- Analyst Stern Drew claims Solana’s potential Western Union involvement may rely on the groundwork Ripple built years earlier.
- He suggests Solana may be acting as a lower-risk “public-facing bridge,” entering first while Ripple avoids regulatory spotlight.
- Drew speculates that XRP could ultimately serve as the real settlement layer, though these views remain unproven.
A new theory emerging from crypto analyst Stern Drew is raising eyebrows across the digital asset community. In a detailed post, Drew suggests that Solana’s newly discussed involvement with Western Union may not be entirely independent.
Instead, he claims the pathway may have been created years earlier by Ripple through its deep regulatory and technical work with the global remittance giant.
Drew argues that before Solana even existed, Ripple had already built the foundational infrastructure required for a blockchain to integrate with a large, compliance-heavy entity like Western Union.
Ripple’s Early Work: “The Door Was Never Solana’s to Open”
According to Drew, Ripple’s partnership with Western Union laid extensive groundwork long before Solana’s rise. Ripple reportedly tested cross-border payment corridors, handled compliance and AML frameworks, built FX rails, and integrated messaging systems with Western Union during earlier pilot programs.
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🚨 What If Solana’s Western Union Deal Only Exists Because Ripple Opened That Door For Them?
Let’s lay the pieces out:
1) The Door Was Never Solana’s To Open.
Years before Solana existed, Ripple sat partnered Western Union, testing corridors, compliance flows, FX rails, AML… pic.twitter.com/voOaWfoMVB
— Stern Drew (@SternDrewCrypto) December 10, 2025
Drew describes this as Ripple “building the pipes,” signing NDAs, opening gateways, and mapping out the technical and regulatory architecture necessary for any blockchain to operate within Western Union’s ecosystem. This, he argues, means that any future blockchain entering the same space is walking a path Ripple helped create.
Why Ripple Might Have Wanted Solana to Go First
The analyst puts forward a strategic angle: Ripple may have deliberately allowed, or even preferred, Solana to approach Western Union first. With Ripple still recovering from high-profile regulatory battles in the U.S., letting another chain test the waters could reduce risk.
Drew suggests that Solana now acts as the “public-facing bridge,” absorbing scrutiny as the first blockchain reintroduced to major U.S. financial institutions.
If Solana succeeds without encountering regulatory resistance, Ripple could re-enter the picture with significantly less friction. The idea is simple: Solana opens the door; Ripple later scales the solution.
Solana Gains the Spotlight, Ripple Remains the Institutional Backbone
The analyst notes that Solana, with its speed, VC funding, and marketing strength, makes a strong external mascot for innovation. But when it comes to regulatory-grade infrastructure, compliance, banking integration, and institutional routing, Drew asserts that “this is Ripple’s bloodstream.”
Given Western Union’s position as a highly regulated money transmitter, he argues that flashy tech is not enough. The company requires trust, documentation, and long-term compliance assurance, areas where Ripple already has historical depth.
This raises a key question posed by Drew: who could vouch for Solana behind closed doors? His view: only Ripple fits that profile.
A Hidden Settlement Layer? Analyst Suggests XRP Will Ultimately Take Center Stage
Drew concludes his analysis by suggesting that while Solana may appear to be the chain receiving the spotlight today, the long-term settlement layer could ultimately be XRP.
In his view, Ripple’s regulatory groundwork and institutional architecture position the XRP Ledger as the system capable of underpinning global money movement once broader approval is established. “Solana may look like the one who got the call,” Drew writes. “But Ripple is the one holding the phone.”
The debate continues within the crypto community, but Drew’s analysis highlights a growing discussion about how institutional relationships are formed, and which blockchain companies may be behind the scenes shaping the path forward.
It is important to note, however, that the claims presented by Stern Drew represent his personal interpretation and speculation based on publicly known industry relationships. There is no confirmed evidence that Ripple facilitated or influenced Solana’s engagement with Western Union, nor that any such strategic coordination is taking place.
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