- Lord Belgrave claims ING and BNP Paribas conducted advanced, confidential reviews of XRP Ledger settlement architecture.
- Internal bank documents allegedly showed XRP Ledger outperforming alternatives, with faster settlement.
- Belgrave concludes European banks are far deeper into XRPL testing and preparation than the public realizes.
A former City of London banker, known online as Lord Belgrave, says major European financial institutions have been conducting deeper and more advanced evaluations of XRP Ledger (XRPL) settlement architecture than the public has been led to believe.
In a detailed recollection shared on social media, he described witnessing confidential material outlining how leading banks modeled XRP as a preferred bridge asset in next-generation cross-border payment systems.
ING and BNP Paribas Reportedly Conducted Settlement Architecture Reviews
According to Belgrave, the incident occurred during a review session inside a secure room at a European banking headquarters in Amsterdam.
Two major institutions, ING and BNP Paribas, had internal teams working independently on next-generation settlement layers, with the goal of overcoming inefficiencies in existing correspondent banking frameworks.
Belgrave, invited to observe a segment of the session for alignment with his team’s cross-border strategy, said the documents were not theoretical whitepapers but operational blueprints.
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I still remember the moment clearly. It was a brief window during a review session in a secure room at a European headquarters in Amsterdam. Two major institutions were involved, ING and BNP Paribas. Both had internal teams working on next generation settlement architecture. I…
— Lord Belgrave (@LordBelgrave) November 29, 2025
He recalled page after page detailing long-standing frictions within the traditional correspondent banking system, including liquidity buffers, reconciliation delays, and capital inefficiencies that accumulate across multi-corridor networks. These documents, he said, reflected the depth of internal bank research into replacing outdated settlement flows.
XRP Ledger Listed as Preferred Settlement Layer in Key Scenarios
Among the materials, Belgrave said one section stood out: a comparative model titled “Settlement Layer Candidate Evaluation.” In this model, XRP Ledger appeared as the preferred bridge asset when immediate finality, deterministic transaction confirmation, and multi-currency atomic settlement were required.
The documents reportedly presented projected reductions in nostro balances across six major payment corridors, including EUR/GBP, EUR/AED, and EUR/SGD, areas where liquidity efficiency is a constant challenge for traditional rails.
Another section reportedly described latency tests performed by BNP Paribas using simulated flows. Settlement times were measured in seconds rather than days, according to Belgrave. The energy profile of XRPL, significantly lower than other models reviewed, was highlighted as a key advantage in future operational cost structures.
He also said an appendix referenced regulatory consultations with the Dutch Central Bank and France’s Prudential Authority. These focused on how on-ledger identity metadata could align with upcoming European compliance and reporting frameworks.
Cost Analysis Showed “Staggering” Efficiency Gains
Belgrave described the final page he viewed as a cost sensitivity analysis comparing current correspondent-banking overhead to an XRP-based settlement rail. The difference, he said, was “staggering,” with XRPL delivering substantial improvements in both liquidity efficiency and operational certainty.
Although he only glimpsed the documents for a short time, Belgrave concluded that European banks have been studying and preparing for a transition to blockchain-based settlement far more deeply than widely understood.
His account suggests that behind the scenes, major institutions may already have tested and validated XRPL’s capabilities for real-world, multi-corridor cross-border payment flows.
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