‘2026 Is the Year We Put XRP Ledger First’: Top Ripple Developer

Top Ripple developer Panos Mekras has called for a shift in focus from the speculative trading of XRP to making XRP Ledger (XRPL) a leading chain. In a message to the XRP community, Mekras argued that all hands need to be on deck to build network utility, which is essential for mass adoption in 2026.

XRPL lags behind in key network metrics

According to Mekras, if the community does not stop obsessing over XRP’s price and speculations around it and start building XRPL, it is likely to fade into irrelevance. In his opinion, XRP Ledger can be developed into a genuinely useful, high-activity blockchain.

The Ripple developer claims that the community has spent years focusing on the asset’s price, legal battles and hype rather than on other critical matters — that is, if the underlying network is actually competitive.

In Mekras’s view, even if the price of XRP continues to soar, without real usage, the gains will remain fragile. This is because real adoption only comes when the network itself wins, not just the asset.

For clarity, Mekras’s reference to XRP is tied to crucial aspects like its price, trading activities and speculation around its adoption. XRPL, on the other hand, is a blockchain network that includes users, liquidity, infrastructure and apps.

Mekras believes that XRP Ledger activity is currently weak, as it only has a few thousand active users. In addition, the daily DEX volume is low, as well as the automated market maker (AMM).

That is, there is a limited amount of capital tokens in the liquidity pool. He insists that when compared to other blockchains posting billions in volume, XRPL is underperforming.

Infrastructure fixes, strategic reset, key to XRPL revival

To correct this, Mekras suggests an improvement in the infrastructure of XRPL. 

The bridges to other chains and expensive gateways need to be fixed. He opines that if people can easily move money in and out of the chain or across networks, it will speed up XRP Ledger growth.

Mekras proposes a strategic reset, where the success of XRP Ledger is measured by number of users, volume, liquidity level and real-world spending and access. The developer warned that the community might not have another chance at pushing this, but, “2026 is the year we put the XRP Ledger first,” he stated.

Mekras believes that by putting XRPL first, it will be bullish for XRP in the long term, as there will be real demand for the coin. In essence, ignoring XRP Ledger could be self-defeating.