SBI President Pushes for XRP Ledger Support

As Ripple remains committed to fostering the growth of the $XRP Ledger ecosystem, its recently released 2026 plans have gained support from the president of SBI Holdings, Yoshitaka Kitao.

On Friday, February 27, Kitao took to X, highlighting major changes coming to the $XRP Ledger ecosystem in 2026, following Ripple’s plan to release a more distributed and community-driven funding model.

What’s next for XRPL in 2026?

According to a recent report from the renowned blockchain firm, more than $550 million has already been deployed across the XRPL ecosystem since 2017.

Over the years, the funding has supported non-equity grants, builder incentives, strategic partnerships, and accelerator programs aimed at strengthening blockchain infrastructure and real-world use cases.

While most of this ecosystem funding has flowed through Ripple-supported initiatives, the firm is planning a major change for 2026. As such, the $XRP Ledger will transition to a broader support structure involving independent organizations, regional hubs, venture partners, and community-led programs.

Notably, this move aims to create a healthier environment where builders can access funding through multiple avenues rather than relying on a single source.

FinTech Builder Program set to debut on XRPL

Following the recent report released by Ripple, the firm is planning to launch a new FinTech Builder Program designed to help startups navigate both financial infrastructure and broader development strategies as more traditional fintech firms explore blockchain integration.

With this development, the XRPL ecosystem will evolve from its early-stage support, which has been driven largely by core stakeholders, to a more decentralized growth phase supported by multiple platforms.

While the move has recently become the buzz of the crypto community, it has stirred enthusiasm among the $XRP community as they look forward to its impact on $XRP’s potential growth.