and XRP to play an even bigger role in mainstream adoption.