[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] A prominent XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer argued that XRP can play a meaningful role as a long-term savings asset in an inflationary environment.

The Crypto Basic, a blockchain media outlet, reported on Jan. 12 that Bird, the developer of the XRPL-based meme coin Drop (DROP), recently compared traditional bank savings with holding digital assets on X, formerly Twitter. He pointed out that inflation continues to erode the real value of fiat currencies.

Bird said many people see bank deposits paying 4 to 6 percent a year as safe, but that such returns do not sufficiently offset inflation. He stressed that even if savings balances rise in nominal terms, real purchasing power declines over time as prices for groceries and necessities increase.

He said this shows the long-term decline in the value of major fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the British pound. He argued that many savers could be effectively treading water financially while feeling safe. Bird said XRP should be considered as part of long-term financial plans as an inflation hedge.

Bird said XRP has faced years of legal and regulatory uncertainty, limiting its price performance. He said XRP Ledger technology continued to develop during that period, and that as the regulatory environment becomes clearer, the market has begun to reassess XRP's real value and usability.

He cited wider use in cross-border payments, institutional investor interest through ETFs, the introduction of stablecoins such as RLUSD, and on-chain tokenisation of real-world assets (RWA) as factors supporting XRP's long-term outlook. He said that as usage increases, capital inflows and long-term demand are likely to expand.

Bird said he personally views Bitcoin (BTC) as a long-term savings asset. He added that holding XRP in a cold wallet through self-custody can reduce dependence on the traditional banking system. He argued that, rather than traditional savings that fail to keep up with inflation in a low-rate environment, digital assets linked to global financial infrastructure could provide greater value over the long term.

Finally, he forecast that XRP could become one of the most widely used digital assets in the world. He said building a long-term position now could deliver meaningful results for preserving assets and future stability over the coming decades.

His comments are based on personal views and are not investment advice. They are assessed as aligning with a broader view in the XRP community that utility, adoption and expanded real-world use matter more than short-term price swings.

XRP should be considered as part of your life saving plans. Most people keep their money in banks earning around 4–6% a year and feel comfortable doing so, but they rarely factor in inflation. Over time, the buying power of the US dollar and the British pound for example has…