In a recent post on X, Luke Judges, Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead and Director, addressed misconceptions in the community regarding his views on Solana. Contrary to some assumptions, Judges emphasized that joining Ripple does not mean he has turned against Solana.

Judges shared that before joining Ripple, he built two startups in the Solana ecosystem and operated a validator with more than $30 million staked. He witnessed Solana’s dramatic bull and bear cycles—falling from $200 to $8 before climbing again—demonstrating his deep experience within the network.

While acknowledging Solana’s achievements, Judges noted that the network remains far from perfect, citing a rapid drop in validator counts. Still, he believes XRP and other Layer 1 chains can learn from Solana’s pragmatism and speed, particularly in how Ethereum has recently adjusted its go-to-market (GTM) focus in response to Solana’s advantage.

“XRP doesn’t have to exist in a vacuum,” Judges said, adding that the ecosystem can observe other chains and still maintain its competitive edge.

XRP’s Focus on Smart Contracts and Native Staking

Judges’ comments come at a pivotal moment as XRP explores smart contracts and native staking. The network appears to be realigning its roadmap to meet growing market demand, coinciding with the arrival of XRP ETFs in the U.S.

Ripple CTO and XRP Ledger architect David Schwartz also weighed in, noting that his views on governance and consensus have evolved. He highlighted XRP’s potential in DeFi, both through apps and protocols like Flare, MoreMarkets, Axelar, and Doppler, as well as native on-chain functionality. Schwartz indicated that ongoing discussions on programmability and smart contracts could pave the way for additional native DeFi capabilities on XRP Ledger.

Recently, XRP achieved a significant milestone with the launch of the XRP Ledger Smart Contracts feature on AlphaNet, a dedicated development network, signaling the network’s commitment to expanding its programmable ecosystem.

Bottom Line:
Ripple’s leadership underscores that XRP is learning from other Layer 1 networks while building its own competitive strengths. With smart contracts, native staking, and the first U.S. ETFs launching, XRP is positioning itself for a broader role in the next generation of decentralized finance.